Impressive!

What a win for the Canadians in their opening game!

The Habs may have won by just a goal, but they confused the Leafs with their aggressiveness and determination.

Who would have dared to predict such a feat?

No one!

The mood before the meeting was anything but optimistic. We’d seen the Habs suffer a loss in their eight preseason games.

The show had been miserable.

Expectations were non-existent.

What a duo!

Well, I hear you say that we mustn’t walk in fear, and you’re absolutely right.

Expect long evenings. But we shall have two beautiful fountains of comfort.

If Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield stay healthy we have a lot to enjoy.

On social media, some are saying that with a superior formation, these two wouldn’t play in the front row.

That’s not so sure.

Worst of all, some go so far as to say that they wouldn’t even play in a second tier with teams better placed than the Canadian.

One moment!

The flair of Luc Robitaille

I remember talking to Luc Robitaille about Caufield. Robitaille knew him well as Caufield center had Alex Turcotte, who the Los Angeles Kings drafted fifth overall in 2019.

Both were part of the US development program. They then played another season with the University of Wisconsin Badgers.

When I brought up the question of Caufield’s height, Robitaille replied that he saw no problem with that.

“He knows how to position himself on the net,” he said.

“He knows how to get there discreetly. »

Coming from Robitaille I thought he knew what he was talking about.

And if I remember correctly, he hadn’t mentioned the power and accuracy of his shot.

How many goals for Caufield?

Bets are now open.

How many goals will Caufield score this season?

The two goals he scored against the Leafs were his 23rd and 24th in his last 38 games. Extrapolated to 82 games we get 52 goals.

But I’ll remain a little embarrassed.

If Caufield breaks the 30-goal mark, it’s going to be very good. But I wouldn’t be surprised if he goes to 40.

As for Suzuki, his vision of the game makes him a top center.

It’s nice to see him going with Caufield.

Not only on the ice, but also on the bench.

The interaction of the two is beautiful to see. They often have a smile on their face.

Hockey remains a game for them.

Their philosophy is in line with that of Martin Saint-Louis.

Good marks for Allen, Harris and Savard

In addition, Jake Allen delivered a very good performance. He was far superior to Matt Murray, who is the Leafs’ third starting goaltender in three years.

I’m not sure the Leafs will go any further with him in goal.

On the rookie side, defenseman Jordan Harris was the best for the Habs. His playing time was 19:41 minutes. He had four shots, made a single turnover, and maintained a plus-two rating.

The significantly less used Arber Xhekaj (12:47) distributed four checks. He held himself in a good position most of the time.

Kaiden Guhle, who spent more than 22 minutes on the ice, struggled with puck control. But it wasn’t bad.

The youngster is expected to continue playing en masse.

Newcomer Johnathan Kovacevic also stuck out with his shoulders to end the night with six goals.

David Savard’s inspired performance shouldn’t be overlooked either. The veteran blocked nine Leafs shots.

Next game: Friday night in Detroit.