WSH@MTL: Good habits, good results

QUEBEC CITY - The Canadiens' team speed and quickness proved far too much for the Washington Capitals to handle on Thursday night at the Videotron Centre - especially in the first period.

Claude Julien's troops stormed out of the gates in the opening frame, with Brendan Gallagher and Michael Chaput both lighting the lamp before the game was even six minutes old.
Then, with 37 seconds remaining in the period, Jacob de la Rose beat Capitals starter Pheonix Copley and the Habs skated to the locker room up 3-0 through 20 minutes of play.
All three strikes were the result of the Canadiens capitalizing on key turnovers in Washington's end.
That really was the topic of conversation in the Habs' locker room following the 5-2 victory in the provincial capital.
"You look at our group up front - there are a lot of guys that can skate, hard-working guys. Usually when you do that, you're creating turnovers. You can force them into making mistakes. It's the National Hockey League. If you give anyone time, they're going to make plays. If you make it tough on them, eventually you're going to get opportunities," explained Gallagher, who scored his first goal of the preseason and chipped in with an assist, too. "I think forechecking is going to be a big part of our year if we're going to be successful, so it's good to start now."

Julien couldn't agree more. After the way things played out last season, getting his system firmly installed and executed both in practice and games as early as possible is a top priority.
"Goals and wins are coming because we're playing the right way," praised Julien, who has seen his group win two of their first three preseason outings. "We have good habits. We're preparing the right way. We're hoping to have a good start this year."

The Canadiens also outshot the Capitals by a 14-3 margin in the first period and 28-13 overall, which isn't too shabby, either.
Thumbs up for Ward
The veteran bench boss was a big fan of 37-year-old Joel Ward's effort in his preseason debut against one of his former teams.
Ward, who joined the Canadiens' fold on a professional tryout, collected the lone assist on Chaput's snipe in period one.
"His experience really showed," mentioned Julien, on the 11-year NHL veteran with 726 games of experience. "I think he gave players around him a lot of confidence. He's got a good attitude. He's a real pro. He was good out there."
Ward was pleased with his first taste of game action since April 7 when he was still a member of the San Jose Sharks.
"It had been a little while since I played a game. I think it was just fun for me to be back in a team environment. I love the game of ice hockey and I'm just excited to be in a locker room again," shared the North York, ON native. "It just brings back some good memories. I enjoyed my game. It was good to just get on the board and be a part of a winning group."

The two-time 20-goal scorer is adamant that should he manage to crack the roster out of training camp, his experience can serve the Canadiens well.
"I've been on some good teams. I think my last couple of years in San Jose have been a really great learning experience of how to win and what to do and trying to do things in the right way. My job is just to come in and contribute," explained Ward. "I'm very confident in my abilities, knowing that I can still play this game at a high level. It wasn't that long ago that I was in the Stanley Cup Finals and making a push. I'm just excited for this opportunity to come here and hopefully I can share my experience and contribute."

Well done, Alexandre!
Young gun Alexandre Alain can certainly consider his preseason debut in the NHL ranks a success.
Playing in front of 15 members of his family and friends, the Quebec City native registered his name on the scoresheet by picking up an assist on de la Rose's goal.
"It was fun to be able to share this experience with them," confided Alain, who signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Canadiens in April. "It was special for me and my family and my friends. Being able to do it on home turf was fun."

As expected, the 21-year-old forward was all smiles after the final buzzer.
"My first preseason game in a Canadiens uniform - and in Quebec City - everything lined up perfectly," explained Alain. "I tried to stay calm and make simple plays. I didn't want to complicate things much. I created things offensively. I was good on the forecheck and I worked hard with a lot of energy on every shift."