The spectacular win of the Canadiens against Ottawa in 14 points

The 29-year-old center collected 4 points on the 6 goals scored by his team against the Senators, having played one of his best games in the Habs uniform. D-Vo also obtained the second star of the duel, he who has threaded the needle in a second consecutive game.

Down 2 to 1, Lane Hutson completed a solid individual play, notably beating Linus Ullmark in the top corner. The 21-year-old American is tied for points among defensemen in the entire NHL, with 53 points in 67 games.

Recently traded to the Ottawa Senators, Dylan Cozens has rediscovered his passion for hockey, having struggled with the Buffalo Sabres for several years. The 24-year-old center has 5 points in 6 games with his new team.

The number 92 received a lot of criticism in the preceding weeks, but since a few games, he has been practically flawless. The forward is involved at 5 on 5 and also creates things in the offensive zone, to the great pleasure of Martin St-Louis. The Finnish player even allows himself to make checks, a facet that was not well known to him!

In line with his performance with the Canadiens since his acquisition, the Québécois played a solid game on Tuesday, repeating key defensive plays. He accumulated two assists against the Senators, and that, without making too much noise, which is a good thing in his case. Not the most flashy, but he is effective, this Alex!

During a powerplay in the third period, captain Nick Suzuki scored the winning goal, having spent nearly two complete minutes on the ice. He now stands at 70 points, including 21 goals, in 67 games.

In a game as important as Tuesday’s, one could have expected a better outing from Brady Tkachuk, who was invisible, not using his usual style of annoying the opponent and creating movement around the net. He may not be at 100%, like several other players, at this stage of the season.

Having put a puck in an empty net, Brendan Gallagher got 3 points against the Senators, he who was a positive factor in the team’s victory. What a pleasure to see him perform like this, after a few years of dealing with injuries.

Author of 2 goals, Josh Anderson received the first star of the match, he who has been the spark plug of the Habs for a few weeks, thanks to his speed and physical presence. He’s a prospect, Josh is, so that makes it all the more impressive and admirable. The standards are there!

Considering the importance of the match, we expected a lot of fights, especially after the whistle blows. That being said, it was pretty quiet at that level, making the officials’ work more obvious. The goalies also had an easy night, under the circumstances.

Even if he didn’t have his best night of work, Montembeault remains unbeaten in regulation time since the return from the break, notably making a spectacular save during the first engagement at the expense of Shane Pinto. He showed up, despite everything!

With his recent performances and the fact that he is a highly respected individual by his teammates and his coach Martin St-Louis, we must ask the following question: should Christian Dvorak receive a new contract from the Habs? It would be surprising to see him back in 2025-2026, certainly, but you never know. He will cost less than $4.45 million (US) for his next deal, that’s for sure.

With the defeat of the New York Rangers and the Detroit Red Wings, and the victory of the Canadiens, Montreal has secured the last spot giving access to the playoffs. The Habs are now only 4 points away from the Senators and the first tier of drafted teams. Beware, the Habs are coming!

In addition to having attended a sensational match, the crowd at the Centre Bell made themselves heard, giving us a playoff dynamic, nothing less. The Canadiens of Montreal will need their seventh player for the conclusion of the regular calendar, in order to give themselves the best chances of getting a ticket to the spring ball.