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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.

The first half of the season was a solid one overall for the Habs. But things could still go a lot better yet, especially if they get some of the things on this holiday wishlist.

The 2026 World Junior Hockey Championship is set to run from December 26th through January 5th. The Habs are well-represented at the event with five prospects taking part. We'll keep track of their stats here.

While they added an NHL goalie in Samuel Montembeault, Laval was still down effectively their entire front line for their games in Cleveland. That lack of firepower was costly as the Rocket dropped both games.

Topics in our latest podcast include the Phillip Danault trade, Samuel Montembeault's struggles and what's next for him, and Juraj Slafkovsky's continued improvement as he helps to anchor the second line.