Bon matin, Montreal. I know some of you, like me, probably didn’t sleep too well last night, even with the win. But let me tell you, when I woke up this morning and looked out at Mont Royal, that victory against the Ottawa Senators felt just a little bit sweeter. A 3-2 road win, a hard-fought two points, and a little taste of what this young Montreal Canadiens team can be when they really dig deep. We started strong, with Juraj Slafkovský putting one in on the power play from Igor Demidov and Nick Suzuki – a beautiful setup, eh? But then… then Batherson decided to show up twice in the first period, and for a minute there, it felt like the old familiar ache in the gut. But this team, they got some fire. Alexandre Texier, in the second, from Lane Hutson and Jake Evans, brought us back. And then, the kid, Igor Demidov, with the game-winner in the third, assisted by Alex Newhook and Kaiden Guhle. *Ça, c’est de la jeunesse!*
It wasn’t a pretty game, *non, monsieur*. The Montreal Canadiens were outshot 34-23, and that’s a statistic that makes my blood boil a little, even with the win. We can’t always rely on guts and glory, *tabarnac*, we need to play a full sixty minutes! But the key moments, they were there: Demidov showing why we were so excited about him, Slafkovský continuing to develop, and the relentless push in the second and third periods. It reminds me of the old Forum, where the ghosts of the dynasty would sometimes just *will* the puck into the net. This young team, they’re not there yet, but they’re learning to fight. And that fight, that’s what we want to see when we’re eating our poutine at La Banquise after a game.
What does it mean for the Montreal Canadiens going forward? Well, we’re sitting at 36-18-10, 82 points, and third in the Atlantic Division. That's a good spot to be in, and this win keeps us on track. Our last ten games, 6-1-3, show a team that’s finding its stride, finding ways to win even when they’re not playing their best. We’re on a streak, and we need to carry this momentum. Every point matters right now, every single one, as we look to solidify a playoff spot. It's not just a win; it's a statement. It’s a testament to the belief that’s building in the Bell Centre, right up to the Bell Tower. This city, this morning, feels a little lighter, a little more hopeful. We earned that.
Allez Les Canadiens — Go Habs Go. This is Amélie Boisvert.