On the sidelines of yesterday’s victory (5-4) against the Vancouver Canucks, the Canadian wakes up this morning among the eight best teams in the East in the NHL. He therefore wakes up in the portrait of the series. It’s better than the mix, that.
The last time this happened (after more than 2-3 games in a season) was in 2021, the year of the Stanley Cup final. So it’s been almost four years since this was seen.
At the moment, we are not talking about a top-10 choice in Montreal since the mix takes up all the space. Above all, we wonder if CH will be able to hold on and stay so high in the rankings.
After all, it won’t be easy. The CH is there because it is on an irresistible streak (eight wins in its last ten matches) and a single misstep can change everything quickly.
But at the moment, things are going well.
And one of the reasons for that is the fact that Lane Hutson plays like a general. Yesterday’s match was a great example of this, him dominating – even though the match was physical.
Hutson, who scored his first goal at the Bell Center and had three points, was everywhere on the ice. He was the player most used by his coach and it was totally deserved.
His 30 points in 40 games are more than excellent: he’s about on Mike Matheson’s 62-point pace last year. Hutson had nothing to envy of any defender yesterday, whether it was Matheson or Quinn Hughes.
Right now, Hutson has more points than Macklin Celebrini or Matvei Michkov, which is no small thing. They are two attackers… and even if they have missed games this season, that stands out.
The CH obtained 14 more shots than the shots allowed when Hutson (25:19 of playing time) was on the ice. It’s still something for a game which ended 24-20 for CH in terms of shots on goal.
Yes, the CH has a good one on its hands. And imagine what it will be like when Ivan Demidov is with him on the power play…
We can therefore wonder, in the circumstances, if the CH will finally, for the first time since Ken Dryden, have a Calder winner in 2025. And one in 2026, for that matter?
Note also that Lane Hutson, who was inspired by his brother’s gold medal at the WJC (and undoubtedly by his hospital visit during the holidays), only needed 42 career matches to reach the 30 points. Among American defenders, this is the fourth fastest mark in history.
But hey. He’s not the only player who looked good yesterday (Juraj Slafkovsky would say everyone looks good according to the media in such a sequence) during the club’s return to Montreal.
What do I remember from the match?
1. Even though the CH was returning from a long trip, he did not let himself be crushed. He played very well (especially at the start of the match) and it made for a very big Monday night duel against the Canucks.
We found the intensity of 2021, in the Canadian division. And this, even if the arbitrator – ah and let it happen.
2. Kirby Dach scored again yesterday. Since the return from the holidays, we are talking about four goals and an assist, or five points, in six games. It helps everyone when the #2 center performs up to expectations.
This helps the captain stand out, having scored his first since the thaw against the Penguins on December 12. Yes, it was four against three, but still.
3. The Canadian overcame a two-goal deficit to win yesterday. Against Colorado, he overcame a one-goal deficit. Against Vegas, he overcame a two-goal deficit. That’s not nothing.
And we’re talking about good teams here.
4. Samuel Montembeault did not have the match of his life and his counterpart was better than him. But he did enough to win – which is important in a league of results.
That’s already it.
5. Even without David Savard, absent due to injury for a third match in a row, CH was not downgraded. It’s easier when he’s there, obviously, but it’s not a rout without him.
Is this the Alexandre Carrier effect?
6. Regardless of what happens next, the management of the Canadiens will be able to say that the club was #DansLeMix this season. It’s an accomplishment that few people saw coming, we agree.
I had said, before the start of the season, that the CH would struggle at the start and would have a good streak in the middle of the season… but I will not make you believe that I had seen such quality of play in my ball crystal.
7. Without Patrik Laine, the numerical advantage is less dynamic. Yes, Cole Caufield has been getting up for a few games, but let’s say it’s not Michael Pezzetta who replaces the Finn well.
For three games, he has played for 5:49, 4:32 and 3:58 (yesterday), which shows that a return to the stands is imminent.
8. Juraj Slafkovsky had an assist during the game, but it could have been more than that. He was involved and Martin St-Louis (who sports a beard like a boss) liked seeing this kind of performance from his attacker.
He has to build on that.
9. Kaiden Guhle delighted the fans at the Bell Center (who got their money’s worth yesterday) with a huge check just before the first goal of the match. He is a stabilizer.
With players like him, Geoff Molson must be thinking that it’s a lot easier to attract fans into the Temple right now than it was a few weeks ago.
Prolongation
The Canadian will have a training day off today. Between the club’s great performances and all the travel in recent weeks, it’s completely normal in my eyes.
It is tomorrow that the club will return to training on the sidelines of the duel against the Capitals, which will take place Friday in Washington. So we’ll have to wait a bit before we get official updates on some guys.
