In a game where the Habs were uncharacteristically outworked, they paid the ultimate price in their first regulation loss of the season as they fell 4-2 to Detroit on Thursday night.

In a game where the defensive coverage by both teams left much to be desired, Buffalo’s was ultimately the difference in a 5-4 overtime victory over the Habs on Wednesday night.

It appears that Michael McCarron has recovered from his groin injury that he sustained early in training camp as on Wednesday, the Habs announced that they have placed him on waivers.  He cleared on Thursday and was sent to Laval of the AHL.

Montreal’s 2019-20 season kicked off with a pair of very fast-paced games on the road. They trailed in both, led in both, and wound up going to a shootout in both as well as they ultimately split the two to pick up three of a possible four points.

The Canadiens played their second game of the season on Saturday night in Toronto. The Habs did not have a great first two periods, but they were able to rally and come back from a three-goal deficit in the third to walk away with a 6-5 shootout win.

In a game that was notably fast, the Canadiens had strong moments where they really hemmed the Hurricanes in their zone. However, they were unable to pull it out in the shootout, losing 4-3 on Thursday night.

The infirmary to start the season is getting a little smaller as the Habs announced on Thursday that they have placed defenceman Gustav Olofsson on waivers.  This comes on the heels of suffering a shoulder injury at the beginning of training camp.

Strap on your seatbelts, because the Canadiens, with their speed game and their youth, will be fun to watch, playoff spot or not. They are a team on the rise.

The Habs narrowly missed the playoffs last season and have opted for continuity and the hope of continued development over a big splash to try to change that fate. Will that be enough to make the postseason in 2019-20?

Following Saturday’s win against Ottawa, Montreal had three cuts still to make.  Two of those have come in the form of Charles Hudon and Charlie Lindgren who were placed on waivers on Sunday.