Jared Bednar: “The CH is among the elite of the NHL when it comes to creating offense.”

These days, things are going well for the Canadiens. The team just completed a five-game road trip during which they defeated the last four Stanley Cup champion teams.

Well, they also lost to the mighty Blackhawks… but it wouldn’t be a trip for the Habs without an inexplicable loss, right?

That said, the club’s victory against the Avalanche was particularly impressive. The Canadiens weren’t particularly dominant that night, but Jakub Dobes was solid and the team’s offense stepped up at the right moment.

And in the press conference, the Avalanche coach praised the Canadiens with a phrase we haven’t often heard in recent years when talking about the Habs:

The Canadiens are among the elite in the NHL right now when it comes to creating offense. – Jared Bednar

“We were good defensively.. we didn’t do a good enough job creating offense” – Coach Bednar #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/fcGBhF51pb

— AltitudeTV (@AltitudeTV) January 5, 2025

Bednar feels that defensively, his team did a good job limiting the Habs that night. That said, it’s a point of pride for him as he finds it’s not easy to limit the Canadiens.

The absence of Patrik Laine (who will also miss tonight’s game) may have helped, but no matter: seeing the Avalanche coach, who is well-positioned to recognize an explosive offense, praising the Habs’ attack is a nice acknowledgment of Martin St-Louis and his team’s work.

Bednar also acknowledged that his team struggled to create offense against the Habs’ defense. Once again, it feels like Bednar was impressed by the Tricolore.

Obviously, the Canadiens are far from having the talent and firepower of a team like the Avalanche, but if the team managed to impress Bednar without Laine, it shows that the club has an offensive foundation that looks pretty good.

And let’s remember that with a victory tonight, the Habs would go to bed sitting in the top-8 of the East (and thus in a playoff position). It’s no surprise that all this is happening as the Canadiens’ offensive firepower begins to be recognized throughout the league.

Overtime

Let’s also remember that next season, the Canadiens will have Ivan Demidov who will add a ton of offensive punch.

The foundation is already solid… but with Demidov, it has the potential to reach another level.