Canadiens within the team | Darwin’s love, a wound to Caufield

(Montreal) At the heart of his training camp, the Canadian played his traditional in-team game at the Bell Center on Sunday afternoon. Notes.

Simon Olivier Lorang
Journalism

jonathan drouin clap

This match was Jonathan Drouin’s first contact with the public in 19 months. His last presence at the Bell Center in front of fans dates back to February 25, 2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic chased spectators from the arenas. And when they returned last spring, Number 92 had taken a step back to confront the anxiety disorders that plagued his daily life. Sunday’s meeting couldn’t be warmer – the word is weak. Every time Darwin hit the disc, the few thousand people in the stands applauded loudly and cheered for him. And it was he who received the most encouragement when he took off during a friendly penalty shootout. Raphael Harvey Benard, after the match, admitted that he had “goose bumps” at this wave of love.

Cole Caufield injury

Cole Caufield was supposed to play intrasquad. But as soon as the meeting begins, there is no trace of the number 22. It appears that the young attacker injured himself by falling during the warm-up. The organization said his withdrawal from the match was “preventive” and that his condition would be assessed “daily”. RDS technical director Dominique Ducharme said Caufield had reported “uncomfortable” but in his opinion the injury was not serious. We should know more Monday morning.

Joshua Roy scores and leaves

Joshua Roy, the Canadian’s fifth-round pick in 2021, emerged with two goals. He first beat Kayden Primo with an accurate backhand shot at the top of the net. Then, he sent in front of goal, before a minute pass from Joel Jeremiah, who attracted Ryan Boehling, Lucas Videmo and Gianni Verbrother. Roy was one of the best players in the rookie team, so much so that, in the main camp, he was immediately included in one of the two main training groups. After the meeting, he learned that he was one of three players the Canadians would return to their small clubs. He was a bit disappointed that he didn’t get a chance to participate in a preparatory match, but he said to himself “Very happy because [ses] Two weeks here.” He said, “I’ve seen what it takes to take it to the next level. I still have a lot of things to work on in the future.”

Pieces of simono and fries

So Joshua Roy is taking the road to Sherbrooke, where he will join Phoenix, his QMJHL team. Xavier Simoneau will join the Charlottetown Islands, also on the Quebec circuit, while goalkeeper Joe Verbetik will report to the North Bay battalion, in the Ontario Junior League. Simono was one of two skaters in Group C, made up of rookie and guest players, included in the squad on Sunday – the other being defender Toby Besson. The two honestly did pretty good. Despite the limited icy time, Simono was visible on several occasions in the forward check and defensive retreat. As for Besson, who has a contract with the MLS, he made some timely forays deep into the opponent’s territory. His work in the ice corner also led directly to his teammate Arturi Likonen having a good chance to score.

Harvey Benard in the spotlight

Since the start of training camp, Rafaël Harvey-Pinard has been the only rookie striker to be reunited with two well-known NHL players. On Sunday, the streak he completed with Jake Evans and Joel Jeremiah was undoubtedly the most dangerous streak for the Canadian, and Quebec scored a superb goal by accepting a perfect pass from Evans. Despite the limited stakes in the game, Harvey Benard noted that he “didn’t have 15 chances to make a good impression at this level”. “I don’t just want to cross, I want to leave my mark,” he added. That’s why he’s trying to be a “sponge” with his threesome. He said that Joel Jeremiah, whose followers know only the silent side, proves to be an affectionate mentor. “He communicates a lot, gives me advice,” said Harvey Benard. When I get to the bench, tell me what I can improve. It is there to help young people. ”

Dvorak baptism

A member of the organization for only three weeks, Christian Dvorak takes every opportunity to acclimatize to his new team. Without affecting veterans like himself, he said, the match within the team allowed him to continue learning about Dominique Ducharme’s playing system. “I try to learn as quickly as possible,” he explained. On Sunday, Dvorak was leading the midfield trio of Jonathan Drouin and Josh Anderson. Despite some good times, Unity wasn’t particularly sparkling at this meeting. Obviously, the chemistry will take a little longer to materialize. However, the American said his wings were “two talented people” who brought “different aspects” to their streak.

Romanov, Colac, Boiling

It is true that they played in Toronto the day before. But we have to admit that Alexander Romanov, Brett Kulak and Ryan Boehling didn’t have a big game – like on Saturday against the Maple Leafs, actually. Romanov and Kulak were the white team’s only NHL defenders when Jeff Petrie was given time off, and they still struggle to stand out. Romanov, above all, seemed completely confused in the first half of the meeting. As for Ryan Boehling, he was flanked by Arturi Leconen and Laurent Dauphin again, and like the day before, he was rough, sometimes erased. Often in a bad position, the midfielder will definitely have to show more if he wants to secure a permanent position in Montreal. to continue this week.

red domination

It’s noted for the sake of shape, but the Reds easily beat the Whites by counting 4-1 (or 5-2, if we add the 5-minute overtime played at 3 on 3). The majority of the Whites were in uniform the day before in Toronto, and Tyler Toffoli and Jeff Petrie were also left out of the squad – not to mention the injured Coffield. The red did not pray to take advantage of it. Along with Joshua Roy, twice, and Raphael Harvey Benard, Danic Martell completed a major harvest in Quebec for his camp. Only Lucas Videmo scored for the white shirt. The Reds are expected to make up the bulk of the Canadian squad, who will face the Toronto Maple Leafs Monday night at Bale Center, in the club’s second pre-season game.