Laval’s hot and cold start to the season continued last week. They had their best game of the year only to follow it up with a lopsided loss the very next day and through the first three weeks, they have the lowest points percentage in the conference.
After some struggles on the road to start the season, the Habs certainly kicked off their four-game road trip on a high note with a pair of victories and are now over .500, a mark that probably not many expected them to be at three weeks into the season.
After picking up a win on Thursday in Buffalo, the Habs looked to make it two wins in a row on Saturday in St. Louis. The offence came to life, scoring six times in the second half, allowing Montreal to skate away with a 7-4 victory.
The Habs added some defensive depth on Wednesday, announcing the acquisition of Nicolas Beaudin from Chicago in exchange for forward Cam Hillis.
Offence was hard to come by for Laval last week as they weren’t able to average two goals per game in their three contests. Cayden Primeau’s shutout against Springfield secured them one victory but that was all they were able to accomplish.
The Habs were back at home this past week with a couple of strong teams on the schedule plus a team wanting to contend in the draft lottery. Montreal put forth some good efforts and was able to pick up a pair of victories to sit at .500 on the early season.
It’s a scenario that not many thought would be realistic but the Montreal Canadiens have a winning record through the first five games of the season. With that in mind, it’s time for five early thoughts on the early performance from the Habs.
Despite a sluggish start to their season last week, expectations are pretty high for Laval this year. There is a decent veteran core with a better group of prospects than there have been recently. However, that’s not necessarily a recipe for success at the AHL level.
Laval’s season didn’t get off to a good start as they were only able to manage a single point in their two games against division rival Belleville while getting some bad news on the injury front.
After losing two straight on the road, the Habs returned home on Monday night to take on Pittsburgh. They found themselves down two in the third period but completed the comeback, eventually securing a 3-2 overtime victory.