DETROIT | The Canadians may have lost penalty specialists Christian Dvorak and Joel Armia, but the decision was internal.
We obviously can't count on the first game of the season, but the Canadian looked good with fewer players, especially with Alex Newhook and Oliver Kapanen on the ice.
Kapanen took advantage of a first-period absence to score his first career goal against the Maple Leafs on Wednesday night. And on the same penalty kick, one shift later, it was Newhook's turn to get a chance to score.
Martin St. Louis apparently noticed the chemistry that quickly developed between Newhook and his young teammate.
“They gave themselves a big target at a disadvantage and I think these are two players who are capable of doing the job. I thought they did a very good job yesterday.” [mercredi].”
Fighting duo
The strength of the duo of Newhook and Kapanen is their speed, which allows them to put a lot of pressure on the opposing player, especially in the neutral zone.
“We want to try to be more aggressive this year and I think that's obvious. I think even in the prep matches and our first match we're trying to be that way,” explains Alex Newhook.
“We have the speed to do it, and because I've been on the power play before, I know it's hard to do that when you've got someone aggressive and you're not comfortable. We were able to do that on Wednesday,” Newhook said, highlighting the fact that the Leafs were shut out twice.
“They play by our rules. They have a job, they know where they can be aggressive. You have to evaluate,” Martin St. Louis said.
Favorable
At five against five, Ivan Demidov joins Kapanen and Newhook. The 24-year-old Newfoundlander acts like a big brother to his two teammates, who are 19 and 22, respectively.
“I was that young player playing with more experienced players. I'm not a big veteran, but this is my sixth season so I think I've seen enough to be able to guide them a little bit in the best way.”
In Newhook, Demidov and Kapanen we have a very fast trio that can overwhelm an opponent and will certainly require some patience.
“This trio will continue to improve offensively as they play together,” St. Louis said.
“There are a lot of ways to use our speed,” Newhook said. These are two players who can push the pace and use their skills. They are fun to play with because they can push when needed, but they can also control the situation and use their speed effectively.
“Kapanen is smart,” Newhook added. He's young, but I think it's clear he has some wisdom in his approach to the game. He knows how to get to the right place. He plays responsibly in defense, which is very interesting for a young player. Since we both play on the wing and in the center, it allows us to choose the right places to attack.
