Habs Bell Centre Opener: It Feels Good to be Home!

by Shannon Penfound, Staff Writer and Event Coordinator, All Habs Hockey Magazine

WINNIPEG, MB. — If there’s one thing I love, and I mean REALLY love, it’s when the Montreal Canadiens beat the Boston Bruins. With a sold out crowd, the Bell Centre was covered in a sea of bleu-blanc-rouge as passionate Habs fans roared in approval while the Montreal Canadiens won the 2014-2015 home opener by a score of 6-4. You will find a full game recap here: Gallagher Scores Two, Habs Take Down Rival.

With last night’s win, and after securing three of four away games to start their season, the Canadiens sit with a 4-1-0 record. With five games under their collective belts, let’s take a look at a few of the key players in the Habs line-up this season.

Jiri Sekac signed with Montreal this past summer, following a decision to pursue his NHL career after a very successful stint with the KHL. The 22 year-old Sekac, a Czech Republic native, consistently impressed many Habs fans throughout the preseason and regular season so far. His impeccable hockey sense is sure to benefit Montreal offensively. Sekac nabbed his first NHL career goal on Thursday night saying, “It’s hard to describe what I’m feeling right now. I’m just so happy to have scored my first goal here in front of my family.” The first of many, I’m sure.

Tomas Plekanec is heading into his 10^th full season with Montreal and Habs fans seemed to be at odds over this 31-year old centre prior to the start of the regular season. With Marc Bergevin leaning towards a more youthful line-up, some fans argued that it was time for Plekanec to pack his bags due to a perceived lackluster season the year before. However, it appears as though Plekanec is excelling following a line-shift which sees him regularly partnered with the offensive power of Alex Galchenyuk. Plekanec has already posted an impressive four goals and an assist in four games. Expect big things from the Canadiens alternate captain this season. Perhaps fans will even get a glimpse of a few more of those elusive smiles of his throughout the year as well.

Brendan Gallagher – Where do I begin? Gallagher is certainly one of the smallest players on the team, but what he lacks in size, he more than makes up for with heart. This kid always shows up to play and never stands down, even when facing 6-foot-9 Zdeno Chara in front of the net. On Thursday night, Gallagher once again proved to Habs fans that he is a force to be reckoned with, scoring two beautiful goals along with an assist, and earning himself first star of the game. Taking his place on the top line with David Desharnais and Max Pacioretty certainly shows that Michel Therrien has faith in this young superstar. Additionally, this grouping will only benefit Gallagher in terms of ice time and mentorship that he will receive from his young veteran line mates.

You knew I couldn’t end this article without touching on Carey Price, our beloved goaltender. Price, who looked unstoppable during preseason, has seemed shaky at times since the start of the regular season. Am I worried? Absolutely not. And you shouldn’t worry, either. Price is one of the most level-headed athletes in the league and he also possesses great mental strength on and off the ice. After a season-ending injury last year, Price undoubtedly wants to return stronger than ever. The added bonus of having young net-minder, Dustin Tokarski, backing him up this season, can only mean a lower likelihood of burnout for Price this year. A few poor plays certainly won’t make or break Price, but what will affect his success is subpar defense.

I honestly can’t name any one player in particular, but I feel that collectively, the Habs’ defense appears sluggish. Fans will argue about Nathan Beaulieu versus Jarred Tinordi taking the 7^th position, Tom Gilbert not being ‘physical’ enough, and Mike Weaver simply not playing at the calibre he was at last year. The truth is, the Canadiens’ defense needs some work. The silver lining? The Habs are only five games into the season and have plenty of time to work out the remaining kinks in their system.

The Montreal Canadiens play another three games at home before heading back on the road later this month. Though the team certainly has some areas in need of improvement, I am confident in this group of athletes and their undeniable ability to succeed.

Now, I’ll leave you with a clip of Jiri Sekac’s first NHL goal, followed by his father’s reaction, just so you can be reminded of a great home-opening victory.