Bell Centre patrons get loud for Kotkaniemi
Jesperi Kotkaniemi has a way to go before he earns a spot on the Canadiens, but he’s making progress and he racked up some new experiences in the Canadiens’ 3-1 pre-season win over the New Jersey Devils Monday night.
The 18-year-old Finn scored his first goal against NHL competition and heard the loudest ovation of his career. He noted that he’s heard loud crowds back home in Pori but, while the crowd was far below capacity Monday night, it was four times the size of the crowds in Finland.
Kotkaniemi heard another ovation at the end of the game when he made an encore appearance on the ice as the game’s third star.
But the highlight of the night for Kotkaniemi may have been late in the first period when linemate Nicolas Deslauriers traded punches with New Jersey’s Brandon Baddock.
“I’ve never seen that before,” Kotkaniemi said. “It was cool.”
Deslauriers may not share that opinion. While the rugged forward had the upper hand in the fight, he had a cut on the side of his head and he went to a hospital for observation.
Kotkaniemi was the Canadiens’ first-round draft choice (third overall) in June and has become a fan favourite in a short time. Coach Claude Julien tried to put his performance in perspective.
“He’s 18 years old, he’s still a junior in many people’s eyes,” Julien said. “This is North American hockey. We appreciate the way he handles himself. He’s learning on the fly, getting better on a daily basis.”
Kotkaniemi said he felt he was getting better as the game went on.
“I didn’t play that good in the first two periods but I felt more comfortable in the third period,” he said.
That’s when he scored the final goal in a three-goal outburst that carried the Canadiens to victory.
The scoresheet shows he beat AHL goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood at 4:40 but it doesn’t tell you that he set the play in motion when he won a battle with Mirco Mueller behind the net and got the puck out to the point. When Rinat Valiev’s shot was blocked in front, the puck came to Kotkaniemi and he scored.
“I’m not sure what happened, but the puck came to me and I shot it as fast as I could,” he said.
Kotkaniemi is hoping to follow the path of defenceman Victor Mete, who earned a spot on the roster last season as a 19-year-old.
It’s safe to say Mete won’t have to worry about making the team this time around.
Julien praised Mete’s composure and confidence after the youngster turned in a solid performance highlighted by the goal that sparked the Montreal comeback.
It appears Julien has more confidence in Mete. Last season, he had a tendency to protect Mete, using him only in situations where he had a chance for a high degree of success. On Monday, Mete was used in all situations as he logged nearly 21 minutes of ice time.
“I was on the power play before but this was my first time killing penalties and I was on the ice at the end of the period,” said Mete.
Mete was paired with Noah Juulsen, a 21-year-old who was the Canadiens’ first-round choice in 2015. Mete noted the two have styles that complement each other.
“I’m more of a free rover and (Noah) plays a more structured game,” Mete said. “He’s more of the shutdown type.”
The Canadiens will next face the Florida Panthers Wednesday night at the Bell Centre.