The Habs’ talent and depth saved Samuel Montembeault last night

All the players in Martin St-Louis’ line-up seem to be able to make a difference, and that’s really a great strength.

Whether it’s the first line, Ivan Demidov or Alex Newhook, the Habs always have a solution, as we saw last night.

It’s a real change from the long years when the Habs were a team almost always saved by their goaltender.

This season, it’s the opposite, and that’s refreshing, except of course for Samuel Montembeault, who currently has the second-worst goals-against average behind Linus Ullmark, his opponent last night.

In short, if Monty can get back on track, and the Habs continue to play like this and have the answer to almost everything, the Canadiens will be even more dominant than they already are.

Now, what else can I take away from this fine Habs victory?

1. Alex Newhook is a completely different player from last season.

The CH’s #15 was REALLY disappointing in 2024-2025 with his 26 points in 82 games, and let’s just say we’d given up on him quite a bit for a potential impact player.

But this season, Newhook is on fire, and seems to be full of confidence.

He’s playing great hockey, and producing at a very good pace, already boasting five goals and nine points in 12 games.

In 12 games, he already has a third of the goals he scored in 82 games last season.

Of course, Newhook may not maintain a 61-point pace all season, but it’s still nice to see him perform like this.

2. Ivan Demidov is a gem.

The young Russian is truly a sight to behold, as he impresses us more and more with each game we see him grow in confidence.

Of course, at 19 years of age, it’s only natural that he’s not perfect, but who cares considering all the talent he brings to the table?

He’s magic and we’re lucky to have him.

3. The Canadiens have just four regular wins.

The Habs have an incredible 9-3-0 record, but five of those wins have come in overtime.

Of course, that doesn’t matter right now, and it’s great that the Habs are unbeatable in overtime, but we’ll just have to keep an eye on it, since regular wins (RV) represent the second tie-breaker in the standings after points percentage.

The Habs will be in a big playoff race this season, so at some point, it will be important to rack up RVs too.

Overtime

– It’s hard to swallow.

– Indeed. What a great win by the Alouettes.