September 24, 2025
The Philadelphia Flyers were in Montreal to face the Canadiens on Tuesday for their second preseason game. It was a bit of a fast and furious affair that ended with a 4-2 win for the Habs.
Here are some things I noticed.
The top line picked up where they left off.
There may still be a few questions to get answered for this iteration of the Habs, but the top line is not one of them. Nick Suzuki between Juraj Slafkovsky and Cole Caufield is a recipe for success. If Slaf continues to look this good, this year’s recipe will be the best we’ve seen yet. They were dominant last night. No one says it better than Nick.
The Xhekaj brothers made themselves known.
After Game 1, discussion revolved around Kapanen vs. Beck. Florian Xhekaj wants in that conversation. After notching a goal, Flo remembered his coach’s comments about adding physicality to the lineup and took on one of the NHL’s top fighters.
In the meanwhile, Arber looked solid on D and on the penalty kill. Alongside Carrier, the older Xhekaj may find his best self. Will both brothers play in Montreal this season?
In the backup battle, Dobes drew first blood.
Sure, it was probably Dobes’ job to lose from go. But if there was a real decision to be made between Jakub Dobes and Kaapo Kahkonen to be the backup goaltender, Dobes tilted that decision in his favour last night. He looked solid.
Reinbacher is not yet ready, but he will be.
The Habs are a little unbalanced on D. The team that was famous for staying at home are suddenly flush with offensive defensemen, and perhaps not enough true blue defensive defenders.
David Reinbacher looked quietly good, until he didn’t. His positioning was solid, his stick active, and his first pass crisp. Then he got beat in fairly spectacular fashion.
The kid needs playing time – to stay healthy and to get a ton of pro games under his belt. Then his style of play will bring some necessary balance. The addition of Noah Dobson means there is no need to rush Reino.
The Habs have veterans ready if the kids are not.
Sammy Blais and Joe Veleno both played well. They can fill spots where kids need more time. You know what they say about being overripe.
Hab At Her 