Post Game Thread: Habs thump Isles B team in Quebec
The Montreal Canadiens, missing just a couple expected roster players gave the New York Islanders "B" squad a lesson in offense Saturday night.
15,200 fans (1/4 in Habs jeseys and another 1/4 in Quebec Nordiques attire) at Quebec City's Collisee Pepsi witnessed a 7-2 drubbing, while the Islanders "A" team defeated the New Jersey Devils in their first pre-season home game at Nassau Colliseum.
According to an NHL rep, the cancelled plans to play in China in this pre-season was partly to blame for the changes in the league's pre-season schedule. Ideally the league, who always cites promoting the league would have wanted a better matchup, but fans went home happy.
The game did not go without incident when Mike Cammalleri slashed Islanders prospect Nino Niederreiter in the back of the leg in response to an earlier blindside hit by the Islanders rookie. The Cammalleri slash is shown in this video, but note Niederettier swings his stick at Cammlleri's head first around the 10 second mark.
The incident has already been sent to the NHL's disciplinary committee for review. In all likelihood Cammalleri will receive either a suspension or fine.
Niettermeiter left the game with what is reported as a bruised leg.
Prior to the slash, Cammalleri was having a good game and finished with a goal and two assists. Benoit Pouliot, who has been under recent scrutiny, closed out the pre-season with two goals on the night.
The Habs power play, all but invisible in exhibition play so far, connected on three occasions. They had just three in the previous six games.
Tomas Plekanec continued to show he was worth the money, and worth keeping, with his fifth and sixth goals and added two assists.
Lars Eller recorded his only goal of the pre season, and added an assist while managing to stand up to the Islanders on a few occasions.
The moment of the night was the standing ovation for the Stastny brothers from the Quebec crowd.
FIRST PERIOD
MON - MIKE CAMMALLERI 2 (ANDREI KOSTITSYN) 03:25
MON - BENOIT POULIOT 1 (JEFF HALPERN) 04:56
NYI - NINO NIEDERREITER 1 (MATT MOULSON, JONATHAN SIM) 10:55
MON - (PP) P.K. SUBBAN 2 (JAROSLAV SPACEK, MIKE CAMMALLERI) 15:49
SECOND PERIOD
2ND PRD: MON - (PP) TOMAS PLEKANEC 5 (MIKE CAMMALLERI) 06:15
THIRD PERIOD
MON - TOMAS PLEKANEC 6 (MATHIEU DARCHE, ANDREI KOSTITSYN) 02:40
MON - (PP) BENOIT POULIOT 2 (LARS ELLER, JAROSLAV SPACEK) 13:29
MON - LARS ELLER 1 (MATHIEU DARCHE) 16:47
3RD PRD: NYI - JESSE JOENSUU 2 (BRUNO GERVAIS) 18:40
THREE STARS: 1. Tomas Plekanec 2. P.K. Subban 3. Lars Eller
Views from the other blogging bench at Lighthouse Hockey.
The Canadiens will now travel to Clermont village in Charlevoix for a team bonding session before the season opener, against the Toronto Maple Leafs at the ACC, on Thursday.
Other tidbits
Hockey lovefest hits Quebec City
Corey Locke, a former Habs prospect, was amongst today's cuts by the Ottawa Senators.