Byron scores twice as Habs finally win

The Miami Herald will no longer have a full-time beat writer covering the Florida Panthers this season, with sportswriter George Richards reassigned to the Real Time News Desk after covering the team since the 2005-06 season.

Canadiens coach Claude Julien was probably wishing there were a lot fewer Montreal media members around while constantly answering questions about an 0-6 start to the pre-season. But those questions will stop after the Canadiens beat the Panthers 3-1 Friday night at the Bell Centre, getting two goals from Paul Byron and one from Andrew Shaw. Evgenii Dadonov scored for Florida.

The Canadiens will play their final pre-season game Saturday at the Bell Centre against the Ottawa Senators (7 p.m., RDS, TSN Radio 690).

Byron opened the scoring 13:31 into the first period, taking a nice pass from Shaw in front of the net before beating Panthers goalie Roberto Luongo.

The Panthers tied it up at the 17:00 mark when Dadonov crashed into Charlie Lindgren and deposited the Canadiens goalie and the puck into the back of the net at the same time. It was ruled a good goal on the ice and again following a video review.

Julien then called for a second video review for goalie interference and suddenly this was looking more like a CFL game than an NHL game. The second video review also ruled it a good goal, so it must be legal now to crash into the goalie and put the puck in the net.

Byron scored his second goal short-handed at 10:25 of the second period, using his speed to break in alone on Luongo and beat the goalie through the five-hole with a sneaky backhand. Byron’s line, with Phillip Danault at centre and Shaw, looked good all game and Shaw looked really good when he beat Luongo with a backhand breakaway move at 1:13 of the third period.

“A little bit relieving,” Byron said after the game about finally getting a W in the pre-season. “Our team doesn’t really worry too much about the wins or losses (in preseason). The more worrying thing, I think, was the way we were playing . ... I don’t think our team played with too much intensity the first few games and the last few games I think our team has really upped it and that’s a big reason for us winning tonight.”

As for his linemates, Byron said: “We had a lot of time together last year. Very, very easy guys to play with. We just read off each other and play a really good north-south game.”

It’s only pre-season, but this win had to feel very good for Julien. After the game the coach said he liked his team’s effort level, even though there were still some mistakes made. Julien added that his players broke out of their own end better and created more plays in the offensive zone and moved the puck around well. He also liked Alex Galchenyuk’s effort level better even though the left-winger (not centre) is still looking for his first pre-season point and played on the third line with Peter Holland at centre and Nikita Scherbak on the right wing. After the game, Scherbak was sent down to the AHL’s Laval Rocket along with goalies Zach Fucale and Michael McNiven.

“What’s important is that we need to show that we’re improving in our game and playing better more than being worried about the final outcome,” Julien said Friday morning. The final outcome will really count next Thursday.”

The Canadiens open the regular season next Thursday in Buffalo.

The Montreal media will be there.