Canadiens Lineup

Tomas Tatar – Phillip Danault – Jonathan Drouin

Charles Hudon – Jesperi Kotkaniemi – Joel Armia

Nick Cousins – Ryan Poehling – Riley Barber

Matthew Peca – Jake Evans – Alex Belzile

Ben Chiarot – Jeff Petry

Mike Reilly – Christian Folin

Otto Leskinen – Cale Fleury

Charlie Lindgren – Michael McNiven

Game Report

While decidedly pro-Canadien fans filling the KC Irving Centre in Bathurst were likely looking to be dazzled by the likes of Jonathan Drouin, Phillip Danault, Tomas Tatar and Jesperi Kotkaniemi, it was the lesser lights that shone for the Habs in the Kraft Hockeyville game against the Florida Panthers. 

It was the fourth line that got things started for the Canadiens with Jake Evans engineered a pretty tic-tac-toe passing play finished off by a Matthew Peca tap-in early in the first period. Peca was also involved on the second goal of the game when he and Jonathan Drouin were caught watching Evgenii Dadonov tie the contest before the first frame was over.

Peca would help get that goal back early in the second period by assisting on Jeff Petry’s first goal of the pre-season.  Third-liner Riley Barber picked up the second assist. The Panthers tied the score again when their impressive power-play connected with Mike Hoffman blasting an unstoppable one-timer. Peca was in the box for hooking.

After Jonathan Huberdeau staked the Panthers to a lead in the third period, Barber and Petry once again teamed up to tie the score.

And for the second straight game, the game-winner for the Canadiens was scored shorthanded, this time by Alex Belzile following an outstanding play by Ryan Poehling.

Charlie Lindgren played the full sixty minutes and was solid in this one.

The Canadiens and Panthers faceoff again on Thursday night at the Bell Centre.

Plus / Minus

▲  Charlie Lindgren, Ryan Poehling, Cale Fleury, Jake Evans, Riley Barber, Alex Belzile

▼  Jonathan Drouin, Tomas Tatar, Charles Hudon, Phillip Danault, Mike Reilly