The Montreal Canadiens bounced back from a disappointing loss to Philadelphia with a convincing 4-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night. Zachary Bolduc scored his first two home goals of the season to lead the offensive attack at the Bell Centre.However, the bigger story unfolded on the blue line. Head coach Martin St. Louis changed his defensive pairings after Mike Matheson missed his second straight game due to an upper-body injury, and he found something encouraging in the process.
Montreal Canadiens defensive pairs show promising chemistry without Mike Matheson
Lane Hutson absorbed the bulk of Matheson’s minutes, posting three assists and a plus-3 rating in 26:19 of ice time. The rookie continues proving he can handle top-pairing responsibilities despite his size limitations.The combination of Adam Engstrom and Arber Xhekaj was the most interesting development. With Xhekaj recording 16:17 and Engstrom recording 16:13, both defenseman had a little increase in ice time. Those totals represented season highs for both players.Their performance didn’t go unnoticed. Liveblog commenters on the Hockey Inside Out YouTube livestream immediately called for changes to the defensive rotation. Fans want to see Jayden Struble become the odd man out when Matheson returns to the lineup.Struble spent all but 37 seconds of the third period glued to the bench Thursday night. He finished minus-1 in just 10:26 of ice time, a telling sign about where he stands in St. Louis’s pecking order.
Martin St. Louis finds unexpected defensive solution with Arber Xhekaj-Adam Engstrom pairing
Xhekaj has clearly passed Struble on the depth chart with his recent play. The physical defenseman brings an element of toughness that Montreal needs while also showing improved decision-making with the puck. Engstrom continues to impress since his call-up from Laval, demonstrating the poise and skating ability that made him a second-round pick.Meanwhile, Bolduc’s offensive outburst came at a crucial time for the winger. With his first-line position potentially at risk, he delivered his best home game of the season. Cole Caufield set him up for a howitzer in the slot to tie the game 1-1 in the first period. Bolduc added his second goal just 20 seconds into the third period off a between-the-legs deflection of a Lane Hutson point shot. The Canadiens improved to 9-9-1 at the Bell Centre this season compared with 9-3-3 on the road.They close out their home stand Saturday against Pittsburgh before embarking on their annual holiday road trip from hell. Seven games between December 21 and January 4 will test whether Montreal represents legitimate contenders or pretenders.For now, the team sits just one point out of the Atlantic Division lead. The Xhekaj-Engstrom pairing may have provided St. Louis with the defensive depth it needs to navigate the grueling stretch ahead.Also Read:
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