The Canadiens are preparing for the first of five four-game road trips this season, and they will have to do so without their captain Nick Suzuki, who has fallen in battle for the first time in his career following Tuesday night’s game against the Sharks at the Bell Centre. In short, this is far from the start of the season that fans and the front office were hoping for!
After being without the services of Oliver Kapanen for the first seven games of the season, Ivan Demidov also fell in battle after only two games. Florian Xhekaj played just two games before joining his teammates in the infirmary, while Mike Matheson was added to the list after only five games, and let’s not forget Kaiden Guhle, who missed the first four games of his teammates. Add the loss of Samuel Montembeault before he even had the chance to play a single game to this list that keeps growing at the start of the season!
A big test for the team’s depth!
With the loss of Suzuki, this team’s depth will be put to the test over the next ten games. However, despite the fact that Suzuki is the most important piece on this team, closely followed by Lane Hutson in my humble opinion, I’m not worried about what lies ahead.
Even though Ivan Demidov was still wearing a walking boot after the game against the Sharks, that doesn’t mean he isn’t close to a return. He won’t be traveling with the team, but don’t be surprised to see Ivan Demidov back in the lineup on Halloween night at the Bell Centre against the Penguins.
After being sent down to the Rocket for yesterday’s game, Owen Beck is back with the Canadiens and will be on the trip. Unfortunately for Reinbacher, he wasn’t as lucky, which means Mike Matheson should see action during the four-game road trip. Beck and Reinbacher both scored in the Rocket’s 5-1 victory last night — their sixth win in a row under Daniel Jacob!
The Habs will face the Blackhawks, Jets, Blues, Stars, Penguins, Jets, Mammoth, Leafs, Wild, and the Bruins over the ten games Suzuki is expected to miss. If our Glorieux can maintain a .500 record during his absence, that will be mission accomplished in my humble opinion. If the Habs can’t stay around .500 without the captain, then you can start thinking about hitting the panic button!
Here’s one thing to keep in mind: players like Oliver Kapanen, Kirby Dach, Owen Beck, and company will get the chance to prove themselves and increase their value on the market at the same time. The opposite could also be true, but I’d rather believe that everything will go well and that the Canadiens won’t look back once the captain returns to the lineup!
What do you think the Canadiens’ record will be over this four-game road trip and the next ten games overall without the captain?
With that said, try look for the positives rather than the negatives in the current situation — and you should always look for the positives rather than the negatives in my humble opinion!
Have a great day everyone!