A forward-flavoured victory to kick off the preparatory calendar

For the occasion, I’ve prepared 10 highlights from this first preparatory game. The game was dominated by the Canadiens, who won 5-0.

1. The Bell Centre crowd gave Patrik Laine a welcome fit for a king. On his first touch of the game, number 92 took the puck from his own zone into the Flyers’. It was a great lift, but what really stood out was how the Bell Centre crowd cheered him on with shouts of joy.

Laine did very well in his first game. Pierre Houde was convinced he had scored at the end of the second period, but the forward was frustrated at the last second by the Flyers’ goalie.

Laine had the opportunity to play minutes with Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook. It’s a lineup we’d love to see in regular-season action. All three players did an excellent job in this match.

2. Lane Hutson was very comfortable offensively. Whether on the power play or five-on-five, Hutson was an important cog every time he stepped on the ice.

On this sequence, the young defenseman allowed himself a few feints by cutting into the slot, before allowing Laine to unleash a dangerous shot.

Hutson simply put on a show. He even earned an assist on David Savard’s goal.

After such a great game, Hutson earned himself the first star.

It’s still early to say he’ll have an offensive season worthy of the NHL’s best defensemen, but he proved once again that he’s capable of pulling his weight and impressing in every game.

3. Oliver Kapanen did his job very well. He was able to protect the puck well to avoid creating unnecessary turnovers.

In fact, Kapanen was impressive all along the ramp. His hard work and vision led to the Canadiens’ third goal, scored by Emil Heineman.

He even earned himself the game’s second star.

If all goes according to plan, Kapanen will go play with Timra in the Swedish Elite League (SHL), but making a good impression with the Canadiens organization certainly won’t hurt!

4. It was a warm-up game for everyone, even the referees! The Flyers clearly scored in the first period, while the restart proved that the puck had indeed crossed the red line.

But the referees disallowed the goal!

5. The first scorer in this match was… Luke Tuch! The American forward took advantage of a golden opportunity to open the scoring with a good shot.

That’s pretty surprising considering he started the game on the fourth line! Still, Tuch left his mark, who was also on the ice for David Savard’s goal.

6. The Canadiens’ forward was incredibly dominant in the third period. The Habs needed less than three minutes to score three unanswered goals.

The Bell Centre crowd erupted in cheers. Many spectators will probably need throat lozenges!

Josh Anderson completed the three-goal sequence.

7. Kirby Dach used his body well. You’d think that after missing almost all of last season, Dach would have been a little skittish about playing hard physically. Not so.

He served up numerous checks to opposing players, especially in the first period. These checks helped his teammates recover the puck and attempt dangerous shots.

8. Alex Barré-Boulet scored in his first Habs game. His entire line had a superb game.

Barré-Boulet, Kapanen and Heineman will probably see more action together in the upcoming pre-season games. This was probably the most impressive line in the game.

9. The goalies got the job done. The Flyers were unable to score on 25 shots on net.

Jakub Dobes and Cayden Primeau blocked 12 and 13 shots respectively. Reassuring!

10. I reserved this 10th and final point for Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau. The Canadiens took the time before the game to pay tribute to them with a moment of silence.

A nice gesture from the Canadiens organization.

The Canadiens won the game 5-0. Martin St-Louis’ team will be back in action on Tuesday night against the New Jersey Devils.