Canadiens Instant Recap: Strong Effort Led By Alex Newhook

The Montreal Canadiens were in New Jersey on Thursday night, facing former Hab Johnathan Kovacevic and the Devils.

Freshly called-up from the AHL, forward Lucas Condotta took over from Oliver Kapanen on the fourth line, while goaltender Samuel Montembeault was given the start for the Habs.

The Devils emerged with a 5-3 win, but not before the Canadiens put together one of their better periods of the season, showing the type of crucial resolve they’ve lacked in recent weeks.

If you’d like to get the view from the other side of the rink, make sure to visit our sister site, New Jersey Hockey Now.

Let’s dive into those highlights!

Stuck In The Gate

The game started on the wrong note, though given how the Canadiens have played in recent weeks, perhaps it was a predictable note, as the Devils entered the first intermission with a 2-0 lead.

Alex Newhook, in particular, was out of position when Devils star Jack Hughes made a mockery of the team’s defensive setup a little more than one minute into the game. He wasn’t the only player who failed to fulfill his defensive responsibilities, but it is certainly a recurring issue with Newhook, who currently has some of the worst underlying numbers on the team. His offensive contributions are simply not frequent enough to compensate for poor defensive positioning.

Jack… 🤩 pic.twitter.com/oivmRaGe3k

— NHL (@NHL) November 8, 2024

Fortunately, Newhook got one back for the Habs in the second period, following an errant pass by the Devils that was perfectly intercepted by Jayden Struble. Jake Evans and Newhook took over from there and scored on the rush, briefly cutting the lead to just one goal in the process. It was Newhook’s third goal of the season.

Alex Newhook needed this, the MTL Canadiens needed this, Pierre Houde 🐐 needed this & Habs fans needed this

pic.twitter.com/7D8Mr5L3SX

— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) November 8, 2024

Stats Pack

Even though the Habs were trailing by two goals midway through the second period, overall, Martin St-Louis’ team did a fairly good job at controlling the play. At this point in the rebuild, discussing encouraging underlying numbers falls on deaf ears for most fans, and that’s understandable, but it must be said that the shots at 5v5 were close to even against a very strong opponent.

Of course, eventually, people want to see some tangible success rather than mathematical tales of potential future success, which is why Brendan Gallagher’s sixth goal of the year came when the team needed it most. I know some have pushed back on the idea that Gallagher is back to being a positive impact player for the Canadiens, but that’s almost old intel at this point. Gallagher put together a very solid second-half of the season in 2023-24, making this year a continuation of his resurgence. It’s amazing what some players can do when they’re not dealing with constant injuries.

Either way, it’s safe to say we can now openly value Gallagher’s impact without fearing a chorus of sarcastic replies from malcontent fans.

Gally devant le gardien? On n’aurait jamais pensé!

Gally on the door step? Who would’ve thought?#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/wTaBssZp3v

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) November 8, 2024

Hughes and Jesper Bratt combined for yet another beautiful goal early in the third period, but unlike many of their games this season, the Habs did not fade after a third-period setback.

Newhook enjoyed one of his best games of the year, as evidenced by his second goal of the game, which was born from his impressive speed and agility. That type of play is exactly what Newhook has to do on a regular basis if he’s to eventually become a mainstay in the top six of a team that’s ready to compete for a playoff spot.

The goal was too little, too late, as the Devils managed to desperately hold onto their one-goal lead, but the game featured an honest effort from almost everyone in the lineup against one of the better teams in the NHL, and that’s a step in the right direction.

OH LÀ LÀ, ÇA VA??

HOW DO YOU DO, ALEX NEWHOOK?!#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/uQ8z5vEDAm

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) November 8, 2024

The Montreal Canadiens are back in action on Saturday, as they will face the Maple Leafs in Toronto. The puck drop is scheduled for 7 pm ET. All Montreal Canadiens statistics are 5v5 unless otherwise noted, via Natural Stat Trick.