The Montreal Canadiens are making a habit of winning on the road, and that's something worth paying attention to. Four consecutive victories away from home, including last night's convincing 5-2 win over the Dallas Stars, make for more than just a nice little streak. For those keeping score, that's the kind of progress Google can index, hockey fans can appreciate, and the Canadiens need to build on. Montreal is finding ways to win, and perhaps more importantly, learning how to finish games. All of that without their captain.
☕ A little confidence goes a long way. After watching from the sidelines for three consecutive games, Jakub Dobeš got the nod between the pipes. He responded with a solid performance, stopping 17 of 19 shots, including several quality scoring chances in the opening two periods. He looked more composed and confident, which is precisely what he needed. Sometimes a goalie needs a little breather, a little perspective, and perhaps a reminder that the net isn't going anywhere. Perhaps fans and media can now chill and cheer both goaltenders?
☕ Newhook gets the promotion, and delivers. With Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky both struggling to find the back of the net over the previous three games without Nick Suzuki, Martin St-Louis decided to shake things up. Alex Newhook was promoted to the first line, and the results were immediate. Caufield and Newhook each scored twice. Not bad for a line combination that probably wasn't on anybody's bingo card before puck drop.
☕ A little more bite on the blue line. With Mike Matheson sidelined by a lower-body injury, Arber Xhekaj returned to the lineup, paired with Adam Engström. The two looked surprisingly comfortable together in their limited ice time. Xhekaj brings the physical element, while Engström provides mobility and puck movement. Different ingredients, but the early recipe looks promising.
☕ Dobson quietly doing his thing. Noah Dobson had himself a solid night, recording two assists, four shots on goal, two blocked shots and one hit in 20:24 of ice time. He's becoming an increasingly important piece of Montreal's defensive puzzle. Not every contribution needs fireworks. Sometimes getting the job done without setting off the smoke detector is perfectly fine.
☕ Guhle continues to impress. With Matheson out of the lineup, Kaiden Guhle stepped up once again, leading all Canadiens in ice time with just over 25 minutes and finishing with a plus-2 differential. His ability to handle increased responsibility without missing a beat is becoming one of the more encouraging developments of the season.
☕ The power play needs a stronger brew. Four opportunities, zero goals. The Canadiens went 0-for-4 once again, dropping to 31st in the NHL with a miserable 10.3% success rate. Only the Chicago Blackhawks are worse at 10.0%. The coaching staff keeps experimenting with different formations, but at some point, somebody needs to find the damn light switch. This isn't rocket science, although judging by the results, you wouldn't know it.
☕ Third-period leads are no longer an automatic panic attack. Remember those two-goal leads that seemed to disappear faster than beer at a hockey tournament? Following several late-game collapses earlier in the season, Montreal has now managed to protect its lead in four consecutive games. That's encouraging. Winning is important, but learning how to close games is what separates a promising team from one that can actually compete.
☕ Next stop: Home sweet home. The Canadiens return to Montreal on Saturday to welcome Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins. Four consecutive road wins are in the books. Now it's time to see whether they can bring that same energy back in front of their home crowd, something they struggled with last season.
Bottom Line: Four straight road wins, five goals against Dallas, and a team beginning to look a little more comfortable with a lead. There's still plenty brewing in Montreal, and not all of it smells like freshly ground coffee. The power play needs serious attention, but the overall direction is encouraging. Pour another cup, Habs fans. This road trip has been worth staying awake for.
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