Recrutes

Recrutes: Hockey scouting from a professional perspective from Grant McCagg and Habs coverage from a 33 year veteran covering the NHL from Brian Wilde.

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Call of the Wilde: Bergevin’s Expected Script

October 5, 2017

By Brian Wilde

The season started in Buffalo with the Habs blue line greatly revamped. Last season, Markov, Emelin, Beaulieu and Sergachev were all on the blue line on opening night. Only Weber and Petry remain from last season’s D corps. Even the seventh defenceman on the opening roster, Greg Pateryn, is gone. So how did the new blue line do on opening night? To the Wilde Horses we go…

Wilde Horses

  • – Jonathan Drouin. I think he’s going to spend a lot of time in this category. Drouin was around the puck all night, and could have been in on four goals alone in the first period. His one assist in the first was simply gorgeous as he set up for shot the entire time with Max Pacioretty on the right side. At the last second, he set up his right winger. Gorgeous pass. In the shootout, that move was sick. It was ill. It had a virus. Upstairs on the deke and Lehner did not have a chance.

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About Brian Wilde

Brian Wilde has worked in hockey since he was 20. He was the rink side host for the Edmonton Oilers at CTV and Ottawa Senators for Sportsnet. He was also lead reporter on the Montreal Canadiens for 17 years at CTV Montreal.

View all posts by Brian Wilde

  • Robert Thomson says

    Overall a pretty good game, entertaining hockey. Drouin looks to be everything Habs fans hope he will be. I was also thinking that on the PP Chucky should be over where Max was as his shot from there is wicked. Weber is a beast. Mete was better than half the Habs defenders tonight. Alzner quietly goes about his job and does it well. Habs gave up too many shots but Price is steady and reliable as usual. Good start to the season.

  • Darren Dembicki says

    Glad they won though I thought Petry had a rough game. Goal #1 was scored by his man. Regardless of how play developed, that’s his guy to cover. Goal #2 scored from RD position while he was up on left wing for some reason. These were apparent errors in contrast to Weber who eliminated his guy everytime & didn’t leave his position all game. Tough honesty maybe but Petry needs to be super strong to alleviate pressure on the rest of the D corps. Other side of the coin was Alzner was rock solid on that pairing, Mete good again, & Weber an absolute beast. Benn on with Shea near the end but that’s to be expected as Mete finds his way. Shea is just unbelievable, anyone criticizing his game is just loco. I agree Galchenyuk & Max must be swapped on the PP. Drouin has a wicked shot, lots of iron so far this year. On to Washington! Go Habs Go!

  • Patrick Moss says

    Great column tonight Brian. Agree with everything.

    One question: how much better would this team look with Alex DeBrincat and Sam Girard in the lineup, instead of Andrew Shaw? Yes, maybe it’s true that 15% of 2nd rounders make the NHL. But not all drafts are created equal and that Shaw trade from the summer of 2016 still burns.

  • k3x says

    Benn didn’t look good to me. Streit didn’t do.muxh wrong but maybe when Schlemko returns Benn improves.

    You guys need an App

    • Grant McCagg says

      I didn’t mind Benn last night. I don’t think you can fault him on the first goal. Considering that he was stuck with Streit…overall he was fairly solid, especially on the PK.

  • GMan says

    Main takeaways from the game:
    – Drouin is stud.. no matter what Sergachev does, getting a #1C with this kind of skill AND a local kid? Best trade MB will ever have made.
    – I had Mete leaving within 9 games, I’m not so sure anymore. Not only did he look just as good as in preseason, but the rest of the D looked so vulnerable.. the combination of both has me believing he stays unless MB trades for a D soon.
    – Weber is so good, he & Price did their thing last night
    – I didn’t see the solid Alzner many of you saw, lost many puck battles, turnovers, just didn’t look good at all. It’s just one game, but he needs to be WAY better than last night or we’re in for a long season.
    – Benn also hasn’t been anywhere near as good as last year so far, it continued last night.. he & Streit on that 3rd pair was a scary thing. Hope last year wasn’t a flash in the pan and he can find his game soon.
    – Buffalo’s Dmen were pinching all night, Habs couldn’t get out of their zone for long stretches.. the Habs D to have to do a much better job there, but the wingers need to do a much better job of winning that battle along the boards and getting the puck out, they weren’t getting the job done last night at all

    • Brian Wilde says

      let’s watch Alzner together. He seems to be a lightning rod between the two camps and it’s weird how that happens. The one camp thinks Weber sucks and Gaclhenyuk is amazing and Gilbert is incredible as was Sekac. There’s a large faction that hates Alzner and I am very curious to see how he does. For game one, he was a coach’s choice, and it maybe because he didn’t like anyone else, but that doesn’t change he was second choice with the game tied late behind Weber.

  • Dave Brodbeck says

    I was texting back and forth with my brother, as we do during games, and we both remarked at how much stronger than last year, physically, Hudon seemed.

  • Selvena Walters says

    Drouin and Mete made a great first impression. Weber was Weber as well as Price. Let’s hope this continues. Great read as usual.