The Bulldogs played 3 games this week and ended with a 2-1-0 record. Despite the strong week, they were eliminated from playoff contention. This shouldn’t come as a surprise considering how the season has been going.
Their are two big differences between the NHL and AHL:
- There are no rewards for coming in last, no first overall pick unless their parent club is doing just as bad, which, as we know, is not the case.
- Even when the season is a lost cause, there are always reasons to stay tuned.
One of those reasons right now is the plethora of new young talent the Bulldogs boast on their roster; it’s one of these players that came away this week with the player of the week honours, in his first week as a professional.
Charles Hudon recorded the game winning goal in the dying seconds of the April 6 game against the Texas Stars. In a three game span Hudon finished with a +1 rating, and recorded a team high 10 shots. In those three games the Bulldogs recorded 81 shots, meaning Hudon was responsible for 12.3% of all the Bulldogs’ shots.
To compare him to other notable Bulldogs,
Michael Bournival and Louis Leblanc each put 9 shots on net. Nathan Beaulieu recorded 8 shots (in only two games), and Patrick Holland also fired the puck 8 times.
Non too shabby for Hudon, who at 18 years old is the youngest player in the AHL. Hudon was drafted last season in the 5th round, much like former Bulldog Brendan Gallagher, he may end up being an impact player taken late in the draft. It’s too early to call him a blue chipper, but if he keeps up this pace, Montreal will have another undersized winger defying the odds (Hudon is listed at 5’10).
Special mention goes out to Danny Kristo, the much anticipated NCAA right winger started his Pro Career with a bang, recorded an assist and a +1 rating in a 4-2 win over the San Antonio Rampage in his debut.
