Likewise, with Weber getting the night off, Gelinas benefited from the type of big minutes typically reserved for the Habs assistant captain, firing four shots on goal and adding a hit over 21:11 of ice time.
But was it enough to make a statement to management early on?
"It's never enough," stressed the former 54th overall pick from the 2009 NHL Draft. "You've got to do it all over and over again, especially in my situation, with no contract and stuff. It's a work in progress, but I think it's going in the right direction, so I just have to keep working hard."
Fortunately for Gelinas, head coach Claude Julien shared his own take on the matter.
"He's played a couple of preseason games now, and we're going to continue watching him. That means he's still in the mix," revealed the Habs bench boss. "He moves the puck well out of his zone, he has good composure against oncoming attacks… he has all of those things. I'm sure there are plenty of reasons why he was in the minors last year, but that doesn't mean he can't be back in the NHL. I'm going to continue evaluating him."
Gelinas for his part insists he knows what was missing a year ago, and what he needs to work on before he can be back in the big leagues.
"I don't really look at the stats that much. I'm in this situation because there were some things I needed to improve. Those are the things that I'm working on right now," continued the former Avalanche and Devils rearguard. "Goals and stats [like tonight] are just a bonus, but they do feel good."