Canadiens Are Learning to Win the Hard Way on Road Trip

When Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki was declared injured on Oct. 22, the club had just suffered yet another home defeat (4-3 in OT to the San Jose Sharks). They were also on the cusp of a four-game road swing without him, a player who had participated in 546 consecutive contests, not to mention his two-way talents. Three matches into their travels, the Canadiens have demonstrated they are capable of winning the hard way.

Fowler Saving the Net and Blushes

Perhaps to the surprise of some, Jakub Dobes has been absent from the ice through three games. New sensation Jacob Fowler – only 21 years old – defended Montreal’s net on Oct. 23 versus the Chicago Blackhawks, Oct. 25 during the Heritage Classic against the Winnipeg Jets, and Oct. 27 away to the St. Louis Blues.

While it might have seemed prudent to call Dobes’ number for one of those matches and help the young Czech rekindle his confidence, Canadiens supporters are thankful that head coach Martin St. Louis opted differently. That argument might not hold much water regarding the game in Chicago. The Blackhawks are offensively starved, netting only 2.17 times per game in 2026-27. Furthermore, Chicago only fired 21 shots at Fowler that night, which ended 4-1 in Montreal’s favour.

However, the bouts in Winnipeg and especially St. Louis were entirely different matters. The Jets are not much better when it comes to scoring than their Illinois-based competitors, scoring only 2.33 times per match, only good for 30^th in the NHL, one rank above Chicago. During the Heritage Classic, they were in the mood to put on a show. 

Winnipeg sent a barrage of attacking waves at Montreal’s defence in the final frame and even halved their deficit to 2-1 (the eventual final score). Montreal was outshot 34-21 on the night. 

Looking at the individual expected goals for (xGF), Mark Scheifele finished with 1.029, Kyle Connor .581, and Cole Perfetti .558. The best Canadiens? Jake Evans with .36, Josh Anderson with .325, and Alexandre Tessier with .285. The numbers do not lie.

Fowler’s signature performance, the pièce de résistance of his young career, was against the Blues. The latter were probably signing them in the dressing room after failing to put a single one of their 46 shots in the basket. Frankly, the locals would have been justified in calling the police and filing a theft report, given how Fowler stymied the Blues’ attack.

Evans, Dach, and Other Grinders Find Their Legs

Under the current injury-influenced circumstances, given the data and the eye test, Montreal’s top line of Juraj Slafkovsky, Oliver Kapanen, and Cole Caufield has not impressed. One can make the claim that they have been the club’s worst line. Their play definitely doesn’t look good on television.

Who should come to the rescue but the roster’s grinders? Evans (two goals, one assist, plus-6), Kirby Dach (two assists, plus-3), Florian Xhekaj (first career goal, plus-1), and Kaiden Guhle (two goals, one assist, plus-3) have all done their part in laying the bricks that led to three wins on the bounce. 

The fourth line – which included Owen Beck and Xhekaj depending on the game – has performed excellent forechecking in opponents’ zones. It’s easy to forget how useful the bottom trio can be when talent like Suzuki, Caufield, and Slafkovsky are flying around making plays. But there were several sequences in each of the recent road games during which the oft-overlooked players did much of the heavy lifting. Most of their goals were the result of incessant offensive zone pressure.

Because they get overshadowed by the roster’s stars, one can be forgiven for not sitting on the edge of one’s seat when Dach, Beck, Evans, or Xhekaj step onto the ice. If the last three matches are any indication, they, much like bottom trios on most clubs, are invaluable in times of need. “Next man up!” was the battle cry when Suzuki went down. The grinders have been happy to oblige so far.

Canadiens Are Proving Malleable

During the third period of the game in Chicago on the Canadian telecast, colour commentator Frank Corrado argued that if that period was a slog and ugly to watch, it’s because that was Montreal’s objective. Keep the home crowd silent by muting their heroes’ attack, one that isn’t anything to write home about to begin with.

And it was boring. Very much so. But the Canadiens made it worthwhile by collecting two more points in the standings. 

The final frame in Winnipeg was by no means sleep-inducing. In fact, the Canadiens had to dig deep within themselves to wrestle with the Jets’ persistence in trying to level the terms. There wasn’t much Montreal offence in the final 20 minutes, but from a defensive standpoint, the club was under regular pressure.

The intensity of the third period in Winnipeg was multiplied tenfold in Missouri. Nine times out of 10, the squad on the back foot would have been buzz-sawed. Yet they found a way. It wasn’t pretty. There was a sequence when Alex Newhook’s line kept dumping the puck from its zone in the hopes of finding a gaping net (the Blues hooked goalie Jordan Binnington with seven minutes left!). They missed several times, resulting in an alarming number of icing calls, which prohibit line changes. Somehow, they survived every time.

These are not the Canadiens who have delighted fans since last season. This group grinds out wins and does it the hard way. Considering the quality of players nursing injuries, this is an excellent indication. Look up the word “survivor” in the dictionary, and these days one might find the Canadiens’ famous logo as the accompanying image.