There were two main things I took away from last night’s game in Montreal when I left the Bell Centre: The Leafs powerplay looks scary good and Jesperi Kotkaniemi can hang with the big boys.

The Canadiens 3rd overall pick went toe-to-toe with two of the best centers in the game, Auston Matthews and John Tavares, and didn’t look out of place at all. Canadiens coach Claude Julien stopped short of saying it but I will – the Canadiens outplayed Toronto at even-strength last night and Kotkaniemi was one reason why.

In 8:41 even-strength minutes against Matthews and Tavares, the Canadiens out attempted the Leafs from the slot 6-1 with Kotkaniemi on the ice and outscored them 1-0. While that provides a snapshot into the effect Kotkaniemi had while on the ice, it doesn’t tell the full story as to his individual impact on the game.

His poise and vision with the puck was noticeable throughout the game – look no further than his assist on Brendan Gallagher’s 2nd period goal.