Laval wrapped up 2025 on a winning note but struggled as the calendar flipped to 2026, putting in a pair of disappointing efforts at home against Utica. However, they still managed to get a victory in one of those contests, making for a successful week in the standings.
Montreal's long road trip came to an end with several tough matchups and one easier one on paper. Naturally, the Habs lost the easier one but won the three harder ones, ending their voyage on a positive note.
The Habs finished up their long road trip in Dallas on Sunday for their second game in less than 24 hours against a top team. However, Samuel Montembeault was sharp in goal and Lane Hutson was the overtime hero as Montreal collected the 4-3 victory.
The Habs held St. Louis to fewer than 20 shots on Saturday afternoon, a solid showing overall defensively. However, they couldn't get anything going offensively as Jordan Binnington shut them down, leading the Blues to a 2-0 victory.
For the second straight year, Montreal's holiday road trip has allowed them to gain some ground in the standings, allowing them to keep pace in the Atlantic Division.
The Habs entered 2026 with a road game against Carolina on Thursday, a team they struggle mightily against on the road. Their offence had a strong showing, however, and it was just enough to get them the 7-5 win.
After a tough week in Cleveland, the Rocket returned home with a tough matchup in Syracuse, a team tied with them for the division lead. While Laval started off slow, they managed to get victories in both games to move back atop the North Division.
The Habs wrapped up their 2025 schedule with a trip to Florida to take on the defending champions. Florida scored twice in the third to take the lead but Montreal pushed back to force overtime where Nick Suzuki was the hero with the winner on the power play to give the Canadiens the 3-2 win.
It was a rare light week on the schedule for the Habs thanks to the holiday break. However, they made the most of their limited action, picking up three of four points including one of their better comebacks of the season.
Montreal pulled off a huge third-period comeback on Sunday to get the game to overtime. However, the Lightning scored on both their chances in the shootout while the Habs didn't, giving Tampa Bay the 5-4 victory.
