On Monday night the Montreal Canadiens were in Minnesota to kick off February with a game against the Wild. The Habs were on a three-game winning streak and the result in this one was a 4-3 overtime loss.
Here’s what got my attention.
Two holes appear to be filled, but are the plugs reliable?
Kirby Dach has sure looked good in the last couple of games on that top line. Good enough to make us question whether the Canadiens really need a top six forward. He’s been physical, driving the net, and creating space for Suzuki and Caufield, while also hitting the scoresheet.
Similarly, Kaiden Guhle is giving the Canadiens a dynamic on D that they were missing. The coach has juggled the pairs, and it looks like it might be workable to keep Hutson on his strong side.
The issue with Dach and Guhle is that they were both always felt to be important pieces, but they couldn’t stay healthy long enough to prove it. Every time one of them takes a hard hit or has an awkward fall we cringe. Can the Habs rely on that?
The second line is struggling.
That was a very pretty pass from Hutson to Demidov. He was due a goal. It was inevitable that the line’s production would eventually match their underlying numbers. Some will say the line was never as good as the scoresheet said. The rest of us will see it for what it is. A kid line that will have ups and downs and have hit a bit of a wall 56 games deep.
The question that begs to be asked is whether they should be allowed to grow through it, or replaced by sure things.
The players have given HuGo some things to think about heading into the Olympic trade freeze.
That was their last game before Wednesday’s Olympic trade freeze. They have one more that evening before the break. Then they have just three more games before this season’s trade deadline. In other words, GM Kent Hughes has to make decisions based on the information he has now.
After a losing skid during some rough goaltending, the net has stabilized and the team has followed. Dobes has not been perfect, but he has led them to big wins down the stretch to the break. With half decent goaltending, the Canadiens can hang with the best.
Now Hughes has a small window to decide if there are moves he can make to help.
Hab At Her 