Kicking off a three-game road swing with a back-to-back, the Montreal Canadiens were hoping to do so on the right foot Wednesday night. Visiting a New Jersey Devils squad that had already defeated them 5-2 earlier in the season, they put together a second solid game in a row, bringing the season series to 1-1 between the teams with a 3-2 regulation win.
The icing on the cake was a crucial goal in the second period by Joshua Roy, the very first of his NHL career.
Even if he didn’t get that key goal, this would have been a strong showing from Roy. He was among the most effective players on the ice for the Habs, leading the team with five shots on goal, and playing a solid two-way game. He didn’t get a chance to show off his special teams prowess, but if he continues to play the way he did against New Jersey, it won’t be long before he starts getting more looks from the coaching staff.
With little practice time, and being thrown right into the fire against the Oilers and Avalanche, it has been quite the “welcome to the NHL” week for Roy. He didn’t look out of place in those first two outings, but he didn’t quite stand out either. But since he got his feet wet, he’s been looking more and more comfortable out there, and took off in a big way against New Jersey. If you’ve followed his career since junior, you’ll know that this is the kind of game he’s routinely capable of when he finds his comfort zone.
That line with Sean Monahan and Joel Armia just may be a comfort zone for Roy. They led all Montreal trios with an expected-goals share of 60.05%, constantly threatening and taking some pressure off the Habs’ top line. As a unit they struggled quite a bit in their first two games, but as Roy’s comfort level has grown, so too has their viability as a secondary scoring line.
We still don’t know how long Roy is going to be sticking with the Canadiens, but if this is a sign of him and his new line hitting their stride, he might make the decision to send him down a lot harder when the time comes.
It likely will, eventually, but until that time it should be fun to see him prove himself in the show.
Click the play button below to listen to your full Bottom Six Minutes, also available wherever you typically get your podcasts. As mentioned, it’s a back-to-back, so we’ll have another episode following tonight’s visit with the Ottawa Senators.
