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After the highest two traces, it is Jake Evans with Brendan Gallagher and Joel Armia, and Christian Dvorak with Joshua Roy and Josh Anderson.
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Heading into Canadiens’ coaching camp it appeared fairly apparent what the highest two ahead traces can be.
It made no sense to interrupt up the No. 1 line of Nick Suzuki between Juraj Slafkovsky and Cole Caufield after they led the group offensively final season. It additionally made sense to place Kirby Dach at centre between Patrik Laine and Alex Newhook.
These two traces had been, certainly, put collectively by head coach Martin St. Louis for the primary scrimmage of coaching camp on Thursday in Brossard. The query was what would the 2 different potential traces to begin the common season appear to be?
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We obtained the reply to that Friday when the Canadiens scrimmaged for the second straight day with Workforce 3 taking to the ice for the primary time after Groups 1 and a pair of performed Thursday with the highest two traces on the ice.
For Friday’s scrimmage, Jake Evans was at centre between Brendan Gallagher and Joel Armia, whereas Christian Dvorak was between Joshua Roy and Josh Anderson for Workforce 3. Armia, Gallagher, Anderson and Roy all scored for Workforce 3 — as did Laurent Dauphin and Xavier Simoneau — in a 6-3 win over Workforce 2, which obtained targets from William Trudeau, Jared Davidson and Filip Mesar.
Workforce 3 will likely be again in motion for Saturday’s scrimmage towards Workforce 1 at 11:15 a.m. on the CN Sports activities Advanced in Brossard.
Dach, Laine and Newhook had been all held off the scoresheet for Workforce 2 on Friday.
It’s not stunning Dach and Laine appeared a bit rusty. Dach suffered a season-ending knee damage that required surgical procedure within the second recreation final season on Nov. 14. Laine hasn’t performed an NHL recreation since Dec. 14 when he suffered a damaged left clavicle that required surgical procedure after which entered the NHL/NHLPA participant help program in January whereas coping with mental-health points.
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St. Louis stated after Friday’s scrimmage he must be affected person with Dach and Laine, noting how arduous it’s to return again within the NHL after lacking important time with an damage. He added with extra repetitions in coaching camp and in preseason video games they’ll enhance individually and so will the road.
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“Clearly, Laine’s obtained an ideal shot and Dacher is excellent at transporting the puck and profitable pucks again,” St. Louis stated when requested why he thinks that line can work. “Newy brings a number of pace that may push groups again, create area beneath, fast to unfastened pucks. Dacher, Laine — large boys.
“All this stated, I really feel like they’ve nice parts to enhance one another,” St. Louis added. “Now it’s to get in additional reps as they missed a number of time. Simply to leap proper again in it at this degree, I obtained to be affected person a bit bit. However I really feel they’ve nice parts to enhance one another.”
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Newhook had 15-19-34 totals final season — his first with the Canadiens after being acquired from the Colorado Avalanche — whereas being restricted to 55 video games due to a excessive ankle sprain. He’s enthusiastic about enjoying with Laine and Dach.
“Two guys which have a number of ability, a number of area,” Newhook stated. “Large guys. I believe they each do all of it, so attempt to complement them as greatest I can and match into that spot to be an efficient line.”
Newhook added it’s like a contemporary begin this season for each Laine and Dach.
“Dacher was out all yr and Laine’s seeking to are available in and be a distinct participant and a distinct man on this atmosphere,” Newhook stated. “It’s thrilling. Everybody’s motivated right here. I believe everybody on the road has a little bit of a chip on their shoulder and we wish to show one thing to ourselves, the group and the league. I believe that’s a fairly harmful factor to have when you’ve gotten three guys feeling that manner.”
Evans, Gallagher and Armia appeared actually good collectively in Friday’s scrimmage and Gallagher was flying across the ice.
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“They had been actually good at this time,” St. Louis stated about that line. “Numerous function of their recreation. I appreciated their recreation. They performed the sport. They supported each other.
Evans, Gallagher and Armia are all right-hand photographs, one thing St. Louis doesn’t actually wish to have on the identical line.
“However generally they work so nicely collectively that you just reside with it,” St. Louis stated. “We’ll see the place that takes us, however I actually appreciated what they did at this time.”
Gallagher was enjoying on his off-wing Friday.
“I at all times appreciated enjoying the off-wing myself,” St. Louis stated about his Corridor of Fame enjoying profession as a left-hand shot. “I really feel Gally on the off-wing can expose the puck much less on breakouts, he can defend extra.”
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As for the opposite line, it seems to be like St. Louis will give Roy each likelihood to be on the opening-night roster — and with good purpose. The No. 1 general choose on the 2019 QMJHL Draft appeared excellent in Friday’s scrimmage, exhibiting a hockey sense past his 21 years of age. He not often makes a foul resolution with the puck.
“I simply suppose he’s at all times prepared for what’s subsequent,” St. Louis stated about Roy, who fell to the fifth spherical of the 2021 NHL Draft (one hundred and fiftieth general) after a sluggish begin in junior. “He’s a really clever participant, however not simply with the puck. With out the puck he’s very good. He performs nicely off the puck. So he’s at all times prepared for what’s subsequent. He doesn’t kill the play. He’s enjoying the sport. If it’s time to chip a puck to hurry, he’ll do this. You possibly can see he’s obtained poise to purchase a bit time and hit the man who’s going to be free. He lets the play evolve.”
Chipping the puck to hurry might work very nicely with the speedy Anderson as a linemate. Roy assisted on Anderson’s purpose Friday.
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St. Louis likes to say there’s a distinction between somebody who performs hockey and a hockey participant and the coach believes Roy is rapidly turning into the latter.
“I really feel he’s exhibiting an ideal signal of that,” St. Louis stated. “After I noticed him final yr I felt, you realize what, he’s a hockey participant. He’s nonetheless very younger, however he’s positively entering into that route.”
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