The Montreal Canadiens begin a stretch of seven games on the road starting on Monday in Winnipeg.
The Montreal Canadiens wrapped up their three-game homestand on Saturday with 5-3 victory over the New York Islanders. The players felt it was important to win their final game of 2023 in front of their fans before a stretch of games away from the Bell Centre.
On Monday, the Canadiens begin a section of their schedule that includes seven games on the road. Part one starts in Winnipeg and continues to Minnesota and Chicago before returning back to Montreal for the Christmas break. The team will then resumes road games with stops in Carolina, Florida, Tampa Bay and Dallas.
The Canadiens' end-of-year stints on the road have become an annual occurrence as the Bell Centre is rented out for events over the holidays. Unfortunately for the club, winning has been a struggle during these trips. Last season, they won the first game in Arizona and followed that up with six consecutive losses.
"Historically, from what I remember it's been a tough one for us. For whatever reason, the month of December has always been tough. We've really tried to emphasize to have a short term focus as much as you can and stay energized, stay refreshed. Tough with the holidays coming up, but we got a job to do," said Brendan Gallagher speaking about previous experiences.
On top of the physical aspect of playing on a road trip that includes a lot of travel, the holiday road trip brings in additional mental challenges.
"The toughest thing is keeping your mind focused on hockey with the holidays coming up. Obviously excited to get home and see family and everyone but to make the holidays more enjoyable, you want to end on a winning note. That will be our goal," Jake Evans said.
Be sure to bookmark THN.com/Montreal for year-round coverage of the Montreal Canadiens, Laval Rocket, and Habs prospects playing in leagues around the world.
