(Buffalo) On the one hand, Jayden Strobel arrived at the Rookie Championship in enviable circumstances. A private driver took him from Montreal to Goo Goo Dolls City.
But on the other hand, it was far from ideal. A logistical glitch prevented him from boarding the bus with his teammates in Broussard on Thursday afternoon. He only arrived in Buffalo on Friday evening, while CH faced the Sabres. So he missed the first morning practice and the first game, so much so that he had his baptism by fire Saturday afternoon, against the Bruins.
It clearly doesn’t sound like much, if we’re to believe the response of Jean-François Holly, who was asked what stood out in the 4-1 win for the Canadiens’ hopes.
“I really liked Strobel’s game,” he said from the start. “He was tough and committed. He was tough and committed.” You have to show it. »
We often talk about players who should stand out in this type of tournament. Even though Strobel only had nine professional appearances, he still had to shine. He’s 22 years old, has just played four seasons at a good NCAA program, and above all else, he’s an exceptional athlete. At 6-foot-2 and 202 pounds, he has the size to win, especially against opponents who are often younger and lighter. Eight of the Bruins’ 12 forwards weighed less than 190 pounds.
And it showed. Strobel provided the kind of physical presence that would reassure any goalkeeper behind him.
“He was very physical tonight. He probably had the most hits. I liked that,” Holley added.
Despite his enviable physique and his chosen status 2H In turn, Strobel is far from the top in the very long hierarchy of CH in left defence.
On the other hand, his partner in Saturday’s match has the advantage of being right-handed, as the Hab is less messed up. Except Logan Mailloux can’t expect a fast path to the NHL just because he shoots from the right and is a one-shot pickany circular.
After a somewhat painful performance on Friday, Maillox showed more confidence on Saturday, even if he wasn’t perfect. It’s also worth noting that the Bruins were a far cry from deploying a group of exciting prospects like the Sabers had back in the day.
He found his bearings a little more, and was calmer. He had less pressure. “I found it more relaxing,” Holly said.
Despite the difficulties he faced the previous day, Mylox did not lose confidence in his possession of the puck. In the same sequence, at the beginning of the match, he made three offensive maneuvers. All three failed, but the young man didn’t seem disappointed or upset after that.
Joshua Roy was invisible on Friday, and was more assertive on Saturday. Buseron’s winger scored the goal, in addition to assisting Jan Misak’s goal.
Photo by François Roy, Press Archive
Joshua Roy
Philippe Mazar also looked better than the day before. One difference from Friday’s game was that he played as a midfielder instead of a winger, and Holly noted that the Slovakian was more comfortable in the middle.
Friday’s first-line center, Owen Beck, was placed on leave, while Riley Kidney, Friday’s second-line center, was moved to the wing on Saturday. In short, the hierarchy at the center was different, and Masar took advantage of that.
Those formulated by CH in 26H However, a No. 1 finish in 2022 should prove that at 19 years old, despite a frail build, he can maintain his MLS status this season. This will be the challenge he will face in the coming weeks.
Kidney faces the same challenge, but he’s 20 years old. But whether in the middle on Friday or on the wing on Saturday, he had difficulty getting forward. Since playing physical is not his cup of tea, he must generate offense until he can find a role.
Misak, Roy and Cédric Guindon scored the winning goal. Forward Ty Smilanic added the insurance goal into an empty net after a blunder by the Bostonians.
Quentin Miller stopped 26 of 27 shots to record the victory. Quebec surrendered only to Trevor Kontar, who beat him with a backhand. This Kantar is the son of Les Kantar, the former goaltender who the most ardent Canadiens fans will remember for the six games he played with the club in 1993-94.
Rested for Saturday’s game: forwards Beck, Sean Farrell, Florian Cicaj and John Parker Jones, as well as defenders David Reinbacher and William Trudeau and goalkeeper Jacob Dubis.
The Canadian will hold a short training session on Sunday and conclude the tournament on Monday afternoon against the Senators favorites.
A word of humor in conclusion. Jean-François Holly was offering an answer about defender Miguel Tourigny when his tongue slipped out.
“I thought he competed for a little guy. Well… excuse the pun! For a little smaller guy. He goes into the corners and competes, like a little Simone.”
At 5’8″, Tourigny could already be described as short. But at 21 years old and with a season of professional hockey in Europe under his belt, he’s starting to get old for the ‘little guy’!
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