The Montreal Canadiens were facing the St. Louis Blues in the third game of their four-game road trip on Tuesday night. Once again, Martin St-Louis elected to give the net to Jacob Fowler, who had won his last five games. Meanwhile, Jakub Dobes was sitting out and hasn’t played since his ill-timed penalty against the San Jose Sharks a week ago at the Bell Centre.

For the third time in the last four games, Detroit Red Wings assistant manager Kris Draper was watching the Habs’ game. With Adam Engstrom inserted into the lineup, some wondered whether that was for his viewing pleasure. For Josh Anderson, it was NHL game number 700. The power forward has been one of the bright lights so far this season, and he fully deserves the A stitched to the front of his jersey. Speaking of which, in Nick Suzuki’s absence, Cole Caufield also wore an A tonight, taking over for Jake Evans.

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After Zach Bolduc gave the Canadiens the lead a little under nine minutes into the second frame, the Blues attacked desperately and had the Habs on their heels, running around the defensive zone. St. Louis had eight attempts on goal in under two minutes; Fowler stood tall and made four big saves, protecting the lead and helping the Habs regain their composure.

Having a goaltender who can shut the door in crucial moments is invaluable. When an opponent comes right back after you score, momentum swings back their way instantly, and you don't get the full effect of taking the lead. After 40 minutes, Fowler already had 22 saves.

By the end of the game, though, he had more than doubled that number. As the Blues attacked relentlessly in the final frame, he stood on his head when needed and stopped all 24 shots. As for the Habs, they had only three shots in the third as they struggled to get out of their zone.

The Canadiens’ top unit may be missing both Suzuki and Demidov, but they still have talented players on the ice and should capitalize on opportunities. Caufield and Lane Hutson still look loose and confident, but Juraj Slafkovsky and Oliver Kapanen look like they panic at times and try to make high-risk plays. Those no-look backhand passes must be driving the coach crazy, since they are the “almost” plays the bench boss mentioned last week.

It’s all about reading the play, and on paper, a power play gives you extra time to make those reads, even if the penalty killers turn up the pressure. Furthermore, you can’t score if you don’t shoot. After three power plays in two periods, the Habs only had two shots; that’s not enough. And with a player like Chris Kreider who has mastered the art of deflection, you have to give him the chance to do what he does best. He hasn't found the back of the net this season, and the Habs’ reluctance to shoot and tendency to pass over and over is a big factor.

The Habs led 1-0 at the start of the third frame, and while one Xhekaj watched the game from above, the other, Florian, was on the ice. In just his ninth career game, the 22-year-old doubled his team’s lead. `

While a video review was needed to confirm he hadn’t tipped the puck too high, the tip wasn’t the only good thing about that play. The goal came because Xhekaj hit Adam Jiricek, not only knocking the puck loose but also immediately going to the front of the net to obstruct Jordan Binnington’s view, and it paid off. It was a textbook play and the kind of performance that will help him stay in the lineup.

In the end, the Canadiens won 2-0, improving their record without captain Suzuki to 3-0-0, something nobody would have predicted. It’s Fowler’s sixth straight win and his second shutout of the season. He was in the net for all but one of the Habs’ wins so far. Montreal will now head to Dallas to take on the Stars on Thursday before heading back home for a Halloween tilt with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

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