Hockey

It’s going to take more than Florian Xhekaj and Alexandre Texier to beat the powerhouses
Jonathan Di Gregorio
It’s going to take more than Florian Xhekaj and Alexandre Texier to beat the powerhouses
Credit: Getty Images

The Canadiens lost today 7-2 to the Avalanche, who wore retro Nordiques jerseys for the occasion.

However, despite the score gap, the Habs didn't necessarily play badly as the team started the game well and earned several scoring chances. However, while the Habs came up against Mackenzie Blackwood or missed their chances, the Avalanche capitalized on every opportunity they had.

This game reminded me a lot of the 7-0 home loss to the Stars on November 13.

In both games, although the Canadiens didn't play badly, they were outscored by clubs with more talent and experience than them, and it was clear that the team still lacks one or two elements to compete with the elite clubs.

And this despite the fact that the club was injury-free.

Unfortunately, the arrival of Florian Xhekaj and Alexandre Texier is not going to help Montreal compete with the top teams.

The two forwards have helped the Canadiens to three wins in the last four games, but we saw today that it's going to take more than that to win games against the League powers.

The presence of a veteran forward could help the Habs not only score more goals, but also use his experience to come from behind (or at least stop the bleeding) in games like today, and protect leads when the club is ahead.

The Predators' name often comes up in trade rumours, as the team may soon start selling and take the opportunity to clean up its veteran players.

A player like Ryan O'Reilly, who could play with Ivan Demidov at the center of the second line, would be a great addition for the Habs.

Alternatively, forwards like Steven Stamkos or Jonathan Marchessault could be interesting depth pieces who would bring a wealth of experience with them.

There's also Nazem Kadri, who has often been linked to Montreal in rumours since the start of the season and who could be an interesting option to add attack and experience to the team.

Many of these players have big contracts, but there's always the possibility of convincing their current team to withhold part of their salary.

Of course, these aren't the only options, and I'm convinced that Kent Hughes will soon pull a rabbit out of his hat with the acquisition of an impact forward.


Overtime

– Laval opens the scoring.

– No time to fool around!

– Hit on the fly.

– Wow!

– Quinn Hughes is still the talk of the town.

facebook icon Share twitter icon Tweet linkedin icon Share
Copied!