In advance of Thursday’s game against Tampa Bay, the Habs swung a pair of trades. They acquired Marco Scandella from Buffalo for a 2020 fourth-round pick and flipped Mike Reilly to Ottawa for a 2021 fifth rounder and minor leaguer Andrew Sturtz.
The Canadiens were looking to get back on track after a disappointing weekend when they took on the Carolina Hurricanes on New Year’s Eve. It was a lower scoring game compared to their last two but they once again came up on the short end, losing 3-1.
The week started off with some promise for the Habs but the enthusiasm quickly cratered after a pair of disappointing losses to teams they’re battling with for a playoff spot over the weekend.
In a tight playoff race in the Atlantic Division, the Habs refuse to buckle down and play a tight defensive game when faced with elite goal-scoring. That proved costly once again as they fell 6-5 to Florida on Sunday.
The Habs are now on the Eastern portion of their road trip and were in Tampa Bay to take on the Lightning on Saturday night. They got off to a flying start but weren’t able to hold the lead as they dropped this one 5-4.
The injury situation for Laval just continues to get worse and as a result, their tumble down the standings continues as they managed just one point in a pair of games last week.
The Canadiens were looking to head into the holiday break on a high note as they finished their western road trip in Winnipeg on Monday night. They started off slow but improved as the game went along and picked up the 6-2 victory.
Montreal’s trip to Western Canada proved to be a fruitful one as the Habs picked up a pair of victories out of their three games to continue to hang around the postseason bubble.
The Canadiens were seeking their third straight win as they travelled to Edmonton on Saturday night. They were able to come back from a pair of deficits but ultimately lost 4-3.
Carey Price held the fort for the first half of the game. The Habs picked it up in the second half and Max Domi is officially rolling again after picking up the winner in a 4-3 overtime victory in Calgary on Thursday night.