Bouchard: Evans is in 'good shape'

BROSSARD - After the Canadiens rookies dropped a 4-0 decision to the Ottawa Senators hopefuls on Friday night, Joël Bouchard and his fellow coaches went to check up on Jake Evans in hospital and were happy to see the young forward was already on the mend.

"It was important for us to show him we were there for him. He was in good shape," he recounted. "But we're going to follow the concussion protocol, we're going to continue being cautious."

One might assume the Rocket bench boss would not have been pleased with the final outcome of the game, but Bouchard estimated that the Sens counted around 60 games of NHL experience and 215 at the AHL level to the Habs' 12 in the AHL, and asserted the table was a little tilted in Ottawa's favor.
"The experience level was much lower. I found our players were excellent for the first 10 minutes," he added. "And then there were some shifts which hurt and which affected the team a bit more than expected. But it's a young team."
Either way, Bouchard believes his young players can only benefit from what they went through last night.
"That's hockey; you have to experience it. There's no 'Hockey University'. You can't sit in a room and learn it; you have to experience it," he explained. "Some players will improve with adversity, and there will be others that will have a harder time with it and it'll slow them down. That's part of hockey."

Bouchard noted that the players who didn't dress on Friday would get to face the Toronto Maple Leafs' prospects on Sunday, barring any medical issues.
In the case of Samuel Houde, it'll be a bit of a wait-and-see approach as he recovers from a shoulder injury, but that hasn't stopped the 18-year-old from soaking it all in at rookie camp.
"Right now, it's a special experience for me. It's a lot of fun to be representing the Canadiens," described Montreal's fifth-round pick (133rd overall) in 2018. "As for my shoulder, it's getting better. We'll decide with the medical staff if I'll be able to play."

The Rocket head coach announced that Michael McNiven would get the start against Toronto on Sunday, and the young netminder - who said he's enjoyed a great summer in the Montreal area, one in which he's lost close to 28 pounds - is looking forward to the opportunity to turn the corner on a difficult 2017-18 campaign and take on a larger role in Laval.
"Last season was a season I'd like to get out of my way earlier in my career than later on. I know how to handle a tough situation like last year a lot easier now," he concluded. "I think the boys and the new coaching staff are prepared to change that around and as a team, be more consistent, more competitive, and add a little more grit to our game."

The Habs rookies will be back in action on Sunday, September 9th against the Toronto Maple Leafs' future stars with an afternoon tilt beginning at 3 p.m. ET.
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