When the Montreal Canadiens started the season, it looked like another season of rebuilding when eight goals were often allowed in the first two months. However, the Canadiens have scored the ninth best record in the league since December 1.
The problem is that the Colorado Avalanche has the third best record in that time frame. Two popular teams met in an entertainment contest Saturday night, with the Canadians fighting to work overtime before eventually falling 5-4 in the gunfight.
Wildema
Watching Josh Anderson’s evolution is a fascinating one. He is not his former shooter. If he didn’t develop his own game, it would be a quick exit from the NHL, and his total goal count dropped from 27 to 9.
But Anderson is a valuable member of the Canadians with the help of head coach Martin St. Louis. He is still a power forward, but the power now is the movement he brings and the fear he instills in fear.
Anderson’s first pre-check for investment in junk is an absolute threat to the opposition. By the third stage, the defenders weren’t even sure if they wanted to be part of it, as Anderson was still bringing energy. Thomas Chabot just started a rescue against Ottawa recently.
A complete team of players brings outstanding achievements in different ways. Anderson’s match against Brendan Gallagher and Christian Dvorak was excellent. They are ruthless in pre-censorship. This is the boundary of professional ethics. This is the third line of the team.
In fact, it is this professional ethics that produces the target of kidnapping in the third stage. Gallagher won the hockey battle in the corner and fed it to Dvorak, who made great moves inside and out before blocking another defender. Montreal trailed 4-1. This is an amazing comeback against the NHL Powerhouse.
Juraj Slafkovsky showed exactly what he had to do to succeed in this game. Slafkovsky played his blueprint on his first period goal: before entering the net, use that big body, and don’t move, keep your stick in good condition for deflection.
In his third stage goal, Slavkovsky did not show more pace in his shot because that pace has long been established. What he showed was a faster release, which has been a long time, but now it has finally arrived. Slafkovsky is 16 this season.
Nick Suzuki kept the hunt in every game with the assists on the first Slafkovsky goal. He scored 72 points in 69 games.
In the third phase, more evidence suggests that Alex Newhook is finding another level this season. Newhook has been speeding for a long time, but now he has finally learned how to use it. Instead of slowing down and gliding as he reached the defender, he strode towards them.
Newhook’s ability to cut into the defender led to a goal from Joshua Roy on the rebound. Newhook will eventually make GM Kent Hughes look smart in this deal. Newhook’s teammates should start to develop the habit of following him into the net. They should be able to do what he can’t accomplish.
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Newhook’s improvement is another huge development for Canadians this season.
Wangshan goat
Samuel Montembeault recently revealed the exceptional weakness. This is a weakness, usually the power of the NHL goalkeeper. The 40-foot lens should be easy to handle on this level, but now it’s Montemet’s Achilles heels.
The first two goals started from the point, neither of them were screened. However, it is not just Montemet who is facing difficulties. The third pairing of Arber Xhekaj and David Savard is struggling. They both achieved two goals in their first goal.
Savard was never the most paced, but it was obvious that he couldn’t shut down the opposition, especially a team as fast as an avalanche. Kaiden Guhle’s return is crucial. He practiced for the first time at the club on Saturday.
The schedule for Guhle to return from the surgery on the quad is unclear, but if it were on the shorter side, that would be different for the playoffs.
Wildeka
It feels like Canadians fans aren’t ready for the actual situation of the reconstruction. Is it already good to rebuild only in the 38th month? By looking at the structure of the roster, the answer is obviously yes.
The good roster structure is that every player is in the natural seat. If a player has to get rid of his talent level rise and face higher competition than they can, then the losses will pile up and the reconstruction will not be successful.
In the NHL, the highest line must score 100 goals to be considered elite. There are usually only five 100-goal lines per season. Sometimes this number increases, but overall, the Century Mark is an amazing plateau that rarely reaches that.
If the highest line can also summon strong defensive hockey, then the team’s great chances will grow. The Suzuki line is that line. Somehow, Suzuki is 10 out of 17 different teams. This season, the line has 82 goals. The goals in each game are usually the top ten in the first row. The Suzuki Line ranks 11th.
When Slafkovsky seems ready to add some teams to the entire team next season, every player on the highest line can naturally take on his own responsibilities. They scored 53 goals in half a season. They can be elite again throughout the year.
The second row in the NHL is usually responsible for 65 goals and is able to close or neutralize the top line of other clubs because there is no last line change on the road. This is where Canadians collapse this year, and this category is one of the worst lines in the league.
However, the solution is on the way. The first solution is Ivan Demidov, the best player not in the NHL today, and the second is GM Kent Hughes who thinks he will get the promise of the Center this off-season.
One situation is a restricted free agent robbery like Bruce against Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway Oilers. Canadians may receive the center that waives draft compensation. Marco Rossi is just one example of a Minnesota hat. There are many possibilities.
Next year’s third row will look different, but it’s better than this year. Alex Newhook may center on a third behavior. This is a perfect example of a player who has the chance to stand out in a more suitable seat.
Newhook, facing third-line games next season, could be a boon for the club, especially given that he will put Kirby Dach on his wings on one side, while expectations for Josh Anderson are on the other side. This is a third line with more blood than any third line in the league.
The fourth line is Jake Evans, Brendan Gallagher and Emil Heineman. Where are the players like Owen Beck, Oliver Kapanen, Joshua Roy, and others now? This is a club with talent. Just wait for the second-tier center to become one of the best in-depth and best centers in the league.
While the top six may lack reliable superstars, overall depth will be a huge challenge for opposition coaches to cope with. Soon, after getting used to the North American game, they will have that superstar in Demidov.
Defensively, the club’s outstanding performance continues. Lane Hutson proved that he could play on the right, opening up Kaiden Guhle the chance to join the top pairing with him. This will be the best pair in Montreal in a long time.
The second unit may be Mike Matheson and Alexandre Carrier and the third unit Arber Xhekaj and David Reinbacher. The overall 5th challenge was playing great hockey at Laval, whose progress may not include another season for minors.
It would be more likely if the Rockets had a long playoff game and the Rennbacher was part of it. If he does well in 45 games this year, he won’t need another season of development. The prediction here is that he will be ready for the NHL in October, especially in the highlights of the third pair and the easier game.
Likewise, with Jayden Struble doing well this season, the depth is excellent, but may not be able to win a job in October. Adam Engstrom and Logan Mailloux are still waiting for their chances. The Canadians have at least six players with the training required by NHL regulars but are unable to win jobs.
Add more later arrivals, like Michael Hage, Jacob Fowler and two first-rounders in the mid-season to the talent pool, and you have a strong chance for a long time. The truth is that a handful of players who will age soon have already achieved a strong alternative in the organizational pipeline.
Reconstruction is comprehensive. If the injury bug is not attacked next season, it is the ninth best team since December of this season and probably the ninth best team in 2025-26.
Fans are excited. They should be.
