Canadiens’ top line gaining traction as Suzuki’s Selke case grows — Canadiens morning report

The Canadiens have been idle for the last 36 hours, but their early-season position is already taking shape. With 3 points in 2 games and a 1-0-1 record, Montreal sits 3rd in the Atlantic Division, firmly in the early logjam near the top of the standings.

Top line clicking, second line searching for answers

Up front, the Habs’ top six is clearly pulling in two different directions. The first line is finally starting to click, an encouraging sign for a team that needs steady five-on-five offence to keep pace in the division. In contrast, the second line is still struggling to deliver, underlining how much Montreal needs more balanced production across its forward group.

Within that picture, Nick Suzuki’s all-around impact remains a major storyline. Even at this early stage, his name is very much in the mix for the Selke Trophy again. With Aleksander Barkov currently out of the conversation, the door appears more open than usual for Suzuki to solidify his place among the league’s elite defensive forwards and mount another serious run at the award.

Rocket rebound and a date with the Hurricanes

Down the road in Laval, the organization got a strong response from the Rocket on Saturday at Place Bell. Reilly Walsh, Sasha Pastujov and Brett Berard scored the team’s first goals of the season in a convincing 6-1 win over the Crunch, a positive sign for the Canadiens’ depth chart.

In Montreal, attention now turns to the next test on the schedule: the Carolina Hurricanes visiting the Bell Centre on Tuesday, October 6, at 7:00 p.m. ET. After a short break in the calendar, the challenge for the Canadiens will be to quickly rediscover their game pace against a tough opponent, hoping the top line maintains its momentum and the second line finally breaks through.