Yesterday, we were finally treated to some Montreal Canadiens hockey against the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Bell Centre.
The return of hockey had been eagerly awaited for months, and now it’s here, as the Habs rookies impressed in a 4-3 shootout loss.
The atmosphere on site was simply incredible, with over 20,000 people in attendance for just a rookie game. It was truly magical, as Pascal Vincent affirmed.
See this post on Instagram
Of course, it was all the more magical thanks to Lane Hutson, who wowed the gallery throughout the game.
However, in Hutson’s shadow, another defenseman who stood out, and who wasn’t expected as much as the top-3, was Adam Engstrom.
Adam Engstrom’s goal in Saturday’s game against the Leafs’ top prospects was one of several pivotal moments that took him out of the shadows and into the spotlight among the rookies competing to make the Canadiens out of training camp.(@EricEngels) https://t.co/BKnqXdtBHP
– Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) September 14, 2024
(OBOXADSQ || []).push({“cmd”: “addBanner”});
After a very ordinary, nervous start, the Swedish defenseman transformed himself after scoring the Habs’ first goal of the game.
Y’all finally gonna appreciate Engstrom as a prospect
pic.twitter.com/GCHSLToJpU– Brenmidov🃏 (@slafcocksky) September 14, 2024
Indeed, after that fine goal, Engstrom grew in confidence and truly established himself as the second-best defender in the game behind Lane Hutson.
This performance opened the eyes of many Habs fans, who were less familiar with the Swede and more familiar with David Reinbacher and Logan Mailloux.
So Engstrom did exactly what he needed to do, which was to put his name in the conversation among the Habs’ young defensemen.
As Eric Engels explained in his excellent article, Adam Engstrom was able to find his rhythm in the game and make a name for himself in order to put himself on the same level as his competition in the Habs’ organization chart.
Personally, Engstrom was by far the second-best defenseman in the game, while Logan Mailloux and David Reinbacher impressed no one.
Engstrom’s goal gave him more confidence to keep the puck on his stick longer and stand out from his opponents.
Adam Engstrom is so poised with the puck. pic.twitter.com/es6jVW1Mhv
– Félix Sicard (@Felix_Sicard) September 14, 2024
(OBOXADSQ || []).push({“cmd”: “addBanner”});
The Habs prospect impressed everyone, with both team-mates and fans appreciating his performance.
Even head coach Pascal Vincent had kind words for Engstrom.
“You notice him, that’s what he does well. The little details in his game are really very good.” – Pascal Vincent
In short, the Swedish defenseman did exactly what he was supposed to do, which was no easy task, considering he was playing his North American debut on a smaller rink than in Sweden.
It will be interesting to follow Engstrom again today, as well as throughout the rest of training camp, as he could very well make it to the final cuts if he keeps this up.
Who knows, maybe he’ll even land a job in Montreal.
Overtime
– Here’s the start in Baku!
LIGHTS OUT IN BAKU!
Everything stays relatively calm up front with Leclerc holding the lead after the opening lap.#F1 #AzerbaijanGP pic.twitter.com/sTlgH7pEHo
– TSN (@TSN_Sports) September 15, 2024
– A beautiful tribute to the legend, Nacho Piatti.
Club legend forever 👏
Club legend 💙#CFMTL pic.twitter.com/N5ElF0PQTv
– CF Montréal (@cfmontreal) September 15, 2024
Great Nacho
Your brothers always appreciate you
Thanks for the memories and the man you are
We still meet side by side like in the locker room before games 😀 #CFMTL #Famille #MurdelaRenomée https://t.co/0zahSpVnvb– Patrice Bernier (@pbernier10) September 15, 2024
– A big win for CF Montreal.
Final stats from the 2-1 win over @CharlotteFC
Final stats ⬇️ #CFMTL @ChevroletCanada pic.twitter.com/g4eRGOcIRI
– CF Montréal (@cfmontreal) September 15, 2024
– Here are the two goals of the match.
Caden Clark’s 1⃣er goal with the Bleu-blanc-noir 👏
Caden Clark’s first goal with CF Montréal 💥 #CFMTL pic.twitter.com/964pNshbTH
– CF Montréal (@cfmontreal) September 15, 2024
Caden Clark ➡️ Raheem Edwards ➡️ Bryce Duke ➡️ ⚽️😁#CFMTL pic.twitter.com/nAO2osM510
– CF Montréal (@cfmontreal) September 15, 2024
– A draw for the Alouettes. First tie since 1998.
Tie game in Calgary! Tie game in Calgary!
With @Depotium pic.twitter.com/CPm21nSqgL– X – Montreal Alouettes (@MTLAlouettes) September 15, 2024
– Piastri takes control of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix!
WHAT A MOVE BY PIASTRI!
He dives down the inside on Leclerc into Turn 1 to take the lead on Lap 20.#F1 #AzerbaijanGP pic.twitter.com/zVSdAMQ8B5
– TSN (@TSN_Sports) September 15, 2024