Game 2: Their men vs the Habs' boys

Habs fans expectations should have been pretty low when the line-ups for last night's pre-season game were announced. After all, the Habs were not even dressing one line that will be expected to play together this season while the the Sabres had their top three lines and top 4 D dressed for the game. 

The result was a 3-1 loss by the Habs capped off by an empty net goal. Not only was the result better than fans could have expected, but the should have been pleasantly surprised by the strong return of Pacioretty, who looked comfortable on the ice, and the play by some of the prospects - Beaulieu and Gallagher in particular - who played far better than could have been anticipated. The biggest disappointment of the game was the play of Engqvist and Palushaj who were playing the second game in two nights.

Beaulieu looks like the real deal

After watching Beaulieu play more than 27 minutes, I hope that most fans have come away with the feeling that he is the real deal and he will be a stud in the future. Sure he seemed raw at times in his own zone, but his skating, vision, and poise with the puck were exceptional for a player playing his first game against competition stronger than major junior. 

Three plays really stuck out in my mind that showed glimpses of his future. Early in the game, he made a beautiful long-bomb pass which demonstrated his vision. Second, I believe it was in the second period, when he evaded a forcheck by Brad Boyes while maintaining possession of the puck and he was able to make a nice outlet pass. It was a nice display of poise and confidence where other young defenseman might have turned the puck over or just tried to chip it up the boards. And third, his ability to get back in position after joining the rush showed that he has the speed to play in the NHL one day. 

I am not trying to overhype him and say he is ready for the NHL this year but he could challenge for a spot next year with a solid year in junior.

Gallagher: Gionta Jr?

The second youngster who had a strong game was Gallagher. He was strong on the puck, drove the net, and showed glimpses that would make you want to compare him to the Habs diminutive captain, Brian Gionta. One particular sequence of note was during the third when he stickhandled through the Sabres defenseman. Gallagher showed far more drive and determination than some of the other prospects who have a chance to make the Habs roster this year. 

Does anybody want the job of thirteenth forward?

The biggest disappointment of the game was the play of Palushaj and Engqvist for the second consecutive game. Both players seemed to lack determination and were invisible on the ice. From the past two games, I don't see a skill set that will translate well to the NHL for either of them. Palushaj seems like Maxwell in that he is not strong or fast enough to be a top 6 or top 9 scoring forward in the NHL. He doesn't have any skills in particular that stand out. While Engqvist seemed behind the play and also laked any elite or NHL skills apart from his size. From the game play so far, Blunden has played the best of the three players battling for the last spot.