Habs Daily: Legends Visit The Bell Centre, Suzuki’s Scoring, Roy

Here are the Montreal Canadiens news items, highlights, and stories you may have missed on Tuesday.

Montreal Canadiens News

The Montreal Canadiens had some legendary guests on Tuesday night, as they welcomed members of the best team in NHL history to centre ice before the Habs faced the Rangers. It was a nice ceremony, but it was also a good reminder that the dynasty days are well behind us. There will never be a situation in which the Canadiens will have a dozen Hall of Fame players in the same lineup. Such is life in a sports league that has evolved significantly since the yesteryear of Habs dominance.

Une dynastie.#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/ZG8mMMRQcK

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) October 22, 2024

Ken Dryden had nothing but praise for the team’s current captain, Nick Suzuki.

“I like watching Nick Suzuki play. He just knows how to play in all aspects of the game. He’s the one I enjoy watching the most.”

– Habs legend Ken Dryden tonight pic.twitter.com/MZwghamwIc

— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) October 22, 2024

The Habs lost ugly on Tuesday. It was one of their worst games of the rebuild. Suzuki attempted to breathe life into his team by scoring two goals, but it was all for naught, as the Rangers were clearly the better team in every respect. [Canadiens Instant Recap: Suzuki Scores Twice In Reality Check Game]

While we’re on the topic of losing ugly games, it seems ridiculous that one of their most efficient players, Joshua Roy, is stuck in the AHL. I’ve spoken at length about Roy’s impact, and while it’s true he runs hot and cold, the Habs simply cannot afford to ignore his offensive impact. I’d also immediately bring Arber Xhekaj back into the lineup, and not only because of his physical prowess. Xhekaj has solid underlying numbers, much better than any other player that has been used in the same situation. Finally, it may be time to give Emil Heineman a promotion, as he’s done well with limited chances. [Canadiens Prospect Rankings: Joshua Roy Deserves More Credit]

National Hockey Now Network

To the dismay of many fans, Philadelphia Flyers captain Sean Couturier played left wing for the first time in his 13-year NHL career in the team’s 3-0 home opener loss against the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday night. [Philadelphia Flyers]

On Tuesday, the Panthers announced a new multi-year contract for their revered head coach keeping him in South Florida for the foreseeable future.[Florida Panthers]

The New Jersey Devils continue to struggle on home ice. On Tuesday night, they were embarrassed by the Tampa Bay Lightning, losing 8-5 in regulation. The effort on home ice has been publicly noted by the Devils’ head coach who has summed it up as “not enough” with a 1-2-1 record at the Prudential Center. It felt a lot like the turning point of Tuesday’s game was in the second period as the result of a big hit on Jesper Bratt. However, Sheldon Keefe was uninterested in that opinion.[New Jersey Devils]