Canadiens Light Up the Avalanche in a Statement Win That Feels Familiar - But Different
Thursday night in Montreal had a bit of a throwback vibe - Canadiens vs. Nordiques.
Well, sort of. The jerseys said Avalanche, but the energy in the Bell Centre felt like a page out of the old rivalry playbook.
And while the names and logos may have changed, what unfolded on the ice was a reminder that this young Habs team can punch well above its weight when everything clicks.
Montreal didn’t just beat the top team in the league - they dismantled them, 7-3. It was a performance that felt both familiar and fresh.
The same faces, but in new roles. The same opponent as earlier in the season, but a flipped result.
The same team that’s had growing pains all year, suddenly looking like a group that’s figuring it out - fast.
Suzuki Sets the Tone, and the Canadiens Follow
The Canadiens came out flying, and it took just over a minute for the new defensive pairing of Lane Hutson and Noah Dobson to make an impact. Off a clean rush, the duo connected for the opening goal, setting the tone early.
Colorado answered quickly with a long-range snipe from Brock Nelson, but that was the last time the Avalanche would feel in control.
From there, it became the Nick Suzuki show.
Montreal’s captain got on the board during the game’s first power play, cleaning up a rebound off a Matvei Demidov shot. Then, just minutes later, Suzuki flipped the script on the penalty kill - thanks to a slick backhand clear from Oliver Kapanen - breaking free for a shorthanded goal that had Bell Centre rocking. A smooth deke to the backhand, a clean finish past Scott Wedgewood, and suddenly it was 3-1.
That kind of two-way dominance from Suzuki - quarterbacking the power play and turning defense into offense - is the kind of leadership that doesn’t show up on the scoresheet alone.
Dobes Holds the Fort as Avalanche Push Back
The second period saw Colorado crank up the pressure. They got their looks, and plenty of them.
But Jakub Dobes stood tall, flashing the same sharp form he showed earlier in the week against Vegas. His rebound control was on point, his reads were crisp, and his calm presence in net gave Montreal the breathing room it needed.
The physicality also picked up. While this wasn’t the blood-feud energy of the old Nordiques rivalry, it wasn’t far off.
The most jarring moment came when Josh Manson caught Kaiden Guhle with high contact, sending the Canadiens defenseman to the locker room. But Guhle returned just a few shifts later and immediately made his presence felt, leveling Artturi Lehkonen with a thundering hit.
That kind of response? That’s the kind of toughness coaches love - not just getting back in the game, but sending a message.
Opportunistic Offense Keeps Pouring It On
Montreal kept its foot on the gas. Jake Evans took advantage of a rare goalie miscue, stealing the puck from Wedgewood behind the net and tucking it into a wide-open cage.
Moments later, Kirby Dach - in just his second game back from injury - scored his first of the season, banking a puck in off a defender from behind the goal line. It wasn’t pretty, but it counted, and it pushed the lead to 5-1.
Colorado clawed one back before the second intermission, banging home a rebound to make it 5-2, and they came out of the break with serious urgency. Within the first minute of the third, they peppered Dobes with high-danger chances. Eventually, Ross Colton capitalized after Lane Hutson lost his footing, cutting the lead to two.
But the Canadiens didn’t blink.
Suzuki Leads, Slafkovsky Delivers, and the Kids Keep Growing
Once again, it was Suzuki driving the response. Off a blocked shot, he led a rush up the ice, drawing the defender before sliding a perfect pass to Alexandre Carrier, who buried it from the faceoff circle. That made it 6-3, and the Canadiens weren’t done.
The “kid line” - Kapanen, Slafkovsky, and company - crashed the zone with speed and purpose, and when the puck popped loose, Juraj Slafkovsky hammered it home for his 20th of the season. That’s a milestone worth celebrating, but what happened later might’ve said even more about Slafkovsky’s evolution.
With the game well in hand and just over six minutes left, the 20-goal scorer was out there blocking shots, laying his body on the line to help his team close it out. That’s the kind of buy-in that speaks volumes.
A Team That’s Starting to Believe
After the game, Alexandre Carrier summed it up best: “It doesn't matter if you're first line, fourth line - everybody's got to do it.” He wasn’t just talking about blocking shots. He was talking about sacrifice, commitment, and a team that’s starting to find its identity.
Dach had a big block. Carrier took hits and gave them.
Suzuki led by example. Slafkovsky showed he’s more than just a scorer.
And Dobes? He was exactly what the Canadiens needed in net - calm, confident, and clutch.
Final shots were nearly even - 29 for Colorado, 28 for Montreal - but the scoreboard told a different story. The Canadiens made their chances count.
The Avalanche didn’t. And Dobes made sure of that.
With the team still adjusting to life after the dismissal of goaltending coach Eric Raymond, Dobes’ performance couldn’t have come at a better time. He knows it too.
“It’s good, we’ve just got to keep going,” Dobes said postgame. “You cannot get satisfied.
Everyone is on us. Tomorrow we’ll reset, and Saturday we’ve got a divisional game against Buffalo.
So right now, there’s no games off until the break.”
Same Team, Different Feel
This is still the youngest roster in the NHL. This is the same team that let the Bruins walk them down in the third period earlier this season. But it’s also the same team that just shut down the Golden Knights and ran the Avalanche out of the building.
So yeah - it’s the same team.
But it’s starting to feel a little different.