The Joshua Roy, Owen Beck, Jesse Ylönen line gets its second chance to show what it can do this pre-season. It looked good in the first match, what can it do in the second?
First period
- It’s a rather subdued start to the game with not many of the top players in the lineups tonight. A relatively sparse crowd so far as well.
- A couple of good saves by Cayden Primeau. He was fighting to see the puck through a few bodies, which has always been one of his weaknesses, so it’s crucial to see some improvement there.
- Montreal’s youth line of Jesse Ylönen, Owen Beck, and Joshua Roy is yet again the most noticeable in this game. They were the standouts in an opening nine minutes played in running time.
- The stoppage is for a too many men penalty as the Leafs try to slow that trio down with a extra defender.
- Ylönen has been stripped a couple of times not expecting an opponent to make a play on the puck. He needs to take more care of his possessions.
- With six minutes left, shots are 6-4 for Toronto. It’s not exactly a riveting one. At least we’re due for Cole Caufield’s two goals tomorrow night.
- Outside of his fighting, the ability of Arber Xhekaj to pin a cycling forward along the boards is probably his top talent.
- With neither team really looking interested in playing this game, the effort of the Beck line is standing out even more than in the first game.
- They draw a penalty, but don’t get onto to power play wave in the final minute of the opening period. Maybe they get the final minute in the second?
Second period
- Roy and Ylönen do indeed come out for the power play to start, but it still doesn’t create a goal.
- Good for Josh Anderson to steal a puck and spin away from his man, who chops him down. Weirdly, there’s no penalty call.
- Not that the Canadiens would do much with a power play, but I still like to see the infractions acknowledged.
- One of the few good shifts of the game comes at the midpoint of the period of Jake Evans’s line. Unfortunately, it was so good it led to a Leafs penalty, spoiling the momentum. There’s a fine line to tread there.
- Worse than halting momentum, it flips it. Matthew Knies beats Primeau from range while short-handed.
- Logan Mailloux goes in deep to set up John Parker Jones for a chance. That’s 13 feet of hockey player trying to connect on a goal.
- Another power play. The Habs didn’t learn their lesson that playing well in the offensive zone is bad for them.
- Just watching Cavan Biggio hit an inside-the-park home run during a TV timeout. Montreal needs to make something similar happen.
- I don’t think Joel Armia will be the answer to the power-play woes, but Montreal’s coaching staff doesn’t seem to agree. I wish I could say he’s not going to be playing that situation in the regular season, but he probably will.
- The power play is getting booed in pre-season, and it really deserves it.
- It’s 2-0 Leafs after an unfortunate deflection of a shot off Owen Beck.
- There was a time a few years ago when Leafs fan loudly declared that Nick Robertson would become a better player than Cole Caufield. You don’t hear those claims so much anymore.
- John Parker Jones is one of the best players on the ice, which is nice to see from a player who could have just tried to make an impression by crashing into every body in his vicinity
- A glove save from Primeau moments after he lost his stick. Outside of the Knies goal from the high slot, he’s looked fully engaged.
Third period
- The aim for this final period is to get a goal. Or seven would be fun, too.
- Ylönen drops his shoulder after taking a pass to go around the net. That’s a better use of his speed and his reach to maintain possession.
- We’re just playing out the final 20 minutes now. Fourteen to go.
- Two of them are power-play minutes, though, so that will feel more like 17. Like the humidex.
- Even so, more good work from Roy to force a penalty. Now to lobby the NHL for the option to decline.
- Just imagine if the Canadiens hadn’t drafted Cole Caufield back in 2019.
- I don’t know how to tell Joshua Roy and Owen Beck at the end of the pre-season, “I’m sorry, but we believe Joel Armia is the better player for our roster.”
- Josh Anderson startles the crowd with a goal horn late in this one. A wide-open shot from the slot makes it a 2-1 game with five minutes to play.
- One last moment of excitement/terror as the Leafs send the puck over the glass with a minute to go.
- One more attempt to kickstart Joel Armia.
- Tomorrow’s game will be better. By default.
