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Beck and Richard Shine | Habs Notepad

Chris G

Habs News: NHL, Montreal Canadiens, Owen Beck, Anthony Richard, Arber Xhekaj, Stephane Robidas, Evgenii Dadonov, Corey Schueneman, Otto Leskinen, Trois-Rivieres Lions

Jesse Ylonen, Owen Beck, Anthony Richard, Corey Schueneman (Photo by TVA Sports)

ROCKET SPORTS MEDIA | LAVAL, QC. — On Sunday, the Canadiens held their annual Red versus White instrasquad scrimmage at the Bell Centre. The scrimmage consisted of two 30-minute periods with time being stopped during the last five minutes of each frame. The afternoon wrapped up with five minutes of 3-on-3 hockey.

For the occasion, nine players that dressed regularly in the NHL last season were in the lineup.

In the first period, Anthony Richard scored twice for Red, and Brendan Gallagher beat Cayden Primeau with a knuckler to send White in the dressing room down 2-1 after the first period.

Team Red took control of the match in the second period, outscoring Team White 4-1. Alex Green, Joel Armia, Jared Davidson and Xavier Simoneau scored on Riley Mercer, while Lucas Condotta netted one on Kevin Poulin.

Arber Xhekaj was the only scorer in the third period as team Red headed to a 7-2 victory. Richard (two goals and an assist), Owen Beck (three assists), Xhekaj and Simoneau each had multi-point games.

The Canadiens kick off their preseason schedule on Monday as the New Jersey Devils visit the Bell Centre. Martin St. Louis said over the weekend that most of the players that did not play in the scrimmage will face the Devils.

Testing Lines

Training camp allows coaches to test line combinations and project its success heading into the season. On Sunday, two potential NHL caliber trios were facing off against each other.

Firstly, Christian Dvorak centered a line between Evgenii Dadonov and Brendan Gallagher. The three have been lined up together since the start of camp.

“They’ve been good in scrimmage the last few days. Good energy, smart players that compete and I think they could be a very good line for us,” assistant coach Stephane Robidas said on Sunday.

Dadonov is learning about his new linemates and the team’s system. “He’s a smart player that can bring stability and I think he can play anywhere in the lineup,” Robidas said about the forward.

Secondly, the trio of Jonathan Drouin, Jake Evans and Joel Armia has been together since the start of camp. “Jake is a smart player with good energy and good speed. [Drouin] is a highly skilled player and [Armia] is just a big guy that can make plays and strong on the puck. They’ve been good so far,” evaluated Robidas.

Robidas insisted that nothing has been set in stone, but it appears evident that the coaching staff is evaluating these two combinations.

Battle on Defence

The biggest battle in the training camp is on defence. With only four defencemen on the roster with a one-way NHL contract, it leaves at least three spots available for young defencemen.

Joel Edmundson‘s absence opens up an additional spot if he is not ready for the start of the regular season. Robidas feels that David Savard, Mike Matheson and Chris Wideman are good veterans to support the prospects.

The coaching staff will need to be patient with the young core of defencemen that will take the available roster spots. “Mistakes will happen. It’s not an easy game, it’s not an easy league. You just got to play your own game and not worrying too much about making mistakes,” Robidas spoke about the desired mindset.

One of the individuals battling for a spot at the blue line is Corey Schueneman. The 27-year old made his NHL debut and left a good impression with St. Louis in the 24 games played.

Schueneman feels more confident following last season’s experience and is ready to battle for a spot. “You got to be able to defend in this league. There’s a ton of talent that you’re facing every night. If you can show them that you’re good defensively day in and day out, I think that’s a great start.”

Otto Leskinen is another defenceman with experience as a professional and can potentially play in the NHL at some point this season. “He’s not flamboyant but he’s reliable. He has experience playing as a pro in Finland, a league that’s not easy,” Robidas said about the 25-year old.

Bergeron Confident

The Trois-Rivieres Lions kick off their season on October 21st by hosting the Maine Mariners. In their inaugural season in the ECHL, the Lions clinched a playoff spot before being eliminated in seven games by the Newfoundland Growlers.

The Lions currently have 14 players signed to an ECHL contract, including several returning players. “I like the fact that we are bringing back several players from last year. Continuity is important, especially to develop our culture. I think the players we’ve added will fit perfectly with the style of players we want in Trois-Rivieres. We want complete players ready to sacrifice themselves for the team,” general manager Marc-Andre Bergeron said.

Last season’s top three leading scorers will not return to the Lions as they each signed a contract to play in Europe this season. Bergeron is counting on players from Laval to help contribute offensively. The Rocket have six players signed to a two-way AHL contract.

“It’s a great relationship that is developing with the Rocket and John Sedgwick. We’ve been in communication all summer. We both understand that we need each other,” added Bergeron. “Slowly, the relationship is developing with the new management. It is excellent. Everyone feels part of the big Canadiens family.”

Bergeron feels that the current roster is superior to the inaugural season’s team and that the Lions will be one of the dominating teams in the ECHL. Trois-Rivieres’ camp begins on Oct. 10th with medical and physical tests.

Off-ice, the organization will be unveiling its first team mascot before opening night.

(Quotes courtesy of Le Nouvelliste)

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By Chris G., Senior Writer
All Habs Hockey Magazine
Copyright © 2022 Rocket Sports

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