The Montreal Canadiens are heading into the Olympic break sitting in a playoff spot - and that’s no longer a surprise. That’s the story. What once would’ve been a headline in itself now feels like business as usual, and that shift in expectation might be the most telling sign of how far this team has come.
Let’s zoom out for a second. Since the puck dropped on opening night, the Canadiens have spent just 19 days outside the playoff picture.
Only twice - brief stretches in late November and early December - have they been out for more than a day at a time. But since December 18?
Locked in. Not just clinging to a spot, either.
They’re thriving.
A 5-1 win on the road against the Winnipeg Jets capped off a 4-0-1 run heading into the break. Over their last 24 games, Montreal’s 15-5-4 record gives them a .708 points percentage - third-best in the league during that stretch.
That’s not a hot streak. That’s sustained, high-level hockey.
Offensively, they’ve been buzzing. Only the Buffalo Sabres have scored more goals than the Canadiens’ 92 over that span.
But what might be even more telling is the improvement in net. Their .896 save percentage ranks ninth in the NHL since Dec. 18 - a number that got a healthy bump thanks to Sam Montembeault’s 36-save gem against Winnipeg.
That performance wasn’t just solid - it was a tone-setter. Head coach Martin St.
Louis made a calculated decision to start Montembeault in the final game before a long layoff. The risk?
If it went poorly, that sour taste would sit for three weeks. But Montembeault didn’t just deliver - he stole the first period, keeping the Habs afloat while the rest of the team took a bit to wake up.
“I’m really happy for Monty,” St. Louis said postgame. “He played an excellent game.”
And now, both Montembeault and Jakub Dobeš can head into the break with their confidence intact - a luxury this team hasn’t often had between the pipes this season. Goaltending has been a sore spot for most of the year. If that’s finally turning a corner, it’s not just a positive development - it’s a potential game-changer.
But goaltending isn’t the only storyline trending upward.
Let’s talk about Kirby Dach.
After missing eight weeks with a broken foot, Dach has slotted back into the lineup and immediately made his presence felt. Since being placed on the top line alongside Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield in Buffalo on Saturday - filling in for the injured Alexandre Texier - Dach has looked like a natural fit.
He brings something that line has been missing: size, reach, and a puck-protection element that complements Suzuki’s vision and Caufield’s scoring touch. His ability to extend zone time and keep plays alive has added a new layer to that trio’s attack.
Dach admitted after his first game back that he was still searching for that extra gear in his skating - the burst in his first few strides. But even that seems to be coming back game by game.
“My legs and lungs feel fine,” he said. “I don’t feel like I’m a step behind. I think there’s times when maybe I don’t really have the power, the first three strides that I’d like to have… That’s kind of the last thing to check the box and I know that’s coming.”
Since then? The legs look stronger.
The chemistry looks sharper. Dach looks better - and that’s huge for a team that’s already getting strong second-line play from Juraj Slafkovský, Oliver Kapanen, and Ivan Demidov.
Speaking of players taking it to another level: Lane Hutson.
The rookie blueliner scored his 10th goal of the season in Winnipeg and now sits with 58 points in 57 games. That alone is impressive.
But since Dec. 18 - the last day Montreal wasn’t in a playoff spot - Hutson has been their leading scorer with 30 points in 24 games. That’s tied for 10th in the entire league over that stretch.
His goal against the Jets? A highlight reel of agility, poise, and elite puck control.
He’s not just producing - he’s doing it with flair, and he’s doing it consistently. If he’s not already in the conversation as one of the league’s top offensive defensemen, he’s knocking on the door.
Then there’s the veteran line - Josh Anderson, Brendan Gallagher, and Phillip Danault - which has quietly become a momentum-shifting force.
St. Louis has long been searching for a line that can stem the tide when things start to tilt against them.
Over the last few games, this trio has done just that. In Buffalo, Minnesota, and again in Winnipeg, they’ve been the ones to change the energy when the Canadiens needed it most.
Against the Jets, they didn’t just provide a spark - they lit the fire. With Winnipeg dominating early, Anderson and Danault strung together back-to-back scoring chances to break the Jets’ 8-0 shot run.
Moments later, Anderson and Gallagher combined for two goals on a single shift. That’s the kind of impact line coaches dream about.
But not everything is clicking perfectly - and that’s actually part of the good news.
The penalty kill, in particular, needs a bit of a reset. When the Canadiens acquired Danault from the Kings on Dec. 19, the plan was to recreate the bottom-six shutdown pairing they had last season with Jake Evans and Christian Dvorak. But Evans got hurt the next day, delaying that reunion until mid-January.
Since Evans’ return on Jan. 17, their five-on-five play has been solid. But on the PK? There’s been some leakage.
Evans has been on the ice for seven power play goals against in just nine games - second-most among NHL forwards in that span. Danault’s been on for five goals against, tied for fourth-most. That’s not a small sample - and it’s not working.
Wednesday’s lone Jets goal came off a clear breakdown, with Kyle Connor - one of the league’s most dangerous shooters - left wide open. Evans lost his man, and the Canadiens paid for it.
The good news? This is the perfect time to reassess.
With a long break ahead, the coaching staff has a chance to rethink their penalty kill pairings. Evans and Danault are both strong individual killers.
But together? It might not be the right mix.
And yet, as Hutson put it after the win in Winnipeg, this is the kind of problem you want to have.
“We’ve got a lot to work on, and we’re still finding ways to win,” he said. “It’s encouraging for sure.”
That’s the bottom line. This team isn’t perfect.
But they’re in a playoff spot, and they’re trending up. Goaltending is stabilizing.
Dach is back and thriving. Hutson is blossoming into a star.
The veteran line is doing the dirty work. And even the areas that need improvement - like the penalty kill - are being exposed in games they’re still winning.
The Canadiens are no longer just hanging around. They’re building something. And as they head into the Olympic break, they’re not just in the mix - they’re making a statement.