New Canadiens Connection: Roster Pressure

The Montreal Canadiens reinforced their reputation as the ‘Comeback Kids’ on Saturday night in Ottawa overcoming a 5-3 deficit late in third period. The visitors had enjoyed a 2-0 first period but after 40 minutes, the Senators had jumped ahead 4-3. Cole Caufield scored the game winner for the Habs just 33 seconds into overtime.

It was certainly not a goalie clinic with Canadiens’ netminder Sam Montembeault giving up five goals and his counterpart in the Senators net allowing six.

Jake Evans returned to the Habs lineup for the first time since December 20th. Evans suffered a lower body injury following a knee-on-knee collision with Pittsburgh Penguins forward Justin Brazeau. Evans had a strong night at the faceoff dot with a 56.3 percent rate earning over 15 minutes of ice time. Sammy Blais was a healthy scratch to make room for Evans.

This Week’s Show

As the Canadiens start getting healthier, a different kind of challenge is showing up — and it might be one of the most important tests of the season. Roster spots are tightening, lineup decisions are coming fast, and suddenly the question isn’t who’s available… it’s who actually deserves to play.

So this week on the Canadiens Connection podcast, we’re looking at whether merit will truly guide those decisions, or if other factors start muddying the waters. Because how the Canadiens handle these choices won’t just affect the lineup — it’ll tell us a lot about where this team really is in the rebuild.

NEW PODCAST: Roster Pressure: The Canadiens Toughest Lineup Decisions | Canadiens Connection ep 383

We also discussed these important topics on this week’s episode of the podcast:

⦁ Montreal Canadiens put an end to their three-goalie carousel.
⦁ A waiver claim signs a contract extension. Is this Paul Byron all over again?
⦁ Three Canadiens prospects have been named to the AHL All-Star roster.

CC Question of the Week: Who risks losing their spot in the lineup once the Montreal Canadiens’ roster is fully healthy?

It is our eighth season, with a new episode of the podcast dropping every Saturday afternoon. Be sure to subscribe using your favorite podcast app! Or watch our episodes on YouTube!