No size | The Journal of Montreal
OTTAWA | The Senators were waiting for the Canadian firmly. With a roster of more than a dozen regular NHL players, they have made short work of their rivals.
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Overwhelmed on all fronts, the Habs lost 7-2 on Friday night at the Canadian Tire Center. Four goals from the premises, scored during the second period, closed the books early.
It was poor Jake Allen, in front of the net for the first 40 minutes, who, in large part, bore the brunt of this thaw.
On occasion, the New Brunswicker could have done a little better, but given the amount of excess numbers he faced, he was short on miracles.
Lack of cohesion
Still running in, Dominique Ducharme’s men greatly lacked cohesion.
Particularly in their home turf, where the Senators had fun without being too bothered.
Hungry threesome
More aggressive and incisive, the Ottawa forwards won their fair share of puck battles, which often allowed them to breathe new life into their offense.
This was the case for the trio of Alex Formenton, Josh Norris and Drake Batherson, who scored four of seven crowd-favorite goals.
Good flashes
Among the positives is this other goal from the massive attacking unit consisting of Josh Anderson, ChristianDvorak, Joel Armia, Jonathan Drouin and defenseman Chris Wideman.
“Drouin is being paid a lot of money, it’s because he’s good with the puck,” Wideman said, smiling broadly. If you give him an extra second by giving him a quick and precise pass, he can do great things. He’s a special player. ”
A well-managed passing game by Drouin allowed Dvorak to grab a throwback from Wideman and hit the target.
« Sending the puck to the net from the point is the equivalent of a fumble football. You never know what’s going to happen, ”compared the defender.
Wideman and Drouin were also complicit in Alex Belzile’s goal in the first period.
What we noticed …
Guhle still ensures
With good reason, head coach Dominique Ducharme refuses to get carried away with Kaiden Guhle’s outfit. Nonetheless, the 19-year-old defender once again had a busy evening (21:31). The Habs certainly want to see what they have in their stomachs. Guhle responded by showing himself to be solid and confident against a well-heeled roster of NHL players.
Poehling hard
Originally, Ryan poehling was only due to play one of the weekend’s two games. The Canadiens’ staff ruled he wanted to see more of his 2017 first-round pick. On Friday night, he missed his audition somewhat. He has rarely had the best in his scuffles for the puck. He’s slowly getting out of the equation.
Niku in the locker room
Victim of a check from behind by Josh Norris, Sami Niku saw his first match in the Canadiens’ uniform end after 16:38 of play. Often injured during his career, the Finn had to curse that other tile that fell on him. The worst part is that Norris was not even punished for his gesture even though official Kendrick Nicholson was watching the footage.
Wideman wins points
From the start of the camp, Chris Wideman has established himself as an important cog in the powerhouse team. Again Friday, he circulated the puck well and found the openings to join his teammates. It remains to be seen whether he can demonstrate consistency at equal strength.
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