DALLAS | The Canadian, who had lost in his previous three games, was looking to return to Montreal with a record of .500 during those seven away games. Despite the challenge from the Stars, one of the best teams in the Western Association, the Habs accomplished their mission. A first since the 2018-2019 season.

Martin St-Louis' side quickly endured a chaotic start to the game which saw the locals score first in the 11th second and ultimately win 4-3.

But it was time for an end. The visitors saw their rivals, the best team still trailing, score two goals in the final four minutes to move within a point. It smelled burnt.

It was four minutes in which the young Canadian team could learn. And since you learn better from winning than from losing, everyone left the American Airlines Center with a smile on their face.

Slafkovsky is confident

The Habs owe this victory primarily to the commitment of their attackers. As the evening progressed we saw them heavily involved in forechecking and defensive retreats. This efficiency allowed them to cause numerous turnovers at their own blue line and launch a quick attack.

In some of them, Juraj Slafkovsky was the focus. Furthermore, it was his hard work reaching Sam Steel that laid the foundation for Jordan Harris' first goal of the season.

“We should give him voluntary support,” said the defense attorney at the end of the meeting.

If this first game of 2024 is synonymous with what awaits Slafkovsky this year, that's a good omen. In the morning, St-Louis reiterated that the Slovakian was getting closer and closer to the opposing goalkeeper and that he knew how to take advantage of the moments when he was there.

On the Canadian's first goal, Nick Suzuki's, the 19-year-old athlete put in a great performance, using his size to attack the top of the slot and provide his captain with a precise relay.

The big forward is gaining confidence and that can only be good news for his linemates Suzuki and Cole Caufield.

Barely

The performance of the first trio should also be highlighted. Suzuki led the team with a goal and an assist, while Cole Caufield celebrated his 23rd birthday by scoring a goal for the third straight game. This is an indication that he may have found his touch again.

The Canadian players can therefore build positively on the start of 2024. The Habs also managed to stop the second-most offense on the Bettman circuit…for 56 minutes.

Thanks to Samuel Montembeault, who stopped the always dangerous Joe Pavelski twice in the third period.

In short, the Canadian returns to Montreal with seven points out of a possible 14.

“If we end this trip with a win, we will come back with a .500 record. If you had given us that before we left, we would have told ourselves it would be a success,” the Canadian head coach explained after his team’s morning training.

We succeeded, but only just. After collecting five out of six possible points, things got even worse later. However, it has to be said that the quality of the opponents was significantly higher than before Christmas.