The Canadiens didn’t just lose Ivan Demidov to injury. They also lost the one player who, for one wild night, had looked capable of dragging them out of trouble.
That became painfully clear in Tuesday’s 6-4 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes, a game that arrived only days after Demidov’s two late points helped Montreal storm back from a 5-1 deficit against the Pittsburgh Penguins before falling 6-5 in overtime. Against Carolina, the Habs were again chasing, again scrambling, and this time they were missing the winger who had helped fuel the previous comeback. Earlier in the day, the club learned Demidov is out up to a month with a lower-body injury.
Montreal was outshot 34-20 by the Hurricanes, which was at least an improvement on the 44-18 shot deficit in Game 4 of the playoffs against Carolina. But the better number still came with the same result: the Canadiens were outmatched by the Stanley Cup champions and came away with another frustrating night. It also followed a postseason series in which the Hurricanes beat them four games to one in Round 3.
There was a brief window in which the Penguins game felt like a turning point. Montreal had clawed back, Demidov had tied it late, and Jakub Dobes had been pulled for an extra attacker during the rally.
Chris Kreider’s 5-4 goal came with Demidov assisting just before it. That comeback had at least suggested the Canadiens were moving in the right direction after two poor outings.
Instead, Tuesday left them with the opposite feeling.
A big reason for that was the second line, where Kirby Dach was asked to fill in. Dach had opened the season with an assist in a bottom-six role against the Toronto Maple Leafs, but his usage against Carolina raised the same old question: why is he still getting top-six minutes?
He didn’t register on the scoresheet, and he was the lone member of that line who failed to do so. Alex Newhook picked up a power-play assist on one of Zachary Bolduc’s two goals, and Juraj Slafkovsky scored on a rebound into an empty net to cut the deficit and briefly stir the Bell Centre crowd. The spark never turned into a full comeback.
If anything, the game made the depth chart look clearer. Dach has not been a consistent enough offensive answer, and the Canadiens seem to know it.
They reportedly qualified him with a two-way offer because of his injury history, leading to arbitration and eventually a one-year deal that takes him to unrestricted free agency next summer. That contract says plenty about where the organization sees him.
There are other options. Alexandre Texier has been buried in a bottom-six role despite showing top-six talent, including last season when he didn’t look out of place alongside Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield over a small sample.
He also produced at a pace on par with Demidov during the playoffs, while Dach, despite flashes, disappointed more often than not. Texier had his first two points of the season Tuesday, both assists against the Hurricanes, and his game looks better suited to a scoring role.
Zachary Bolduc is another name worth considering. The Canadiens had reasons to hesitate, since he didn’t seize previous top-six chances last season.
But he now has a team-leading three goals in three games, and that start makes him a far more natural option than Dach in the top six. Like Demidov, Bolduc plays right wing, and unlike Dach, he’s someone the Canadiens have committed to for the long term, with a contract running through 2030.
Montreal needs to sort that out quickly. With three more home games ahead, the Canadiens have to find a better answer on Line 2, because Dach is not it.
In Other News...
Hurricanes Suddenly Face A Bigger Alexander Nikishin Decision
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What makes this even trickier for the Hurricanes is how much of the uncertainty now sits around his next contract as much as his future destination. Several teams have checked in, and a move looked close at one point before the talks stalled, leaving Carolina to weigh whether this becomes a long-term retention battle, a trade market reset, or something that drags on deeper into the year. [Read more 🡒]
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Brandon Bussi was in the middle of it all, and his night had the kind of arc that can matter beyond one box score. After a rough opening period, he steadied himself and picked up his first win of the season, giving the Hurricanes something more than just two points to carry forward. The result was encouraging, but the bigger question for Carolina remains how quickly the goaltending picture can settle down after a start like this. [Read more 🡒]
Canes Showed Something Important In Wild Road Win Over Canadiens
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For a team that has leaned on depth and pace to wear opponents down, this was the sort of night that fits the identity. Carolina did not just battle back, it kept adding pressure and goals after taking the first punch, which is often the difference on the road in a building like Montreal. The result was encouraging on its own, and the individual production from Hall and Aho gave it a little more weight, even if there was still plenty to clean up defensively. [Read more 🡒]