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Today’s day can’t be better than yesterday’s at the Canadiens
Charles-Alexis Brisebois
Today’s day can’t be better than yesterday’s at the Canadiens
Credit: Getty Images
A few months ago, Shohei Ohtani (Los Angeles Dodgers in major league baseball) founded the 50/50 club, which means 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases, with a performance of six hits, three home runs, two stolen bases, and 10 runs scored in a single game.

Along the way, for the first time in his career, he officially qualified for the playoffs. It was just a few days before the end of the season.

It was obviously an individual feat at the base… but the high of emotions experienced by Dodgers fans that day was certainly exciting, given the importance of the moment.

Is the comparison strong enough to wonder if yesterday’s day, for Habs fans, is approaching what was experienced in Los Angeles last September? Is it the most beautiful day around the Habs since Saint-Jean in 2021?

After all, the unexpected arrival of Ivan Demidov in Montreal (within a club whose vibes are immaculate) and yesterday’s victory (4-1) against Detroit, a team in the playoff hunt, was crazy in terms of ranking.

And that, even if the game was not perfect.

No, the Habs are not officially in the playoffs. But with all their closest pursuers having 79 points in 77 games, let’s say the Canadiens don’t have much to worry about.

(Credit: NHL.com)
The Habs have 87 points in 78 games. The Senators, who have 90 points, are officially qualified for the playoffs.

The teams behind the Canadiens cannot, in the best of worlds, get more than 89 points. So the Habs are only three points away from qualifying for the playoffs, no matter what the other teams do.

Beating the Red Wings yesterday was therefore important for helping the team have a great day.

And what’s impressive is that the Habs beat the Red Wings, who were in town to win. We saw that the team that was hungriest was the one from Michigan, clearly.

The fact that the shots were 64-7 in favor of the Wings in the first period (or rather 23-4, for those who prefer the truth) shows that the team had a sense of urgency.

But the Montreal team held their ground. And the visitors’ chances, although numerous, were not all excellent either.

Samuel Montembeault is clearly to be thanked for all this, but the Habs players held their ground despite everything. Even if the team didn’t have their legs, they found a way to win a sixth game in a row.

Am I going to say that it’s the mark of great teams?

Since yesterday, there’s a certain feeling of invincibility that’s settled in the city. Right now, the chances of seeing the Habs in the playoffs are closer to 100% than ever: they’re at 96.4%.

And it’s notably thanks to yesterday’s day. What do I take away from that day, anyway?

1. We slipped a word, but Samuel Montembeault did what he had to do yesterday. He kept his team in the game with no room for error and he got his 30th win of the season.

It’s a very nice plateau, that.

2. Nick Suzuki managed to get two points during the game… because that’s how it is. He now has 86 points, more than Alex Kovalev’s 84 in 2007-2008. Nothing too serious.

Also, he’s not even playing on the most productive trio of the Habs over the last 12 games…

What should also be known is that Suzuki is only surpassed, right now, by five center players in terms of points in the entire NHL. And they’re not nobodies.

We’re talking about Nathan MacKinnon, Leon Draisaitl, Jack Eichel, Connor McDavid, and Sidney Crosby, a player linked to the Canadiens this morning by colleague Kevin Vallée. Nothing too serious, huh?

3. During his press conference, Martin St-Louis had no more voice. It couldn’t happen to Peter Laviolette in New York, who doesn’t go into the locker room after games.

Clearly, he’s happy, the coach. And right now, nobody’s talking about firing him “when it’s time to win” like at the start of the season.

4. Am I the only one who thought that Ivan Demidov, in a game like yesterday’s, would have helped? It’s only a matter of time before he’s able to play for real.

Good day to all, then.


overtime

The Canadiens gave their players the day off. After six straight wins and noticing that the players had no more legs, it’s probably the right thing to do in the circumstances.

The next game will be on Friday, in Ottawa. Tomorrow, the guys will make the (short) trip to the capital.

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