The Montreal Canadiens might have failed to take a 3-1 series lead over the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday night, but that wasn’t because of Alex Newhook. The speedy winger has goals in four of the last five games, and he was the one who first got the Habs on the scoreboard in their 3-2 defeat.
Earlier in the series, Tage Thompson said that everything he touched turned to crap. Newhook is experiencing the exact opposite; it seems like everything he touches turns to gold. With a pair of goals in Games 2 and 3, he became the first Canadiens player since Mark Recchi in 1997 to score multiple goals in consecutive playoff games.
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In the same span, Ivan Demidov has also gathered three assists, which will go a long way to making the young Russian more confident. The rookie has struggled to make an impact in these playoffs; he’s yet to find the back of the net, so having someone on his line who can at least complete his plays is essential.
As for Jake Evans, four of his five assists this postseason have come in the last three games while playing with Newhook and Demidov. There’s no doubt that Evans is not in the right chair; he’s not a second-line center, but it works well for the Canadiens, and they have to roll with it for now.
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On Tuesday night, Newhook had five shots on goal and seven attempts on net while landing three hits on the forecheck. He’s the only Canadiens player to sport a Stanley Cup ring, he knows what it takes to earn the right to lift Lord Stanley’s mug, and he’s leading by example on the ice.
If some still thought Kent Hughes paid a high price to land Newhook in a deal with the Colorado Avalanche when he sent a first-round pick, a second-round pick and Gianni Fairbrother to Denver, they have quieted down lately. The winger still has another year on his contract, but if he can keep playing as he has all season (in the 42 games he played) and in these playoffs, he could end up being with the Canadiens for a long time.
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