On Saturday afternoon the Montreal Canadiens were in St. Louis to face the Blues. It was the fourth game of a five-game road trip and the result was a 2-0 loss.
Here are some things that caught my eye.
The “players facing their former teams” narrative was anticlimactic.
Mailloux didn’t play the first time these two teams met and he wasn’t much of a factor in this one. Bolduc turned over the puck on the Blues first goal, which proved to be the winner. Texier was a non-factor.
As I have said many times, my projected ceiling for Mailloux is a third pair defenseman who can help a power play. Bolduc and Texier may be middle six guys, but it is debatable whether they will be around when the Habs reach their peak.
Gallagher enjoyed being reunited with Danault.
With Anderson out with an injury, I was hoping Beck would join the Danault line for the developmental opportunity. Beck is likely returning to Laval soon with guys returning from injury, and it would be nice for him to get a closer look at a player he should be modelling his game after.
The coach had other ideas, and Gally had a strong game. I wonder if St. Louis will keep the duo together after Anderson returns and try to replicate the Anderson-Dvorak-Gallagher line.
Montreal continues to play down to lesser opponents.
It’s an old dynamic, Even when they were awful, the Canadiens could put forward their best version of themselves for top teams. Likewise, they play down to lesser opponents. This is a trend they will need to abandon as they get better.
The game in St. Louis should have been a win. Binnington was excellent, but the Habs were sluggish. A win would have confirmed seven points on this five-game road trip. A loss to a better team on Sunday will mean just five points on that trip. Those two points change their measure of success.
Nonetheless, Game 41 in the record books means half of the 2025-26 season is done, and the Montreal Canadiens have a record of 22-13-6 and a .610 win percentage.
Hab At Her 