A close-knit group

LONDON, ON – There’s something very special about the crop of Canadiens young guns competing at the 2016 Rookie Tournament in Southwestern Ontario this weekend.

They’re clearly a resilient and spirited bunch. That was certainly evident on Friday afternoon at Budweiser Gardens.

After falling behind by a goal to the Pittsburgh Penguins’ top prospects just 21 seconds into the opening frame, they refused to let it get them down. Skating to the dressing room down 1-0 through 20 minutes of play, they rallied back with five straight goals of their own en route to eventually securing an 8-3 win to kick off the second annual event in style.

The top line of Artturi Lehkonen, Michael McCarron and Nikita Scherbak led the way by combining for three goals and eight points, including a Scherbak tally to cap the scoring in the third period that absolutely electrified the crowd – and social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter alike.

“It was fun to see the chemistry between them take shape,” said Martin Lapointe, the Canadiens’ director of player development, who served as the squad’s bench boss on Friday. “Those three guys all have good hockey sense. They know how to make good plays. They really stood out in the second and third periods.”

For his part, McCarron chipped in with two goals of his own. The former London Knights standout – who will sport …

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