The Montreal Canadiens opened the season with a win over their historic rival Toronto Maple Leafs. This doesn’t mean they are now suddenly a lock to make the playoffs. What this does point to however is a team still in the rebuild arc, but one that is evolving.
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This is good news as the team must take a step forward and improve on their 75-point season in 2023-24. While the position in the standings may not change much, they will need to see a leap into the high 80s in regards to points. While team systems will be worked on, the focus will continue to be on individual improvements as that will have longer-term impacts.
Canadiens Causing Fits
To compete in the NHL, skill alone won’t make you a contender. You need size and grit.
General manager (GM) Kent Hughes has been working towards building a lineup with more skill, but also with that much-needed size and grit; surprisingly, the Canadiens sit seventh overall in the NHL in terms of size. While it is improved, there is more to be done. To help this aspect of the game, having a physical, blue collar, heavy-weight fighter who can play a regular shift is something Montreal will need to provide some protection, but also confidence to a young lineup.
The pre-season story about Arber Xhekaj and his physicality continued. It’s clear that the Canadiens defenseman was looking to calm down some of the liberties being taken again, this time by Max Domi. Domi was challenging David Savard after Savard leveled the former Canadiens center with a clean hit. Xhekaj intervened and made it clear if there was to be a fight, it would be with him. When that didn’t happen, Xhekaj challenged Ryan Reeves, and it simply never happened. According to Georges Laraque, former NHL enforcer and French language BPM Sports commentator, the intimidation factor from Arber was clear and Reeves wanted nothing to do with him.
It’s not just about muscle — there is also skill. Juraj Slafkovsky is another gritty player with size on the roster, but he is one that will play at the top of the lineup. His offensive skills complement the smaller players as he can play with speed and pace. While the 20-year-old winger had difficult moments in the opening game, his one-touch pass to Cole Caufield (another young core member) demonstrates what the young man can bring to the team. Kirby Dach, another big-bodied forward, demonstrated why he was a third-overall pick and can impact a game. His transitional play, especially with zone entries, continues to be an important aspect of his game. On the blue line, Lane Hutson will get lots of attention due to his obvious offensive abilities and excellent skating skill.
But someone who should garner more attention is Kaiden Guhle. He was solid, played with speed, was positionally sound, and physical. He is gaining experience as he tries to add more layers to his game, such as offence.
The Canadiens’ Evolution
Montreal did win against a Toronto squad that is expected by the Toronto-based media to be Stanley Cup contenders. However, as exciting it is for Habs fans to be able and throw friendly chirps to their Leafs fan friends, it was more of a win thanks to goaltending than it was thanks to the skaters controlling the game.
“I’m happy we hung in there, was it our best game? No. But it was a pretty good game. We played a pretty good game considering they were chasing the game, so they take a lot more chances. And they have a high-powered offence and we find a way to bend but not break. That’s what you have to do in this league.”
-Canadiens’ head coach Martin St. Louis
Evolution of team play was seen in this first game. Last season, Montreal played in many close, one-goal games. Some were while they were in the lead. Sometimes they gave up a goal, sometimes they didn’t, but that experience has provided them the knowledge on what they need to do in those moments to close out and win those games. To take that next step, they will need to win more often in those situations.
It’s clear the Canadiens lost the five-on-five battle, with Toronto dominating on the shot clock (47 to 28) and creating more high-danger scoring chances. However, Montreal blocked 25 shots, some in the slot, taking away scoring chances that could have made the difference, but the main story of the game was Samuel Montembeault, who set an NHL record for saves in a season-opening shutout.
The power play (PP) finally scored in 2024-25! After going 0-30 in the preseason, Montreal finally got the PP goal they desperately needed to break the ice. The team finished one in five (20%), and the penalty kill was perfect going four for four. Last season, they were inconsistent at five-on-five, sitting at 29th in Corsi For, but were fourth in High Danger Scoring Chances percentage. This showed they had the ability to compete, but lacked the experience sufficient to do so consistently. It was only one game, so sample size needs to be taken with a grain of salt, but there seems to be little change seen at these statistical levels.
This season needs to see improvements in the win and point columns, but even after game one of 2024-25 it is clear that the young players are not only improving, but more importantly gaining experience. Because of this, they are beginning to become capable of filling the roles they are projected to . While spirits are high and the players ask themselves “why not us? Why not now?” the goal isn’t necessarily the playoffs for management. Rather, it is to see their core players fill their roles and potential, which will set the table as soon as next season to becoming a legitimate playoff team.
