The Canadiens are back on the ice in Brossard this morning, and the timing could hardly be better. Montreal is set to practice at 10:30 a.m. at the CN Sports Complex ahead of Tuesday’s matchup with Minnesota, with Martin St-Louis scheduled to speak to the media and several players expected to follow.
There’s no shortage of material for the room to chew on. St-Louis recently told Elliotte Friedman that he doesn’t know how much longer he’ll remain behind the bench, adding that the uncertainty doesn’t bother him. Those remarks have already stirred plenty of conversation around the Canadiens.
At the same time, the results keep rolling in. Montreal took down Toronto 4-2 on Saturday to move to 11-3-3 through 17 games and climb into second place in the Atlantic Division. That run has given St-Louis and his group plenty of confidence as they head into another demanding test.
Minnesota brings one of those tests. The Wild arrive with a 12-3-4 record and 28 points, good for second overall in the NHL and first in the Central Division. They’re also coming off a Saturday overtime loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning, so they’ll be looking to respond quickly.
For Montreal, the challenge is clear: keep the offense humming while cleaning up things defensively. That balance will matter even more against a Minnesota team sitting near the top of the league.
There’s also the Arber Xhekaj situation to keep an eye on after the controversial penalty he took against Toronto. St-Louis was openly critical of the call, and it would not be a surprise if the topic comes up again when he meets the media.
And then there’s Ivan Demidov, who could become the morning’s biggest storyline. The young forward may be back on the practice ice, or even in game action, in the coming hours, making his status one of the key things to watch as the Canadiens prepare for Tuesday night.
In Other News...
Canadiens Sent A Clear Message As Tension Rose Behind Closed Doors
A closed-door meeting after the loss to Winnipeg set the tone for what followed at Canadiens practice, where the focus shifted quickly from frustration to accountability. The next session had the feel of a team trying to reset in a hurry, with Cole Caufield among the players putting in extra work in a rebound-control drill as Montreal looked to clean up the details that had been costing it.
The response showed up in the standings, too, as Montreal came back to beat Toronto in its next game and give its season a better feel in the crowded NHL picture. For a group that had just been dealing with tension behind closed doors, the sequence was a reminder that sometimes the message lands best when it is followed by a sharper practice and a win that lets everyone breathe a little easier. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Suddenly Have A Goalie Decision They Cant Ignore
The Canadiens have quietly reached a point where their goaltending picture can no longer be treated like a background issue. Rookie Jacob Fowler has handled road starts with poise, and Jakub Dobes has also been in the mix away from home, giving Montreal a pair of young options to weigh as the schedule keeps moving. For a team trying to sort out its long-term crease while staying competitive now, the next few games could matter more than usual.
Martin St-Louis may soon have to decide how to distribute the starts among Fowler, Dobes and Samuel Montembeault, whose status adds another layer to the discussion. Montreal does not need to settle the entire future of its netminding situation this week, but it does need a plan, and the way it handles this stretch could say plenty about which goalie is earning more trust as the season unfolds. [Read more 🡒]
Arber Xhekaj Just Added Real Edge To Canadiens-Leafs Again
Arber Xhekaj did what he has a habit of doing against the Maple Leafs: he turned a routine game into something with a little more bite. The Canadiens defenseman was left frustrated by an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in Montreals latest meeting with Toronto, and he made it clear afterward that he believed officials may have gotten the call wrong. Martin St-Louis also took issue with the ruling, adding another layer to a sequence that already had the feel of a familiar Canadiens-Leafs flashpoint.
What bothered Xhekaj even more was what happened to Kirby Dach during the same sequence, when the play escalated into a two-on-one situation. For Montreal, it was another reminder of how quickly these games can tilt from competitive to combustible, especially when Xhekaj is involved and the Canadiens feel they have a reason to push back. The result is an unresolved little subplot that could easily carry into the next time these teams see each other. [Read more 🡒]