The Habs have brought back a familiar face, acquiring winger Dale Weise along with defenceman Christian Folin from Philadelphia. Heading the other way are blueliner David Schlemko and centre Byron Froese.
With the Habs in the mix for a playoff spot, Carey Price has returned to his MVP form and the defensive veterans rounded out the Three Stars for January.
The struggling Anaheim Ducks were in town on Tuesday night and the Habs took advantage by using their speed to skate away with a 4-1 victory.
The Habs came off their bye week with a pair of matinees over the weekend. While they suffered a tough loss in the opener, they rebounded with a win to pick up three of a possible four points.
For 40 minutes, Sunday’s game against Edmonton looked like a replay of Saturday against New Jersey. The Habs were the better team yet trailed after two periods. However, a late goal in the third sent it to overtime where Jonathan Drouin potted the winner.
Montreal’s first game after the All-Star break and bye week was against the cellar-dwelling Devils. However, a tough one for Antti Niemi and some poor decisions to get too cute in the offensive zone proved costly as the Habs fell 3-2 in overtime.
The Habs continued to surprise as they started 2019 off the way they finished it – with strong play that has them in the mix for a playoff spot. Which players made the biggest contribution to kick off the year?
The Habs have hit their bye week on a high note, providing some cause for optimism down the stretch as they continue to battle for a playoff spot.
If the Habs ever decide to honour some of their warriors over the years with a Hall of Heart, the recently-retired Josh Gorges should be one of the first to be inducted.
The Habs fared quite well in their pair of back-to-back sets, taking three of four games before coming up short to end the week.