It was a rollercoaster of a season for the Montreal Canadiens, they went from the depths of despair, where you only visit when you lose three games in two weeks, in which you give up six goals or more, to the elation of qualifying for the playoffs in the very last game of the season with plenty of ups and down along the ways.
With the main side listing its top-10 moments of the NHL season, I figured it was more than time we did the same for the Canadiens. Choosing just 10 moments wasn’t easy, but it had to be done.
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1. The Canadiens make the playoffs
It wasn’t easy, but Martin St-Louis finally got over its jitters and managed to seal the deal on a playoff participation after failing to do so in its first three attempts. For a few games, it looked like the moment was just too big for the inexperienced Habs as they lost to the Ottawa Senators (5-2), the Toronto Maple Leafs (O 1-0), and the Chicago Blackhawks (O 4-3). But eventually, they pulled it together and scored a 4-2 win against the Carolina Hurricanes.
2. Lane Hutson wins the Calder Trophy
The diminutive blueliner had an incredible season, putting all the naysayer in their place and showing them that he could be successful at the highest level. He broke the Canadiens’ franchise record for the most points by a rookie defenseman. He tied Larry Murphy’s record for most assists by a rookie defenseman in league history, on top of becoming the fourth-highest scorer ever amongst rookie defensemen. More than the numbers, though, Hutson brought back joy in the Bell Center. Whenever he touched the puck, people got excited; he got people out of their seats the way P.K. Subban used to before being traded.
3. Ivan Demidov joins the Habs
The most optimistic fans had hoped it would happen, but logic and Demidov’s contract led us to believe the youngster wouldn’t join the Canadiens before the start of next season. Once SKA St. Petersburg was eliminated from the playoffs, though, they let the offensive wizard come over, and in his very first game, he scored a goal, sending the Bell Center into a frenzy.
4. Kent Hughes lands the top trade target hours before the draft
As everyone was speculating about who the Canadiens would pick with the 16th and 17th overall picks, the Habs' GM knew who he wanted to select: Noah Dobson. The Canadiens had been looking for another quality puck-moving defenseman who shot right for quite some time. Once Hughes was made aware that Dobson was available, he worked tirelessly to land his man, and he did, at a very reasonable price. He was also able to sign him to a long-term contract, adding yet another piece to his young core.
5. Brendan Gallagher receives the jersey he had worn in his mother’s honour
The alternate captain lost his mother after she courageously battled against brain cancer for years, his teammates supported him through the ordeal, and he received lots of messages from fans online. Still, one of them went above and beyond. Lucie Lachance offered to give him the Hockey Fights Cancer jersey he wore to honour his mom’s battle years ago. Lachance had won it in an auction, but she still wanted to give it to him. Her favourite player offered a jersey swap on the “Jersey Of Our Backs” night, and it led to a very moving moment on the red carpet at the Bell Centre ice.
6. Jakub Dobes bursts onto the scene
Cayden Primeau had an awful start to the season, and by the time Christmas rolled around, the organization and St-Louis had lost faith in the netminder. After the holiday break, he was sent down to the Laval Rocket, and the young Czech netminder was called up. He blanked the Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers in his first game and started his career with a five-game winning streak, winning over the Canadiens’ fans easily.
7. Hughes trades Justin Barron for Alexandre Carrier
After trading Jonathan Kovacevich in the off-season, probably because he believed Logan Mailloux or David Reinbacher might have been ready to make the jump to the NHL, he realized he needed more depth on that side. He went out and swapped underachieving Justin Barron, who was struggling to find his footing with the Canadiens, for Alexandre Carrier. The Quebecer’s arrival stabilized the defense, and he played a significant part in the Canadiens’ qualification for the postseason.
8. Patrik Laine shows his knack for scoring
The Canadiens’ GM went out and got the Finnish sniper from the Columbus Blue Jackets to bolster his attack, and it worked, especially on the power play, where he scored 15 of his 19 goals on the season. On December 17th, not long after coming back from a serious knee injury, he scored a hat trick in the Canadiens' 6-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres, blowing up the roof off the Bell Centre.
9. The Canadiens win their home opener
The Habs started the season with a duel with their enemy, the Leafs, and while Toronto offered a dominant performance, it wasn’t as dominant as that of Samuel Montembeault. The Canadiens’ goaltender made 48 saves to blank Auston Matthews and co., starting the season in the best possible way. It would be the first of four shutouts for the netminder, who had only had one before the start of the season. At the end of the campaign, he had a 31-24-7 record, a career high in wins, and a 2.82 goals-against average, also a career high.
10. Nick Suzuki became a point-per-game player
It was only a matter of time before the captain would achieve the feat, but he did it with a lot of panache this season, carrying the team on his back to lead it to the playoffs and showing just how much of a leader he is. In 82 games, he scored 89 points, and as usual, he appeared in every game. If there were any doubts about his being a first-line center, he annihilated them this season.
Are you looking forward to what this team has in store for next season? You should be…
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