Skip to content
Your daily dose of hockey
News

Christian Dvorak wants to stay in Montreal (and he is really on fire these days)
Charles-Alexis Brisebois
Christian Dvorak wants to stay in Montreal (and he is really on fire these days)
Credit: Getty Images
It smells like spring, doesn’t it?

We can talk about several guys who have put the team on their shoulders for a few weeks to allow the Canadiens to be in the playoff race this season.

Nick Suzuki and Lane Hutson are two players we need to mention in this regard. They’ve had their say recently.

(Credit: Sportsnet)
But there’s also a player we need to talk about: Christian Dvorak. He has 10 points in his last 10 games and since March 1st, in 16 games, he has no less than 12 points.

He’s tied with Cole Caufield in terms of points and is only surpassed by Nick Suzuki, Lane Hutson, and Juraj Slafkovsky – who are not exactly nobodies.

(Credit: NHL.com)
His trio (with Brendan Gallagher and Josh Anderson) is really important for the Habs. We know how much Gally and Andy are giving it their all for the Habs right now. The death of Gallagher’s mother and Anderson’s injuries are well-documented.

But Dvorak, who’s playing the best hockey of his career in the NHL, is also at the heart of this. He’s found his role in Montreal, clearly.

I’m not sure how far I’m willing to say he’s indispensable, but clearly, without him, it would be much harder to win hockey games right now.

That being said, if he doesn’t ask for too much, it’s worth considering. But he’s putting himself in a position where he can ask for a lot…

I have a feeling that if Kent Hughes can go get his #2 center this summer, a center line consisting of Nick Suzuki, the new center, Alex Newhook, and Jake Evans, with Oliver Kapanen and Owen Beck for depth, it could work out.

But if Dvorak wants to stay and the GM is happy with the negotiations, who knows if Caufield’s roommate could stay longer than expected in town…

But anyway. Dvorak isn’t the only player to talk about after the Canadiens’ 4-1 win against the Bruins. Several guys had their say in the team’s win.

What did I take away from yesterday’s game?

1. Yesterday’s game, against the worst team in the division and conference (it’s funny to say that about… Boston), could have been a trap. But the guys played good hockey and took control of the game.

The Bruins against the Canadiens, in recent years, isn’t what it used to be. And for once, yesterday, it wasn’t because of the Habs…

2. You could feel the rivalry building between the two teams. If only there were more than three small battles against Boston in a year, with only one between October 11th and April 2nd…

And if there’s one guy who understood the importance of the moment, it’s Kaiden Guhle. Yesterday, he was in the Bruins’ face – and he even fought at one point. He had a great game, and his return is doing the team good…

3. Brendan Gallagher said the guys were having fun coming to the rink, and it shows. This week, there’s a hockey buzz in the city. It smells like hockey right now.

Will the team make the playoffs? Will Samuel Montembeault, who’s been doing well lately, take the team to the next level?

4. Nick Suzuki went out and got his 80th and 81st points yesterday. He became the first Habs player since the 2007-2008 season to reach 80 points.

And with one more point, he’ll have the first 82-point season for the Habs since Alex Kovalev in 07-08, exactly. Kovalev had 84 points that year, and Suzuki is capable of doing better than that in seven games, if he wants to.

But it’s not the only milestone that was reached.

Yesterday, Cole Caufield became the first Habs player since Max Pacioretty in 2016-2017 to score 35 goals in a season. Can he do what the former captain never did, namely score 40 goals in a season?

5. Martin St-Louis said after the game that learning is done, and now it’s time to execute.

I really have a feeling that there won’t be a third season of “The Rebuild” on Crave. And if there is a series, they’ll just have to find a new name to make it logical.


overtime

This morning, the Canadiens had a day off from practice.

Let’s remember that this weekend, the Flyers will be in town tomorrow night. And after that, the team will head to Nashville for a game that’s nicely placed in the schedule, namely Sunday night.

(Credit: NHL.com)
facebook icon Share twitter icon Tweet linkedin icon Share
Copied!
More Content