
Last night, the CH won its fifth straight game, and Nick Suzuki was absent during all five of those consecutive victories.
But Montreal has proven that even without its two most talented forwards (Suzuki and Ivan Demidov), the roster is so deep that the team can win games in 60 minutes.
Since the captain's absence—he's expected to return soon—every player has contributed to the score sheet, both forwards and defensemen.
Every Canadiens player has at least one point in the five games since the captain's absence
— Guillaume Villemaire (@GVillemaire13) November 1, 2026
Jake Evans is the leading scorer in the absence of the No. 1 center.
Who would have thought?
Since Suzuki's injury, over 5 games
: Evans: 2 goals, 5 points
; Caufield: 2 goals, 4 points
; Danault: 1 goal, 4 points
; Hutson: 1 goal, 4 points
; Anderson: 2 goals, 3 points
; Guhle: 2 goals, 3 points
; Kreider: 1 goal, 3 points
; Matheson: 1 goal, 3 points
; Dobson: 0 goals, 3 points
; 7 players with 2 points
; 4 players with 1 point— Guillaume Villemaire (@GVillemaire13) November 1, 2026
We can see that the point production is fairly balanced.
Yesterday, even the fourth line contributed, both in terms of points and quality shifts.
On the Habs' first goal, Oliver Kapanen scored his first goal of the season—his first in seven months. Owen Beck, who had a strong game, was one goal away from a Gordie Howe hat trick.
That fight was the Habs' first of the season, by the way. After the game, Martin St-Louis had nothing but praise for his young center.
“He looks like an NHL player.” – Martin St-Louis
Martin St-Louis on Owen Beck: “He looks like an NHL player” @CanadiensMTL @TVASports
— Renaud Lavoie (@renlavoietva) November 1, 2026
Beck played well yesterday and showed that he's not just a penalty-killer. He can also deliver solid hits and get into fights.
Here's his fight where he demolished poor Blake Lizotte.
22-year-old Owen Beck with a MONSTER sequence, dishing out two big hits before answering the bell and dropping Blake Lizotte
Lane Hutson on the bench: “Holy f**k”
https://t.co/hKqBACXr2G
— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) November 1, 2026
The problem for Beck is that his time in Montreal may soon be coming to an end.
Suzuki is likely to return this week—maybe even Tuesday—and the news is good for Ivan Demidov. Two players will have to make way among Kirby Dach, Florian Xhekaj, Oliver Kapanen, and Beck.
Other than that, what stood out to me from the Habs' imperfect win last night?
1. Jacob Fowler didn't have to be the hero like he did in St. Louis on Tuesday night. He finally had some goals in front of him. He didn't have the best game of his career, but he still got the win.
The American now has seven straight wins, and during this streak, he's been nearly unbeatable.
21-year-old rookie Jacob Fowler has been on an INSANE run in the Canadiens' crease
Are we witnessing the rise of Montreal's next franchise goalie?
https://t.co/hHglHDaWhR
— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) November 1, 2026
2. We need to re-sign Josh Anderson before it's too late. At 32, he's finally coming into his own.
That's what it feels like when you don't miss the net…
BOO!
Josh Anderson makes it 2–1
BOO!
Josh Anderson makes it 2-1
#GoHabsGo https://t.co/yAsdMIcQQp
— Montreal Canadiens (@CanadiensMTL) October 31, 2026
Yesterday, he scored two goals. He now has six in 14 games. He's on pace for 36.
He's had a rough stretch lately, but he's still the team's fourth-leading scorer, tied with Juraj Slafkovsky (nine points). Andy will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
We know he wants to finish his career in Montreal, but Kent Hughes will have to sign him as soon as possible if he wants to get him at a discount.
3. I don't know if Adam Engstrom is on the trading block, but he's put together a few solid games lately.
We're finally seeing his mobility, his patience with the puck, and his willingness to contribute offensively. He and his defensive partner, Arber Xhekaj, had a strong game.
NHL Game Score Impact Card for the Montreal Canadiens on October 31, 2026: https://t.co/2UaLRp4Iv0
— HockeyStatCards (@hockeystatcards) November 1, 2026
But no one on the blue line is as good as Lane Hutson, of course.
– The Rocket won yesterday.
Rocket @ Wranglers recap: Laval scores two short-handed goals to win the Halloween showdown
https://t.co/yyb0qh2OCS— Eyes On The Prize (@HabsEOTP) November 1, 2026
– Big Sunday of action in the NFL.
NFL | Three matchups to watch this week → Link in bio https://t.co/rXMh5MJL92
— La Presse Sports (@LaPresse_Sports) November 1, 2026
– Must-read.
The Lightning and Wild find themselves in similar situations, needing to decide the best course of action with star players on expiring contracts.
@amato_mike explores their dilemma and more in his latest Sunday Overreactions. https://t.co/XfUuimRWa2
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) November 1, 2026
– Indeed.
https://t.co/D2VXPPVNRJ
— Mikaël Lalancette (@MikLalancette) November 1, 2026
– That's for sure.
Marc Ramsay and he were disappointed with how things turned out
https://t.co/c7fbBXprCI
— TVA Sports (@TVASports) November 1, 2026
More must-reads:
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