Jonathan Huberdeau, Aleksander Barkov, Claude Giroux, Sam Reinhart and Anthony Duclair. The first four are ex-first-round picks. And the last, far from being outdone, is already having the best season of his career.
Posted at 12:18 p.m.
In the absence of defender Aaron Ekblad, injured, the Florida Panthers will deploy a power play of five attackers – and not the least – against the Habs, Thursday night at the Bell Center.
In training, in the morning, the excitement was palpable. The felines, very active at the deadline for transactions, will see their newcomers in action for the first time. Giroux had the chance to train with the group for three days. For Ben Chiarot, it was more of a first contact on the ice.
In unison, we evoke the enthusiasm that inhabits this team which aspires to finish first in the general classification of the NHL.
Head coach Andrew Brunette described Giroux’s arrival as “Christmas morning”. His attack and his first wave of numerical advantage have everything to be devastating, but he nevertheless warns against too much enthusiasm.
“It will take a little time” before the players find their bearings, he predicted. “We have to be patient. What worries me is that all these talented guys want to force things. “For example by exchanging the puck ad infinitum out of courtesy.
Don’t get us wrong: the theme of worry is used here in hyperbole. Because even if the coach appeals to his players to “be themselves”, he is confident that with their “outstanding intelligence of the game”, they will be able to find a way to play effectively together.
“We are five guys capable of making games, added Jonathan Huberdeau. It’s going to be an adjustment, maybe it’s not going to click right away. You should not be discouraged. We know we have talent [sur l’avantage numérique], but you have to know how to execute well. It will be important tonight to keep it a little simpler. »
Giroux still warned that the puck was going to “move fast”. However, it will also “have to launch”.
Their adversaries will have been warned.
Finally Chiarot
Unusual situation after a transaction: it was only Thursday morning that Chiarot skated with his new teammates for the first time, eight days after being traded by the Canadian to the Panthers.
The team was on the west coast at the time of the transaction. She only returned to Florida this past weekend. Rather than repatriating the defender, he was invited to stay in Montreal, where the team joined him this week.
First impression ? “He’s a big guy! exclaimed Huberdeau, laughing.
After years of suffering under Chiarot’s stick in front of the net, the Quebecer is delighted to have seen him change sides. He praised “an imposing guy” who demonstrates “a high level of competition with each appearance”.
Giroux also remembers having fought “good battles” against the former CH. “I met him [jeudi] morning and told him I was glad he was on my side now. »
Andrew Brunette for his part underlined how Chiarot’s attributes corresponded “exactly to our needs”. His integration directly into a match situation will not necessarily be the easiest, but he remains optimistic nonetheless.
The coach spent seven seasons with the Minnesota Wild organization before moving to Florida. He saw Chiarot up close when the latter was a member of the Winnipeg Jets. “A little too often,” he said with a smile.
“For a guy of this size, he skates very well,” he said. He is very mobile. I like his physical involvement and his ability to clear the front of the net. »
Brunette expects an “emotional” game for their new player, who will play his first game in Montreal.
Bet however that, in front of the semi-circle of his goalkeeper, Chiarot will have no more friends.
Spencer Knight will defend the Panthers net against the Canadian. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m.