Intra-team match: Caufield on fire, a tough game for Monty… and one player who went unnoticed

Marc-Olivier Cook
Intra-team match: Caufield on fire, a tough game for Monty… and one player who went unnoticed
Credit: Capture d'écran / X

I was in Brossard this morning for the intra-squad game at the Montreal Canadiens' training camp.

Let's talk about it!

Some guys played well, others were invisible… and I'd like to share my personal observations with you. Let's get started!

1. First off, note that the game was divided into two periods.

One 20-minute period… and another eight-minute period, which was played four-on-four on the ice. 

2. That said, even though the game wasn't SUPER long, it was easy to spot Cole Caufield. The forward was all over the ice… and he's continued his strong training camp performance.

The guy really seems to be on a mission right now. It's impressive to watch.

3. Speaking of Caufield: it's worth noting that the first line (Caufield, Suzuki, and Kreider) seems to be slowly but surely finding its chemistry. All three players have had some strong shifts on the ice and have been dangerous on a few occasions as well.

Which, in fact, is encouraging.

4. Kirby Dach had a great opportunity to prove himself.

He was paired with Juraj Slafkovsky and Oliver Kapanen on the second line, stepping in for Ivan Demidov. And how did Kirby do, you might ask?

Kirby was just being Kirby. I thought he looked sluggish—it was as if his skates were laced wrong… because he ended up on the ice a few times. He needed to seize his chance, and he didn't.

5. If it was tough for Dach, the same can be said for Samuel Montembeault.

He was beaten by Jayden Struble (we'll get back to that) before giving up another goal to Tyler Thorpe in the first ten minutes of the game. Let's just say he didn't have the performance of a lifetime… and let's just say that his performance today still leaves me puzzled with just a few days to go before the season opener.

6. I couldn't wait to get to this part of my post!

No one's really talking about it (or hardly at all), but Jayden Struble is having a good camp. He scored (again) today, and beyond his offensive output, I especially noticed how calm he was in his zone when he had the puck on his stick.

He looked like a veteran with 500 or more NHL games under his belt. And with all the uncertainty on the blue line, it's interesting to see him doing things the right way.

He's been flying under the radar since the start of camp.

7. David Reinbacher, Florian Xhekaj, Owen Beck, and Adam Engström.

These guys all had one thing in common: they seemed to be the favorites among those in contention for a spot on the team for the season opener.

As for the two forwards, forget about it. They were with the American Hockey League group this morning, and they didn't impress in the intra-squad game either. Same goes for Adam Engström… who looks a little timid on the sidelines.

Reinbacher, on the other hand, played a solid game. A typical David Reinbacher game, so to speak.

Not many mistakes, not many spectacular plays… but solid, hard work. That's what we want to see from him, after all.


Overtime

Note that the Canadiens will be back at practice tomorrow.

On Saturday, the team will play two games in the evening: one in Montreal… and one in Ottawa. Then, the first game of the regular season will take place next Tuesday.

It's almost here!

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