The defending champion Montreal Canadiens are making their
final ten game push for the Atlantic Division, today claiming the top spot for
the first time all season with their 6-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers. Nik
Bergsfors shined with his best game of the season, a four point effort to take
the team goal-scoring lead with 25 on the season. The push can’t come at a better time as the
Habs are still in a bitter fight in a historically tight (and bad) Atlantic
Division.
No team in the division has a positive goals for ratio, leading to a race
between five teams separated by 3 points, in which conceivably any one of the
clubs could either win the division and claim 2nd seed, or fall out
of the playoffs altogether in a matter of days.
As expected with their position precarious, the Habs made no large buy or sell
move at the trade deadline, though they did make a key move in acquiring
goaltender Keith Kinkaid to backup Garret Sparks down the stretch. Sparks has
fallen in to form as of late, but management knew he’s just not quite the “every
day” guy at this stage of his career, and Ben Scrivens was simply not an FNHL
goaltender and was on the club for cap purposes.
Renting an expiring, cheap goaltender to get in at minimum cap was the only
move Montreal made, externally anyways. Long missing defenseman Kurtis
MacDermaid returned to the club after a long stretch in Hamilton brought on by
the amount of flexibility the team wished to have throughout the season. More
than a handful of players rotated in and out all season long, giving the
coaching staff ample opportunity to test out chemistries and see who may be the
best option to make the jump up when the salary cap disappears come playoff
time.
Barring injury their roster is locked in for the post season
now, with the ability to bring up some of the league’s best farm eligible
assets, if they can make if there.
12/13/2023 - 323 words
