HABS A NO-SHOW IN NEWARK
Defence abysmal in Devils’ 5-2 win
Michael Chaput was wearing a Laval Rocket long-sleeve undershirt in the locker-room after the Canadiens’ morning skate Wednesday at the Prudential Center. Wednesday night he was probably still wearing that shirt, but on top he had a Canadiens sweater for the first time in his NHL career. For a player who grew up in Île-Bizard on Montreal’s West Island, it was going to be a special night for the 26-yearold Chaput and his family back home. “The exhibition (season) is one thing, but I think a regular-season game is going to be something pretty special,” said Chaput, who signed with the Canadiens this summer as a free agent. “I just can’t wait to get started.” The Canadiens called Chaput up from the Rocket on Tuesday after he posted 7-3-10 totals in 18 AHL games. Wednesday night he took Matthew Peca’s spot as the Canadiens’ fourth-line centre between Nicolas Deslauriers and Charles Hudon to form a French Connection trio with three Quebecers. Coach Claude Julien hasn’t been happy with the defensive play of his fourth line, which was on the ice for two regulation-time goals against during Monday night’s 5-4 overtime loss to the Washington Capitals. Julien likes his fourth line to have an identity and this season there hasn’t really been one. Maybe this French Connection will work. “It’s changed because we’ve had different players,” Julien said after the morning skate when asked about the lack of identity on the fourth line. “You lose (Tomas) Plekanec and you lost (Jacob) de la Rose. You got some guys that aren’t here anymore. You got some injuries, too. When you put (Paul) Byron and (Joel) Armia back in the lineup, there’s guys that may end up being there that would make your fourth line a lot better. Right now, it’s more about disappointment about how we’re getting scored on when that line’s on the ice and, I guess, it’s the reality of things where you have to make everybody accountable.” Chaput grew up as a Canadiens fan and his favourite player was Saku Koivu, followed by Richard Zednik. He was a star in minor hockey on the West Island, posting 23-17-40 totals in 23 games with the Lac St. Louis Royals
No matter when you get the chance to play it’s a good opportunity and I think I’m just going to go in there and make the most of it.
Midget Espoir team during the 2007-08 season before being selected ninth overall by the Lewiston MAINEiacs as a 15-year-old at the 2008 QMJHL Draft. The Philadelphia Flyers selected Chaput in the third round (89th overall) at the 2010 NHL Draft after he posted 28-27-55 totals in 68 games with the MAINEiacs, but the Flyers traded him to the Columbus Blue Jackets the next year. In his final season of junior hockey, after being traded from Lewiston to Shawinigan, Chaput helped the Cataractes win the 2012 Memorial Cup and was named MVP of the championship tournament after posting 5-7-12 totals in six games. Since then, Chaput has spent most of his time in the AHL. Heading into Wednesday night’s game, the 6-foot-2, 204-pound forward had 6-11-17 totals in 135 career NHL games with the Blue Jackets and Vancouver Canucks. As a free agent this summer, Chaput said he had similar offers from a few NHL teams, but decided to sign a two-year, US$1.3-million contract with the Canadiens that is a two-way deal, paying him only $275,000 per season in the AHL. “Obviously, I grew up watching Montreal play and I just told myself: Why not just give it a shot and see what happens?” he said about signing with the Canadiens. “When I was young, me and my brothers and my dad, we’d go watch games quite a bit. Obviously, when you’re a kid from Montreal you kind of grow up loving the Habs. So it’s going to be pretty special to play here tonight.” Chaput was on the ice in Utica, N.Y., practising with the Rocket on Tuesday when coach Joël Bouchard told him he was getting called up by the Canadiens. “I was kind of surprised,” Chaput said. “I didn’t think anyone (on the Canadiens) was hurt or whatever. We watched the game from the night before (against the Capitals). I know the guys were playing well, so it was a good surprise for sure. “For me, it is an opportunity for sure,” he added. “No matter when you get the chance to play it’s a good opportunity and I think I’m just going to go in there and make the most of it.” When asked why he hasn’t been able to stick in the NHL, Chaput said: “I think a lot of it has to do with opportunities or spots or stuff like that. Sometimes consistency has to do with it. Confidence, maybe … I’m not sure. You get a different opportunity elsewhere and sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. So I’m just going to try and make the most of this one and see what happens.” Hopefully for Chaput he can stick around long enough to get a Canadiens undershirt.