Kicking off the 2010-2011 pre-season schedule,
the Montreal Canadiens lost their first game to the visiting Boston Bruins.
In a fast-paced contest, the Canadiens eventually emerged as losers despite
dominating the majority of the game. Tomas Plekanec and Maxim Lapierre
tallied the goals for Montreal while Nathan Horton, Johnny Boychuk and Patrice
Bergeron (2) all hit the scoresheet for the Bruins. Carey Price allowed 4
goals on 10 shots, Curtis Sanford made 6 saves while Tuukka Rask made a
whopping 36 saves. Top prospect Tyler Seguin recorded his first NHL point
for the Bruins.
First Star: Tomas Plekanec
Plekanec certainly made a case for GM Pierre
Gauthier’s biggest investment tonight, and was clearly Montreal’s best player on
the ice. Plekanec was effective on the forecheck, made uncanny
tape-to-tape passes, and seemed to have gained a stride after healing his bumps
and bruises in the off-season. His chemistry with Mike Cammalleri seems to
be improving, and the two might have combined for more goals had their luck been
a little better, or if Tuukka Rask wasn’t on top of his game.
Stat Line: 1 goal, 1 assist, 4 shots, +2
rating, 19:30 TOI
Second Star: Jarred Tinordi
Montreal’s first round selection in 2010 didn’t
disappoint in his first NHL-calibre game, as the hulking blue-liner logged an
impressive 20:38 of ice-time (3rd highest). Paired with the veteran
Jaroslav Spacek, it was surprisingly often that Tinordi appeared the more
comfortable of the pair. Jacques Martin seemed content putting Tinordi in
a wide variety of situations, and he rarely seemed out of place. Granted,
Tinordi was guilty of some rookie mistakes and not using his body physically
enough, but the youngster demonstrated some good puck-moving skills and an
excellent skating stride.
Stat Line: 0 goals, 0 assists, 0 shots, -1
rating, 20:38 TOI
Third Star: Josh Gorges
Gorges was his usual steady defensive presence,
but contributed offensively tonight with a pair of assists. Perhaps it was
the absence of a puck-moving defenseman and the extra powerplay time, but Gorges
demonstrated some rarely seen offensive potential. It’s worthwhile knowing
that Gorges can fill in in all areas on the blue-line.
Stat Line: 0 goals, 2 assists, 1 shot, +1
rating, 22:55 TOI
Honourable Mention: Aaron Palushaj
Palushaj lined up with top players Cammalleri
and Plekanec, and for the most part didn’t look out of place. The young
prospect certainly showed no hesitation going to the hard areas of the ice,
demonstrated some impressive offensive instincts and performed everything at a
high speed. That being said, there were some inconsistencies in his game,
and his influence on the game seemed to wane as the game progressed and as the
pressure grew to contribute offensively. Nevertheless, based on what was
seen tonight, Palushaj could be considered a dark horse to make the big squad
this season.
Stat Line: 0 goals, 0 assists, 1 shot, -1
rating, 17:45 TOI
Written by
Matt Dilworth