10 Thoughts: Habs Squander a Late Lead in Detroit
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The Habs kicked off their final stretch of the 2023-24 season on Monday with a trip to Detroit. They had a two-goal lead in the third but couldn’t hold it, eventually falling 5-4 in overtime.
The Habs kicked off their final stretch of the 2023-24 season on Monday with a trip to Detroit. They had a two-goal lead in the third but couldn’t hold it, eventually falling 5-4 in overtime.
The Habs got through the second-last week of the season with one of their better weeks in the standings, picking up four of a possible six points. Along the way, they had their biggest offensive outburst of the season and signed one of their top prospects.
In news that should come as little surprise, the Habs announced on Friday that they’ve signed defenceman Lane Hutson to a three-year, entry-level contract. As expected, the deal begins this season so he’ll be eligible to play for Montreal down the stretch.
The home stretch of the season has arrived for the Rocket who had a pair of critical home games as they look to hold onto a playoff spot. They were able to earn a split which keeps them in a playoff spot for now but their grip on one is a little weaker now.
The Habs kicked off the penultimate week of their season on Tuesday as they hosted Philadelphia. The Flyers have struggled as of late and that continued in this one as the Habs won 9-3 in dominant fashion.
There was good news and bad news on Tuesday when it came to the Xhekaj brothers. The good news was for Florian as the Habs announced that they’ve signed him to a three-year, entry-level deal while the bad news is that Arber is set to undergo season-ending shoulder surgery on Wednesday.
The turning of the calendar to April yielded a tough week for the Habs who faced four of the top teams in the Eastern Conference. They were able to only manage a single victory out of those games despite some decent performances most nights.
After an impressive win over Florida on Tuesday, the Habs looked to make it back-to-back wins as they hosted Tampa Bay on Thursday. However, they couldn’t overcome a disastrous second period, falling 7-4.
Scoring was hard to come by for many Habs last month but the team received some strong goaltending and defensive play to come close to a .500 points percentage. Who were their top performers? Make your picks for our monthly three stars.
The Habs kicked off the final month of the season on Tuesday with a visit from the Panthers. They have struggled against Florida lately but not in this one as they picked up the 5-3 win.