Despite missing the NHL’s reigning MVP for the vast majority of the month, the Montreal Canadiens maintained their elite positioning atop the standings, going 8-2-3 in November. Much has been made about Montreal’s depth this season, and with key injuries surfacing, it has been unlikely candidates making significant contributions to November’s successes on various nights.
The injury bug continues to ravage both the Habs and IceCaps but it didn’t slow either team down as both teams won two of three games while picking up a point in their lone loss.
The Habs finished off the first quarter of the season atop the NHL in goals scored. Not surprisingly, there are plenty of positive grades for their forwards.
The Canadiens have passed the one quarter mark of the season and find themselves in a battle for first overall. Our grades begin with the goaltenders and defencemen.
Marc Bergevin’s tenure as GM of the Montreal Canadiens will last for a while longer. On Wednesday, the team announced that they have signed Bergevin to an extension through the 2021-22 season.
The Habs got back to their winning ways this past week with Carey Price back between the pipes while the IceCaps continued their strong play at home As a result, both teams are sitting in a playoff spot at the one quarter mark of the season. With Alexei Emelin believed to be ready to return, my Final Thought looks at what should Montreal do with their blueliners moving forward.
With Alex Semin back in the dog house, the question of who should the right wing alongside Alex Galchenyuk and Lars Eller has resurfaced. Unfortunately for the Habs, there aren’t many realistic options on the current roster.
In the eyes of many, Jarred Tinordi’s situation has gone from unfortunate to ridiculous. He has yet to suit up in 19 games which begs the question, should the Habs just take what they can get for him and move on?
Not every week can be a winning one for the Habs, who lost a close game in Pittsburgh before dropping a tough one vs Colorado. In St. John’s, they had more success than the Canadiens but their week also ended on a tough note, blowing a huge third period lead.
Our latest podcast discusses Montreal’s strong play despite the absence of Carey Price, Dale Weise’s newly-found goal scoring ability, the continued benching of Alex Semin, and much more.