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Habs Wrap: Suzuki Is Flourishing, Struble’s Play, World Juniors

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4 months ago

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Montreal Canadiens forward Nick Suzuki

MONTREAL — There’s never a dull moment when it comes to all things Montreal Canadiens, but there aren’t enough hours in the week to keep up with all the stories.

On Sundays, we will recap the most exciting and relevant NHL news stories that you may have missed throughout the week so that you can stay in the loop.

Monday

  • The 2024 World Junior Championship gets underway in earnest on Boxing Day, but that hasn’t stopped Montreal Canadiens prospect Lane Hutson from showing why he’s considered one of the best players outside of the NHL. His play to help Team USA open the scoring versus Team Canada is a perfect example of what he brings to the table.  [GOTTA SEE IT: Canadiens Prospect Lane Hutson’s Great Play]
  • Hutson wasn’t done there. On top of driving the play throughout the game, he also stole a puck from fellow Habs prospect Owen Beck in overtime and scored a great game-winning goal. [Canadiens Prospect Lane Hutson Plays Hero For Team USA]
  • Much ink has been spilled when discussing Nick Suzuki’s potential. Some have had a hard time accepting he can be a top-line centre, but his underlying numbers this season confirm what many knew all along: Suzuki has what it takes to be a first-line centre in the NHL that provides important primary scoring as well as sustainable underlying numbers. [Canadiens Nick Suzuki Improved Crucial Aspects Of His Play]
  • Prospect Vinzenz Rohrer is having a relatively quiet, but interesting season in the NL. He has five goals and four assists in 29 games, which is more than acceptable given he mostly plays on the third line. He’s also evolved into a Rafael Harvey-Pinard/Brendan Gallagher-type player, outworking most of his opponents and creating havoc in the crease.

 

Tuesday

  • The holidays are upon us, so we’ve made a list, checked it twice, and shall sprinkle some warm wishes we hope Santa will grant Montreal Canadiens players – whether they’ve been naughty or nice. [Recommended Christmas Gifts For Montreal Canadiens Players]
  • Four Habs players will be at the 2024 World Junior Championship. Here’s a handy guide so you can keep track of Owen Beck (Canada), Fowler (USA), Hutson (USA), and Filip Mesar (Slovakia), as well as the expected roles they will have as they attempt to power their respective countries to glory. [Canadiens Prospects At World Juniors Schedule And Expectations]
  • Check out the latest edition of the Habs fire-side chat, with Alex Newhook and Christian Dvorak taking centre stage. [Montreal Canadiens]
  • Team USA players, which includes Canadiens prospects Lane Hutson and Jacob Fowler, are enjoying their time in Gothenburg.

  • The Price family sends their warmest regards during the holiday season.

 

Wednesday

  • All three Montreal Canadiens prospects in action on Tuesday started the tournament with a win, but it was Slovak forward Filip Mesar who stole the show on the opening day of the 2024 World Junior Championship. His offensive prowess and vision led to a bevy of scoring chances for his linemates. [Recommended Christmas Gifts For Montreal Canadiens Players]
  • Team USA alternate captain Lane Hutson is poised to enjoy a very fruitful tournament as well. The defenceman continues to receive praise from analysts around the hockey world.

  • The Habs have a Canada-heavy flavour to their NHL lineup this season.

https://twitter.com/BigHeadHcky/status/1739789427554271280

 

Thursday

  • Top prospect Macklin Celebrini was dominant for Team Canada at the 2024 World Juniors. He recorded a goal and four assists in Canada’s 10-0 win over Latvia. Reminder: Celebrini will be available at the upcoming Draft, though he won’t be available after the first team makes their selection.

  • Owen Beck was held scoreless in the game, though he had a decent game, overall. A third-period breakaway was not enough to register his name on the scoresheet.
  • Montreal Canadiens prospect Filip Mesar registered a primary assist in Slovakia’s 3-0 win over Switzerland. It was a quiet game for Mesar, at least compared to his excellent outing in the first game of the tournament, but his primary assist on the empty-net goal was still nice to see. [Mesar Stars In First GameAt World Juniors]

 

  • Welcome to the latest edition of the ‘not bad’ meme, featuring Montreal Canadiens head coach Martin St-Louis.

  • Nick Suzuki is excited to play some meaningful hockey after the holiday break. We have to keep in mind he’s a competitive player who doesn’t like losing, therefore the rebuild weighs heavily on his mind.

 

Friday

  • There was some encouraging news on the injury front, as Jordan Harris resumed was removed from the injured reserve. Forward Emil Heineman was also re-assigned to the Laval Rocket in the AHL. [Game 34: Harris Returns For Habs]
  • Even though he missed practice on Thursday, forward Cole Caufield took part in the game versus the Carolina Hurricanes.

  • The game also featured three former Northeastern players: Harris, Jayden Struble, and Cayden Primeau.

  • The Canadiens overcame a two-goal deficit against the Hurricanes, but Carolina emerged with a 5-3 win. It was yet another great game from Struble, who has made a strong case for a permanent NHL assignment. [Struble Making Case For Permanent NHL Assignment vs Canes]
  • Prospects Lane Hutson and Jacob Fowler participated in the United States’ 11-3 win over Norway. Hutson played decently well, and had the most minutes of any player, but failed to register his name on the scoresheet. As for Fowler, he allowed three goals on 24 shots, which probably is not good enough to convince the coaching staff that he deserves to be the team’s bonafide starter over Trey Augustine.

  • All four Montreal Canadiens prospects at the World Juniors will be in action on Friday. Owen Beck and Team Canada face Sweden. Hutson and Fowler will face Czechia, while Filip Mesar and Slovakia will play against Norway. [IIHF World Juniors Schedule]

 

Saturday

  • Jayden Struble continues to play excellent hockey for the Montreal Canadiens. But that doesn’t mean Arber Xhekaj should be eternally relegated to the AHL. The NHL roster has a place for both players, as they both bring something important to the table for the Habs.  [Habs Stats Pack – Updated Jayden Struble Analysis, Xhekaj’s Role]
  • Montreal Canadiens prospect Filip Mesar continues to set up his teammates with prime scoring chances at the 2024 World Junior Championship, which is taking place in Gothenburg, Sweden. The 19-year-old forward earned another multi-point game with a three-point effort versus Norway on Friday. The outing pushed his tournament totals to six points in three games.[Canadiens Prospect Mesar’s Excellent World Juniors Playmaking]
  • Lane Hutson enjoyed his best game of the 2024 World Juniors on Friday night. The dynamic defenceman struggled to create momentum in the first two games but was named the USA’s player of the game against Czechia.

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