Montreal emerged from the All-Star break with one line firing offensively, helping them to secure one win out of three games. Meanwhile, the injury bug struck again, taking several youngsters out of the lineup to end things on a sour note.
After coming up short in Saturday’s matinee, the Habs looked to come up with a split on Super Bowl weekend as they hosted St. Louis. It didn’t happen. Instead, they dropped a 7-2 decision while a pair of blueliners suffered injuries.
January was an up-and-down month for the Habs, featuring some strong efforts and some of their worst of the year. But a handful of players stood out amongst the group, earning votes from our readers for our monthly three stars.
With three more divisional games on tap, Laval had a chance to rebound from a tough outing the week before and gain some ground in the playoff race. However, they weren’t able to do that, managing just one victory in those contests.
The Habs pulled the trigger early on a Sean Monahan trade, sending him to Winnipeg on Friday for a first-round and a conditional third-rounder in 2027. Having had some time to ponder the move, our writers offer up their assessments.
With the Habs needing centre depth, they’ve turned to the AHL, announcing on Sunday that they’ve signed Brandon Gignac to a two-year, two-way contract. In addition, Lucas Condotta was also recalled from Laval.
Last year, the Habs weren’t able to trade Sean Monahan due to injury. That won’t be the case this time around as on Friday, Montreal traded the centre to Winnipeg for a 2024 first-round pick and a conditional 2027 third-rounder.
The first month of 2024 certainly had its highs and lows for the Habs, featuring some of their best and worst games of the season. Amidst the inconsistency on the scoreboard, some players stood out among the rest. Who were their top performers? Make your picks for our monthly three stars.
All good things must come to an end and that was the case for Laval’s point streak. While the Rocket managed to pick up a win, they ended the week by losing a pair of crucial divisional matchups.
The Habs didn’t have the most successful of weeks heading into the All-Star break but they were at least able to put forth two of their better efforts, one of which was overshadowed by Brendan Gallagher’s reckless and dangerous elbow which rightfully landed him a suspension.