After 33 games, the Habs are feeling festive

December 23, 2023

In the week leading up to the Christmas break, the Montreal Canadiens started a seven-game road trip. On Monday night, they got off to a strong start with a 3-2 overtime win over the Winnipeg Jets. The Habs were in Minnesota on Thursday night and the result was a 4-3 overtime loss. Chicago was their last stop before Santa came and after falling behind they left with a 5-2 win.

This road trip was supposed to be the undoing of Montreal’s season, but they were having none of it.

The Jets are having a strong season. After being forced to trade Pierre-Luc Dubois in the summer, and eventually persuading two members of their core to re-sign rather than follow a similar path, Winnipeg is firmly in playoff position. A loss to the Jets would have surprised no one, and yet, the young Habs went in with a different determination. But it was an overtime power play goal from young Justin Barron that sealed the deal.

The Habs haven’t won in Minnesota since the last Chevette rolled off the assembly line, and they didn’t win on Thursday. But they did manage to come back twice before finally losing late in the overtime. Then in Chicago they played like the better team. After digging a 2-0 hole, the Habs scored five unanswered goals for the win. Both of those games were two point games for Juraj Slavkovsky.

Five points of a possible six – they’re not undone yet.

On Thursday night, an asset obtained via Kent Hughes’ first NHL trade made his NHL debut.

On February 14, 2022 Kent Hughes traded Tyler Toffoli to the Calgary Flames for a package that included Emil Heineman. He played just under 6 minutes on Thursday night and just under 10 on Friday. They were fairly unremarkable minutes, but they were evidence of the rebuild in action. While another asset obtained from the trade – Filip Mesar – was cooking in World Junior pre-tournament action, Heineman was also getting a taste of the NHL.

A rebuild is more of a marathon than a sprint, but we’re finally starting to settle in to the coasting part of the race where we know we can do it.

In Chicago, Slafkovsky looked like a top pick, and his line looked like a top line.

The game began like just about every Blackhawks game has begun this season – with everyone talking about Connor Bedard. But the game ended with another kid’s name on their lips because the evolution of Juraj Slafkovsky has been something to behold. The points are coming and the line is climbing in the standings with the top lines in the league. Perhaps it’s time for Habs fans to raise their expectations for this kid, and for this trio as a legitimate top line.

Current Habs are taking a break for Christmas while some future Habs are at the World Juniors.

The Montreal Canadiens have gone into the Christmas break feeling pretty good about themselves. Fans may be hoping for one more high pick to help the rebuild, but this group of kids has their hearts set on playoffs. Whatever happens from here, there are clear signs of growth.

Now for a few days we can turn our attention to the growth that is still to come. Lane Hutson, Jacob Fowler, Filip Mesar and Owen Beck are showcasing in a tournament with the best of their peers. Hutson will sign with the Habs by Spring. Fowler will take a stab at making his case as the goaltender of the future for the Habs. Mesar and Beck, who have been tearing up the OHL all fall, will give us a glimpse of their potential in best-on-best action.

Some have already written the rebuild off, certain that the Habs have gotten it wrong at one juncture or another. But perhaps it’s too early to know, and perhaps we shouldn’t close the book when so many chapters are still unwritten.

Merry Christmas, Habs fans. Fun times lie ahead.