Habs Daily: Struble’s Excellent Play, Canadiens Roster Options

All the latest Montreal Canadiens news, highlights, and stories from Tuesday.

Habs News

• Montreal Canadiens defenceman Jayden Struble has looked great according to the eye test. But what about the underlying numbers? There’s some good news, because his possession metrics are great, too.  [Habs Stats Pack – Evaluating Jayden Struble’s NHL Start]
• Given that Struble is playing very well, it opens up options for the Habs. If they’d like to keep both Struble and Arber Xhekaj in the lineup, they may need to get creative. [Struble Emergence Gives Canadiens Options Moving Forward]
• Forward Josh Anderson was quite frustrated, and he took out that frustration on a willing fight partner, who immediately regretted his decision to antagonize the Canadiens forward. Since then, Anderson has played much better, including a two-point effort against the Seattle Kraken. [Canadiens Opinion: Josh Anderson’s Fight Could Be Turning Point]
• The Habs didn’t spend much time practicing on Tuesday morning, but it was for a very good reason. The team made their annual visit to the Montreal Children’s Hospital to spread some holiday cheer and create lifelong memories for some of their most passionate fans. [Canadiens Spread Cheer In Visit To Montreal Children’s Hospital]
• This is an odd one. Remember former Habs player Marcel Hossa? He never lived up to expectations after the Canadiens drafted him in the first round, but his passion for sports is undeniable. The 42-year-old recently started his boxing career, earning a DQ win versus a Slovakia rapper named ‘Momo’. [Former Canadiens Forward Marcel Hossa Turns To Boxing]

National Hockey Now Network

• Another performance replete with inexplicable mistakes and a power play so bad that it defied description but certainly benefitted the opponent far more than the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Philadelphia Flyers had a few shorthanded breakaways and eventually beat the Penguins 2-1 in overtime at the Wells Fargo Center on Monday. Who’s it blame? [Pittsburgh Penguins]
• Oskar Olausson is getting another shot in the NHL. On Tuesday morning, the Avalanche announced they had recalled the former first-round pick, so expect to see him in the lineup tonight against the Anaheim Ducks. Is he replacing someone healthy, or is there an injury we don’t know about? That remains to be seen. [Colorado Avalanche]
• There was a new look to the Detroit Red Wings top power-play unit at practice on Monday. Lucas Raymond was working the net front. Captain Dylan Larkin was at the bumper, while Shayne Gostisbehere manned the point. On the flanks were David Perron and newcomer Patrick Kane. Adding Kane to this group certainly figures to make it a more dangerous outfit. Yet, the thing is, they’re already looking quite dominant. [Detroit Red Wings]