When You Are The Most EXCITING Team In The NHL

When You Are The Most EXCITING Team In The NHL

This is Rookie of the Year Lane Hudson, and he along with the rest of Montreal’s young core are set and ready to be legitimate contenders this upcoming season. After years of rebuilding and finding their way in a wildly competitive Atlantic Division, Montreal is finally broken through, making the playoffs for the first time since 2021. Doubling down this off seasonason, the front office took another big step by trading for one of the top RFAS on the market, ensuring their belief in this core group of players as they enter what looks to be the most exciting chapter in Montreal hockey we’ve seen in quite some time. But after just one season of making playoffs and reigniting the Bell Center, should you really be buying into this new Canadians lineup? Or was this season just a flash of luck that will likely subside? Well, let’s talk about it. [Applause] What’s up, guys? Welcome back to the channel. Today we are doing a deep dive into the Montreal Canadian season. Everything that happened last year, talking about their playoff exit, their off season, and then of course the stuff that you can expect for this upcoming year from a very young but starting to be experienced Habs team. But before we get into today’s video, if you guys have been enjoying the content lately, be sure to toss this video a like and subscribe to the channel. We’re going to go through this for the next 10 to 15 minutes. So get comfortable, kick back, and let’s talk about some Montreal hockey. Montreal’s season began with a bit of a hiccup as both David Rybacker and Patrick Line would go down with injuries in the preeason. David Rybacker would miss the entire year, but Patrick Lion’s injury wasn’t as severe as initially thought, allowing him to get back into the lineup within a couple of months. Like seasons of the past, Montreal had issues out the gate, specifically with their defense who could not keep the puck out of their own zone. Naturally, with their poor play, confidence and morale began to fade, with this year looking like another bottom five season for the Habs. By December 1st, Montreal was the worst team in the Eastern Conference. But still, they weren’t out of it by any stretch, especially given the fact that a lot of other teams who were usually at the top of the standings were dealing with issues of their own. This chance to get back into the mix almost relinquished the doubt that otherwise would have destroyed their season. And from December 15th onward, we witnessed a brand of Montreal hockey that we haven’t seen in quite some time. Over the next 12 games, the Habs went 92 and one, the second best record in the NHL over that stretch, averaging the second most goals scored during that stretch with 3.58 per game and the second fewest at 2.17. But how did they turn things around? Well, I think it was mainly because of Montreal’s top players getting hot. Cfield, Suzuki, Evans, Hudson, they all started to play out of their minds. And even with players like Doc and New Hook showing some regression, the team was still managing to win games, which for a young team, this type of experience is very invaluable. Following the new year, Montreal did have their ups and downs, but ended up finishing the second half of the season with a 621 winning percentage. Their best stretch was the 23 games from December 3rd onward when they went 166-1. Their worst, this was largely due to injury, was right before the Four Nations when they went 17-1 before the break. Fortunately, Montreal was able to close out their season in a very tight wildcard race to grab the final spot in the Eastern Conference and a matchup against the Washington Capitals. Entering the playoffs, Montreal was hot, and the uncertainty surrounding Washington’s successful year made their series an interesting one. Perhaps the most interesting thing about that series was my disbelief in the Washington Capitals. Kind of dumb on my part, but Montreal had Spunk and they were a hot team in the second half of the year. And I think that there’s a lot of merit to that when it comes to the Stanley Cup playoffs. Game one was a thriller, but the biggest takeaway was the difference in physicality between the two teams. Washington bullied Montreal for most of their time on the ice, but the Habs stayed in it thanks to a very impressive performance by Sam Montenbo. Both teams battled till the end, but who else but Alex Ovetchkin would grab game one for Washington with an overtime goal. Game two was similar to the first. Both goalies were stellar, but Washington again edged out by being the more physical team, protecting home ice and winning that game 3 to one. Game three was a very different story. Montreal stood their ground on home ice, catching a Capitals team that was just not playing as hard on the road. This felt like a statement win for the Montreal Canadians as they attempted to turn this series around. But unfortunately, that just wasn’t the case. The biggest storyline from game three was the injuries to both Sam Montenbull and Logan Thompson. But in games four and five, Montenbull was unable to return while Logan Thompson was back and continued with his dominance. Washington would come out on top in this series after dominating in games four and five thanks to reapplying their physical play and adjusting to Montreal’s successful game three, ending an otherwise exciting series for a young Canadians team. So, what should you expect from Montreal next season? Well, I do think that some of the expectations have changed. They’re not really a team that’s still trying to figure things out anymore, but now a team that’s trying to establish themselves a little bit more now that they have experience and try and put themselves in the conversation with some of the other contending teams in the league. Defensively, Montreal is far better. Not only have they secured Noah Dobson with a long-term extension, but with David Rybacker returning from injury, they’ll soon have two more high upside defenders joining their lineup. The only intriguing part about all of this is how they’re going to manage using both Dobson and Hudson who play a very similar defensive game, especially on the power play. I think that that marriage is going to be weird at first, but it could be a huge advantage for the Canadians depending on how they want to run things. Modern power play systems often rely on four forwards and one defenseman. So, it feels like one of these guys is going to have to run the second unit, which may not be the best thing for their game. So, I’m just overall curious to see how they deploy them effectively together. Are we going to see both of them out on PP1 or are we going to see them split up? Either way, I’m confident that they’re going to figure it out, but it is an interesting layer to this team. Now, flipping over to the offense, I do have a few concerns, particularly with their center depth. On paper, Kirby Doc and Alex New Hook could be great players that work out for the Habs. At least that’s what we’re all hoping for, right? However, their lack of production and Doc in particular’s inability to stay healthy is kind of concerning. I think for Montreal to have a successful year, they’re going to need both Kirby Doc and Alex New Hook to stay consistent and productive because without them, their top six is going to be a lot weaker than it looks on paper. Another guy who I’m excited to watch is Ivan Demadov. I think that this kid is going to be exciting and have an immediate impact in his first full season, but I am interested to see how they use him. Are they going to replace Slowski with him in their top line or are they going to keep Slowsky with Cfield and Suzuki? Because if that’s the case, then Ivan Demadov is going to have to do a lot on that second line given the lack of production we’ve seen from them over the past couple of seasons. As for guys like Nick Suzuki, Cole Cfield, and even Slowski, I have no doubts that they’re going to continue building off of that great season they had last year, and that Montreal’s top line will be solid throughout most of the season. A few other guys to keep an eye on is Patrick Lene. Of course, he’s going into his second year in Montreal and it seems like he really enjoys himself there. So maybe he’ll find his game again and we’ll be able to tuck a few more goals specifically off the power play. I would like to see him do a little bit more there. And then Jake Evans, a guy who I am very happy Montreal was able to retain. I think he’s a great piece to their lineup and should be super productive for them throughout the year as well. And the last thing that’s worth noting is their goalending. I do feel Montreal can improve in this area. Long-term wise, obviously, they’re waiting for Fowler to develop and he will likely be the path for Montreal. But in the short term, I think that Montbo is going to be a great placeholder for them. He has above average numbers, a 902 save percentage and 2.76 goals against average, which were enough to get the Canadians into the playoffs and put up a few solid games. But I do feel like as they continue to go on in the postseason, he’s not going to be a massive difference maker. I think that this season’s goalending is going to just be about balancing the load for Montbo. Whether that is with Kacin or Dobas as the backup. Just making sure that he’s supported should be their main goal. Again, the future with Fowler is something to keep an eye on. But for this season, I’m pretty neutral on their goalending and feel like as long as they get serviceable performances from Montbo, then they should be fine. So, overall, I’m actually feeling really confident in Montreal. Yes, they have some question marks like I highlighted with their offense and defense. some system stuff that they’re going to have to work through, but I’m confident in Martin St. Louis. And I think that he’s going to be able to band them together and put out a very respectable year. But as always, I want to hear from you guys. How are you feeling about the Montreal Canadians? Do you think that last year was a huge season for them and that they’re going to be able to build off of it? Or do you think that it was a bit of a fluke and that they might miss the playoffs this year depending on how some other teams bounce back from a poor season? As always, let me know what you guys think in the comments below. And if you enjoyed this video, be sure to give it a thumbs up and subscribe. Now, I also have a few other pieces for you here on the screen to check out as we finish out the off season. Again, thank you guys so much for supporting the channel. I will see you in the next upload.

Today, let’s talk about arguably the most exciting team in the NHL: the Montreal Canadiens. After years of rebuilding, Montreal has finally broken through and is ready to take another significant step forward in their development. Following a first-round playoff exit, the Canadiens not only added one of the top RFAs on the market but are also giving their young prospects a real chance to shine. Let’s break down everything you need to know about the Canadiens and why they’re a legitimate contender this upcoming season. Subscribe to Jimmy Hockey for more NHL News and Breakdowns.

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