With injuries, illnesses, and a general need for some time off, the Montreal Canadiens lined up against the Boston Bruins on Tuesday for their final game before the holiday. Overcoming a rough first period, they were the better team in the second and third, taking advantage of some power plays to earn a convincing 6-2 win before their time off.

Contributions came from just about everywhere in the lineup, as it was a team effort that saw them take over the game after the first.

Ça s’écrit désormais « 6laf »

Spelling his name like 6laf now#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/RLFfKgUmYI

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) December 24, 2025

Juraj Slafkovsky was fantastic, and for the second game in a row, the second line was really bringing the hammer down offensively. They’ve been stepping their game up in a big way, and with Phillip Danault now with the team to take some big defensive minutes, they could be in for some juicy matchups moving forward.

And yes, the electrifying Ivan Demidov showed that you had better be taking good care of the puck when they’re on the ice.

Sans mots 😦

Speechless#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/17Ff8gS2U8

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) December 24, 2025

The top line has been a point of some concern in recent games, but they too erased a tough first period to play much better in the next 40 minutes. They finished with four points between the three of them, and this break is probably needed by none more than Nick Suzuki, who has really had his work cut out for him with all the injuries the team has faced.

All this to say nothing of the six assists coming from the point, specifically Noah Dobson and Lane Hutson with three apiece. When these two are playing their best, this is a very difficult team to beat, because they have more skill up front to finish their plays than they did last year, when Hutson was creating a mountain of chances that led to very little scoring.

And the proof, as they say, is in the pudding.

This time last year versus this year. #gohabsgo pic.twitter.com/bY1gkBukNq

— Matt Drake (@DrakeMT) December 24, 2025

The Habs have a whopping 14 more points than they did at this time last year, albeit with two more games played. They’re jockeying for position at the top of the Atlantic division, even though it feels like they’ve left some points on the table at times due to goaltending or defensive lapses. Perhaps one final present the organization could give is to say that we’re keeping young Jacob Fowler, but we’ll have to cross that bridge when we come to it.

Overall, it has been an extremely encouraging start to this season for the Habs, and hopefully the best is yet to come.

Click the play button below to listen to your full Bottom Six Minutes. On behalf of everyone at Eyes on the Prize, I’d like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, happy holidays if you celebrate otherwise, and we’ll be back on December 28 when the Habs resume their road trip in Tampa Bay.