Bold new threesome emerges with courage and audacity
The Montreal Canadiens' training camp is in full swing, and one of the most intriguing developments is the formation of a second line featuring Patrik Laine, Kirby Dach, and Ivan Demidov.
Laine, known for his offensive prowess, claimed he will show his best version this season, emphasizing the word "will". He had a strong start to last season with eight goals in his first nine games, but his performance declined towards the end.
Dach, identified by Martin St-Louis as the second line center for the Canadiens to start the season, has expressed a commitment to defensive play and is focused on improving defensively. Despite this, he has never finished a season with a positive differential in the plus-minus statistic.
Demidov, who is starting the season with seven games suspended, showed promising chemistry with Laine during their training sessions. A notable goal from Demidov to Laine during the intra-squad game suggests a potential impactful trio for the upcoming season.
However, Laine's intra-squad game performance is yet to be determined as he, Dach, and Demidov are part of Group A, which practiced early in the morning. The red team, led by Suzuki, won the intra-squad game 2-0, with Israel Mianscum scoring one of the goals.
Meanwhile, Kirby Dach presented himself with his usual shyness and answered questions in a low voice. He underwent surgery in February and had a race against time to be ready for the start of the season. His training partner, Kaiden Guhle, confirmed Dach's dedication to his craft, with Guhle stating that Dach worked extremely hard during the summer.
Patrik Laine showed up in front of the media with a piece of pink fabric described as a "tuque". Laine mentioned that he had a real off-season training for the first time in a while, contrasting with past seasons where he had to focus on rehab.
The lines for the Canadiens' intra-squad game are already assembled, suggesting this camp will not be for experiments. The Canadiens are looking to build on their offensive potential, and the combination of Laine, Dach, and Demidov could be a key part of that strategy.
If the Laine-Dach-Demidov unit holds until October 8, it would be a unique combination of a rookie of the year candidate and two veterans. However, the Canadiens are not taking anything for granted, with Joe Veleno, the first player of day 1 of the Canadiens' training camp, emphasizing that no position is guaranteed and nothing is given.
The Canadiens' training camp continues with practice at 9:15 AM and an intra-squad game at 10:30 AM on Friday in Brossard. The action resumes with the same schedule, indicating that the Canadiens are focused on getting their team ready for the regular season.
