Canadiens Postgame
Habs Highlights: Dach Is Back, Montembeault Holds Fort
The Montreal Canadiens were in Las Vegas on Tuesday, closing out the year against the high-flying Golden Knights.
Full disclosure, due to a few delays in travel, I missed the first two periods of the game. I was only able to follow along on social media when the signal was strong enough, so, suffice it to say, you all have a much better handle on what happened for the majority of this match-up.
And yet, unlike previous games earlier in the season that saw the Habs fall behind 2-0, there was a feeling that the Canadiens had the type of momentum that would allow them to at the very least provide an honest effort in the third period.
There was even a chance they could complete the comeback, especially if they found their rhythm as they did in the two previous games, which saw them put together dominant performances versus Florida and Tampa Bay.
I do apologize in advance for the brevity of this recap, but the good news is that the Habs managed to save the best for last, beating Vegas 3-2. Samuel Montembeault won his duel versus Adin Hill, his Team Canada counterpart.
Let’s dive into the highlights!
Here We Go
Cole Caufield’s 100th NHL goal started yet another entertaining comeback by Martin St-Louis’ team, and it was also a reminder that the first line works best when Juraj Slafkovsky is alongside Caufield and Nick Suzuki. We should also note that Slafkovsky works best when he’s on the first line. Ipso facto, leave Slafkovsky on the top line until a better option is available.
100 BUTS POUR CAUFIELD
COLE’S 100TH GOAL#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/XfHBkBa8sg
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) December 31, 2024
Fourth Line Power
Shockingly, Jake Evans did not score against Vegas, but his linemate, the underrated Emil Heineman, did.
It was Heineman’s ninth goal of the year, which is rather impressive when we consider he’s playing on the fourth line, and thus receiving limited opportunities.
toc-toc-toc qui est là?
knock, knock. who’s there?
HEINEMAN#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/4yCdwJvILC
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) December 31, 2024
Dach Is Back
We knew it would take time for Kirby Dach to find his rhythm, but it does seem like he has finally bought a Costco-pack of CLR to remove the many layers of rust that come with missing most of a season.
His fifth goal of the year was the game winner, but more importantly, it allows Dach to enter the New Year with a clear mind, a very important situation as we all know mental health is part of everyone’s overall health.
2024 raisons d’aimer ce but
2024 reasons to love this goal#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/BqdfzxfbdG
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) December 31, 2024
The Montreal Canadiens are back in action on Friday. They will face the Blackhawks in Chicago, with the puck drop scheduled for 8 pm ET.
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Just looked at the standings and only the penguins are between us and the second wildcard team, the Sens. We are at .500 and have run the table on 3 of the past 4 cup champs in their barns in a week. Name the last team to do that….it appears we are in the mix.
Who, besides me, would have lost their homes betting the Habs would be ahead of the Rangers on January 1 2025?
Rangers are imploding. Rebuilding ‘Hawks are not happy campers, either, after that crater they left in Wrigley Field against the Blues. You never know with teams. It was the Devils last year, and now they’ve righted the ship. Sens hit their stride a bit ahead of the Habs. If Montreal makes it through January with a nasty schedule ahead in decent shape we’ll have a fun end to the season.
I know we’ll see some trades, etc., but right now nobody wants to mess with the team chemistry. Pezz and Struble remained nailed to the nosebleed section, which is kinda sad for Jaden because he needs to play, too. Maybe they drop him in against Chicago? We’ll see. Plus, more Dobeš!
Blue jackets Anaheim Utah and sharks will ascend the standings right behind us, they will be our young highly talented peer teams with Chicago in 3-5 years. It’s like Gretzky said, you don’t focus on where the puck is but where it’s going. That’s why we should prioritize development over results right now ( but I expect the team to play good hockey) so I’d suggest management will willingly move all players that aren’t part of tge long term solution. Yes that causes disruptions but it’s part of tge process all these teams will endure and yes, we won’t have spots for some really good guys. The upside is we will really appreciate the guys that take their spots like we do with Hutson Dobes Laine heineman et al. Exciting times ahead
Great way for our beloved Habs to close out 2024. Like all of you I look forward to this mature play continuing in 2024.
Also, thank-you Marc for a year of interesting and insightful articles. Best wishes to all for a healthy and prosperous 2025.
I don’t know what happened to the Rangers but getting rid of JD and Gorton and letting that weasel Drury run the show appears to have been a big mistake.
Right now, I wouldn’t want to be the team that draws the Habs in the first round, should they make the playoffs.