24/09/11: Ottawa 3, Montreal 2; Sens dish out revenge

Playing with a line-up that included minimal vets, the Canadiens were surprisingly effective for half of last night's game, taking a 2-0 lead. But just as they had overcome a 3-0 deficit to Ottawa the night prior, the Sens came roaring back, snapping a 2-2 tie on a Chris Neil goal on the powerplay with about 30 seconds to play to steal the win.

The positives? (other than the fact that it's still only preseason) Carey Price continues to show slow and steady progress, looking better every time he takes to the goal. Though his back-up Peter Budaj will go the distance tonight, there should be little doubt Price will be ready for a date with the Leafs in October.

Mike Cammalleri looks to have gained a bit in footspeed this off-season, looking quick throughout preseason and netting a pair in this one to pace the team. Also contributing offensively was Aaron Palushaj. Yes, you read that right. Aaron Palushaj. Hello Mr Palushaj and welcome to training camp. You've shown up 2 weeks late, but better late than never.

Gabriel Dumont turned in another solid performance, playing with more offensive wingers. Certainly the Canadiens would rather have Andreas Engqvist in the line-up for size reasons, but based on play and merit, Dumont should have a lead on him in the fourth line center battle right now. The decision is likely to come down to the wire over the last few preseason games, and as we get a better idea on the health of David Desharnais, Lars Eller, and Ryan White.

Olivier Archambault showed some nice offensive creativity at times in his preseason debut, though for now, he can be regarded as a long-term project at best.

Nathan Beaulieu led all Montreal blueliners with close to 23 minutes of ice time. While he was perhaps less noticeable than in his first game, he again showed to be a great skater and have tremendous sense and confidence with the puck. Certainly a future fixture on the Habs back end. Mark Mitera, getting his first preseason action, played the fewest minutes at 16:14 but didn't look out of place, with a couple of strong plays defensively and even picking up assists on both goals.

Habs Swap Carle to Anaheim for Mitera

Not long after announcing the signing of Frederic St. Denis, Pierre Gauthier ensured it was another very busy day for the roster of the Hamilton Bulldogs by sending defenseman Mathieu Carle to the Anaheim Ducks for defenseman Mark Mitera.

Mitera, who will turn 24 in October, has yet to crack the NHL after being the Ducks' first round pick, 19th overall, in 2006. In fact, prior to last season, he hadn't been able to lockdown a permanent AHL spot either, but finally did, scoring 22 points in 71 games for the Syracuse Crunch, but with a dismal -15 rating.

Still, Mitera is considered a defensive defenseman and has a solid frame (6'3", 213 lbs.), so perhaps a change of organization will do him some good.

Carle showed potential to be a reasonable puck-mover with the Canadiens, but every time he impressed, injury knocked him back down. It seemed the final straw was his being passed by Brendon Nash on the team's depth chart last season, and as we mentioned in a post yesterday, Erik Cole taking #72 signaled the end of his tenure in the organization (Carle had worn #72 in his 3 NHL games).

This trade, along with the prior Ryan Russell for Mike Blunden deal, shows good asset management by Pierre Gauthier this summer. Neither Russell nor Carle had a future in Montreal, and he obtained two players with much untapped potential who just MIGHT fit in well with the organization and address bigger needs.

A scouting report on Mark Mitera done prior to last season by Hockey's Future, where he was considered Anaheim's 14th best prospect:

http://www.hockeysfuture.com/prospects/mark_mitera