The Canadiens Are Growing - But So Is the Gap to the Top
The Montreal Canadiens just wrapped up a road trip that felt like a microcosm of where this team stands right now: promising in flashes, but still very much a work in progress. From Salt Lake City to Vegas to Denver, Martin St. Louis’s squad offered a little bit of everything - grit, surprise, and a sobering reminder of how far they still have to climb.
It started on a high note. Montreal edged out a 4-3 win over the Utah Mammoth in a tight, hard-fought game.
It wasn’t flashy, but it was the kind of grind-it-out performance that good teams find a way to win. Then came Vegas - and that’s where things got interesting.
The Canadiens didn’t just beat the Golden Knights; they handled them. A 4-1 win over a team many peg as a legitimate Stanley Cup contender isn’t something you brush off.
Samuel Montembeault was lights out, delivering what was arguably his best performance since the spring. The Habs played fast, confident hockey.
They looked like a team that could hang with the big boys.
And then came the Avalanche.
If you’re looking for a reality check, Colorado’s got one for you. The Avs didn’t just beat Montreal - they dominated them. This is a team that’s been setting the bar in the salary-cap era, and they made it clear there’s still a significant gap between where the Canadiens are and where they want to be.
But that’s not a bad thing - not necessarily. Facing a team like Colorado is a test, and while Montreal didn’t pass, it’s the kind of benchmark that tells you exactly what you need to work on.
The Canadiens are no longer the league’s basement dwellers. Just a few seasons ago, before Martin St.
Louis took over in February 2022, they were sitting dead last with an 8-30-7 record. Now, they’re competitive.
They’re fun. They’re learning.
Colorado, with Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar leading the charge, represents the modern NHL at its best - fast, skilled, and aggressive. If they win another Cup, it could push the league further in that direction, away from the more conservative, grind-it-out style that’s helped teams like the Florida Panthers win titles. That’s good news for fans, and it’s especially good news for a team like Montreal, which is building around a dynamic young core.
Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Ivan Demidov, Lane Hutson, Noah Dobson, Mike Matheson, Juraj Slafkovsky - there’s a lot to like about what the Canadiens are putting together. It’s not there yet. But the foundation is strong, and the blueprint - if they’re paying close attention to teams like Colorado - is right in front of them.
This road trip was a reminder of both how far they’ve come and how far they still have to go. And for a team in the middle of a rebuild, that’s exactly the kind of lesson worth learning.