Kotkaniemi: That smile says it all

MONTREAL - Jesperi Kotkaniemi will never forget his first preseason game in a Canadiens uniform. Neither will the Bell Centre faithful, for that matter.

On Monday night, the 18-year-old Finn debuted in style by scoring a big third-period goal that capped the scoring in a 3-1 win over the New Jersey Devils.
It just so happened that Kotkaniemi's marker was one of three goals Claude Julien's contingent registered during a 92-second outburst early in the final frame that began with snipes by Victor Mete and Charles Hudon.
The applause Kotkaniemi received from the fans in attendance was nothing short of extraordinary, and the Canadiens' most recent first-round selection was blown away by the reaction.
"That was sick," shared Kotkaniemi, when asked about the lengthy applause. "I've never heard a crowd that loud. It was pretty unbelievable."

According to the Pori native, the fan reaction was "ten more times" louder than back home, and it made the moment all the more special.
Six-year NHL veteran Tomas Tatar was happy to see Kotkaniemi succeed in front of the home fans.
"It was a really nice shot. He has quick hands, for sure. It was something terrific for him," mentioned Tatar. "He enjoyed it, and I think he deserved it. He played a great game for a young guy."

Kotkaniemi, who logged 15:31 of ice time, was also named the third star of the game.
Welcome back, Tomas!
Tomas Plekanec couldn't have asked for a better result for his first game back with the Canadiens after signing a one-year contract on Canada Day.
It marked the Czech forward's first appearance in Habs colors since February 22, 2018, shortly before he was dealt to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
"It felt good. I'm really happy to be back on the team. I really enjoyed it," said Plekanec, following the victory. "I'm back where I'm used to it, back to the old routine. Here, I'm back home. It felt like I never really left."

And, the 35-year-old centerman was proud of the effort the group as a whole offered up against the Devils, quickly erasing a one-goal deficit with a scoring blitz that began just over three minutes into third period.
"We wanted to start with good habits and build that winning attitude right off the first game, and I thought we did a good job," explained Plekanec. "We got better as the game went on and I thought the effort and the work ethic was there. We tried to have good habits throughout the game and it paid off in the end."
Julien on the victory, the play of Kotkaniemi and the status of Nicolas Deslauriers
During his postgame press conference, the Canadiens' bench boss praised his charges for their relentlessness on Monday night.
"We asked the guys to be engaged since the start of training camp and that's what they've done since the first day," said Julien. "They did that again [against New Jersey]. We asked them to pay close attention to what we were asking for, and they showed it."

With respect to Kotkaniemi, Julien continues to see significant progress in his game.
"I've seen a big change in his play since the Rookie Tournament. The fact that he's playing with higher-caliber players also gives him a chance," acknowledged Julien. "He's still just 18 years old. He's still a junior-aged player. It's a more aggressive brand of hockey than what he's been used to before. But, I think he's improving every day. That's a good sign."
Julien also provided an update on the health status of forward Nicolas Deslauriers, who left the game in the first period with an upper-body injury after dropping the gloves with Devils' forward Brandon Baddock.