Call of the Wilde: Canadiens kick off season by shutting out Toronto Maple Leafs 1-0

The 115th play of the Montreal Canadiens opened with precocious hopes astatine the Bell Centre connected Wednesday night. It was the champion matchup imaginable arsenic 2 aged rivals — the Canadiens and the Toronto Maple Leafs — met to statesman this modulation play for Montreal.

This is the twelvemonth that the Canadiens request to emergence up successful the standings to amusement that the rebuild is connected course. Test 1 saw a inclination change: After 27 one-goal losses past season, the Habs took a one-goal triumph to commencement twelvemonth successful a 1-0 decision.

Wilde Horses 

There’s galore reasons for fans to beryllium optimistic aft crippled one. The Maple Leafs are expected to contend for the Atlantic Division title, yet the Canadiens did not look inferior astatine all. In the archetypal period, the Canadiens went stride-for-stride with Toronto.

The script looks adjacent amended erstwhile looking astatine Montreal with an oculus to the future. The players who the Canadiens privation to excel erstwhile the rebuild is finished were excellent. The bully vibes started with Kirby Dach who did not look rusty astatine all, contempt not playing a competitory crippled successful 365 days. Dach was flying. It’s hard to judge however confidently helium played considering helium had reconstructive genu country connected his ACL.

On the bluish line, it was the aforesaid script of optimism. If the Canadiens are to beryllium a unit successful the future, Lane Hutson has to beryllium everything that we person seen truthful far. Hutson was dangling each night. He was making outstanding plays leaving the Leafs defenders 2nd guessing. He besides had nary trouble arsenic a defender handling the Leafs’ champion forwards.

Also beardown connected the bluish enactment was Kaiden Guhle, who the enactment needs to go a existent first-pair defender. For a subordinate who is conscionable recovering from an appendectomy and saw lone minimal clip successful the pre-season, that was a circuit de unit by Guhle. He rode the second-most crystal clip connected the nine down lone Matheson He had the toughest matchups each nighttime against the Leafs’ best. Despite those evident challenges, Guhle was stellar.

For Montreal to radiance successful the future, they besides needed their apical enactment to amusement its skills and beryllium competitory against hard matchups similar the Leafs presented. Nick Suzuki, Juraj Slafkovsky and Cole Caufield request to vie well. The analytics were unkind, but the enactment did score.

It was Slafkovsky with the beauteous cross-ice walk to Caufield. It was a power-play goal. After a 0-for-30 powerfulness play tally of futility successful the pre-season, they yet counted. Dach got the 2nd assist.

Even immoderate of the lesser lights shone brightly. Emil Heineman looked beardown successful his role. He was carnal erstwhile helium needed to be. He led rushes. He had chances to people with high-quality looks. Heineman was a astonishing affirmative aft winning a spot retired of campy against the odds.

Samuel Montembeault was besides strong, turning distant 47 shots. There’s a cynicism implicit the Canadiens goaltending this year, but thing successful the numbers says that determination should be. Montembeault thought helium would beryllium tense for crippled one, but helium looked conscionable fine.

The enactment is looking for betterment from 76 points past season. With each of the players who weren’t determination past twelvemonth similar Dach, Hutson and Heineman shining, and improvements from Guhle, Caufield and Slafkovsky, determination is your logical hope.

Wilde Goats 

In the entirety of the 2023-24 season, the Canadiens did not people 1 5-on-3 powerfulness play goal. On nighttime one, they had a accidental to instrumentality power successful the 2nd play with a two-man vantage for 1:34. They mounted lone 1 prime changeable from Suzuki.

Not being antagonistic astatine each to Mike Matheson, who had an outstanding play past twelvemonth and has been beardown connected the powerfulness play, but the look for this powerfulness play to interruption done has Lane Hutson connected it.

It’s Hutson’s quality to weaken defending that volition make a overmuch amended script for Montreal to yet not person 1 of the worst powerfulness play units twelvemonth aft year. While Matheson is simply a classical constituent antheral connected the powerfulness play, taking large shots from the constituent and distributing to wingers, Hutson takes defenders on.

Hutson tin interruption down the lanes that defenders request to enactment successful to bash the occupation well. He tin change pathways connected passes that interruption down antiaircraft schemes. Hutson conscionable doesn’t get the puck astatine the constituent and sprout oregon simply walk it disconnected to the sidewalls. Hutson takes players connected and past beats them.

Hutson forces hard decisions. He tin marque a 5-on-3 crook into a 5-on-2 aft helium has near a defender successful his wake.

Hierarchy being what it is, it volition instrumentality a portion earlier the alteration is made. Hutson volition person to summation the assurance of the coaching staff, portion the powerfulness play numbers volition person to stay debased for the archetypal portion earlier the hierarchy is yet broken.

This is the mode it has ever been. However, eventually, we each cognize it is coming. This kid is the existent deal, and to triumph games, they’re going to request him to beryllium quarterbacking the man-advantage with the champion forwards connected the squad finishing his breathtaking beginnings.

Wilde Cards 

When Patrik Laine was acquired from the Blue Jackets, the excitement successful Montreal jumped. It was hard to find a Montreal instrumentality who wasn’t hopeful that this was the woody that was going to marque each the difference.

The biggest fearfulness imaginable past struck arsenic Laine suffered a superior near genu wounded earlier the play adjacent began. He is gone for astir 10 weeks. Hearts sunk.

The Canadiens had 1 of the worst 2nd lines successful the league past year. This year, the occurrence of the 2nd enactment hinged connected Laine’s instrumentality to greatness. He predicted for himself a 40-goal season, though bookies acceptable his extremity full astatine 27.

With Laine out, the 2nd enactment again becomes the biggest question mark. A full of 70 goals is outstanding for a 2nd line. With Kirby Dach, Alex Newhook, and Laine, the anticipation was they could each bash betwixt 20 and 25 to adjacent that full to alteration the dynamic of the club.

Now, the unit is connected Dach to someway instrumentality from large genu country portion carrying the enactment with 2 players who person not proven to beryllium successful that lofty role. Newhook has the potential, but has not proven it. Joel Armia has ne'er been a 2nd enactment player.

Success depends connected Dach carrying the puck up ice, past creating offence. It’s a gangly order, due to the fact that helium volition people beryllium somewhat tentative aft blowing retired his genu past season.

Watch for the totals of the 2nd enactment this season. That’s your key. The archetypal enactment is adjacent to a definite happening with 53 goals successful the 2nd fractional of the play successful 2023-24.  They volition perform.

The 3rd and 4th lines are lone asked to bash 30 goals, truthful they should beryllium capable to attain that. Third lines and 4th lines lone person to lend a little, portion holding disconnected the hostile arsenic good from scoring. That seems doable arsenic well.

If Dach tin get comfy rapidly and Laine returns successful December with confidence, Montreal volition find they are successful the premix for a playoff spot if they tin get 65-70 goals from that line.  If it is lone 35 goals again from the 2nd line, the nine volition person different hard season.

Watch what Kirby Dach brings. He is the lynchpin.

Brian Wilde, a Montreal-based sports writer, brings you Call of the Wilde on globalnews.ca aft each Canadiens game.