Thursday was just one of those games where the Habs had absolutely no answer for the juggernaut that was the Carolina Hurricanes as they fell 4-0. Good thing Jake Allen was stellar, otherwise the score would have been much uglier.
The Habs looked to get back in the win column on Tuesday as they were in Florida to take on the Panthers. It was certainly an eventful game and featured a three-goal comeback from Montreal but it wasn’t enough as they fell 7-4.
One thing that has quickly become evident with the Habs under Martin St. Louis is that there are few blowouts and a high compete level almost every night. That was the case this past week as while Montreal only walked away with four of eight points, every game was close despite their roster being further depleted at the trade deadline.
In a game that was filled with intensity, good intention, and terrible execution on Sunday night, the Habs were true to the team they’ve gotten us used to of late. They relied on timely saves from their netminder, some bad defensive coverage, and a never-say-die attitude that allowed them to tie the game in the final moments before finally falling to the Devils 3-2 in a shootout.
Jake Allen had himself quite a performance on Saturday night as the Habs were able to muster up just enough offence to double up Toronto 4-2.
The Artturi Lehkonen trade wasn’t Montreal’s only move of some significance at the trade deadline as they also flipped Brett Kulak to Edmonton for William Lagesson, a 2022 second-round pick, and a 2024 seventh-rounder. Our writers offer up their thoughts on the swap.
The Habs saw what a top team in the league looks like on Thursday night. They were dominated by the Panthers for most of the game, but an excellent performance by Jake Allen kept the game a little closer than it likely should have been as Montreal eventually lost but only by a 4-3 margin.
Montreal’s biggest move on trade deadline day came when they moved Artturi Lehkonen to Colorado for Justin Barron and a 2024 second-round pick. Having had some time to ponder the move, our writers offer up their thoughts on the move.
Topics in our latest podcast include the trades involving Artturi Lehkonen, Brett Kulak, and Ben Chiarot, evaluating the start of Martin St. Louis’ coaching career, Cole Caufield’s hot streak, and much more.
Despite having a weakened roster after the trade deadline, the Habs were able to pick up a point on Monday against Boston but a pair of goals from Brad Marchand, including the overtime winner, proved to be the difference in a 3-2 loss.