Hockey

Busy schedule: The Canadiens’ biggest test of the season is coming up
Vincent Larue
Busy schedule: The Canadiens’ biggest test of the season is coming up
Credit: Getty Images

December is just around the corner, and for the Canadiens, it's not just a calendar, it's a litmus test. We're talking about a demanding sequence, a real test of maturity, the kind of sequence that can change a season for better or for worse.

The Habs will play four back-to-back games in two days, with a first doubleheader to open the month against the Ottawa Senators and Winnipeg Jets. Two games in quick succession, over and over again, with no real time to breathe, heal or analyze. Teams that survive at this pace are those that are structured, deep, disciplined and mature. That's what the Habs will have to prove.

Here's what the schedule looks like:

Calendrier CH décembre 2025
(Credit: NHL.com screenshot)

And as if that weren't enough, the opposition won't be gentle. We're talking about good teams, like the Winnipeg Jets, Boston Bruins, Pittsburgh Penguins and Tampa Bay Lightning, where every little mistake or lack of attention can be decisive.

Add to that an even more significant element. Six games against teams in the same division as the Canadiens – the Atlantic Division – over the course of the month. With the standings so tight right now, home games don't just count in the standings, they double in value. You win, you go up. Lose and you go down. A close 3-2 win over a Western team is nothing like a loss to a direct rival.

These are games that exude urgency, rivalry and tension. And when they pile up in an already compressed schedule, physical and mental fatigue can quickly become the primary adversary.

This month will answer many of the questions staff may have.

We'll see whether the Canadiens have real depth or just names, and whether Samuel Montembeault and Jakub Dobes can keep goal effectively. We'll also see if the first and second lines can drag the team offensively, but especially if the third and fourth lines can keep up. The most important thing, in my opinion, is to see who takes their game up a notch and who steps aside.

December will be revealing for the Habs. If they survive this sequence with a positive record, they'll be in a very good position in the standings. One month can turn a season on its head, and this month has no intention of going easy on the Montreal club.

The Habs are entering their real exam, and it's up to them to pass or fail.


overtime

– The goals by Cutter Gauthier and Olen Zellweger are the two fastest early goals in Ducks history.

– Troy Terry is having quite a start to the season.

– The Capitals are on a four-game winning streak and seven wins in eight games.

– Logan Cooley suffers a thigh contusion.

– Ottawa Charge head practice coach Carla MacLeod has breast cancer.

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