CHICAGO | There was a celebratory atmosphere in the Canadian locker room after this brilliant victory. From the hallway we could hear the holiday party classics like: Let's shoot again And All I want for Christmas is you.

• Also read: A well-deserved vacation for the Canadiens players

• Also read: A win before the Christmas break

All that was missing was that Bunny Hop, Madame Brisson and some crème de menthe so Renaud Lavoie and I can hop into the dressing room.

“We played good hockey in all three games,” said Nick Suzuki, who was waiting for us near the entrance. We really wanted to start the holiday with a win. I think it will give us momentum to return after Christmas. »

During these three meetings we saw Juraj Slafkovsky becoming more and more comfortable on the right side of his captain and Cole Caufield. The cohesion is increasingly there, as is the reading of the game and the mandate that each of the three linemates has depending on the situation.

“It's a chance that Juraj deserves because he has done a lot of things that are not just goals and assists,” said Martin St-Louis. I thought he had the skills to complement those two players. The more repetitions he can do, the more comfortable he feels. He is currently doing a good job. »

A resilient team

The Slovakian was the one who scored the winning goal. The day before, he scored the goal in Minnesota that sent the two teams into overtime. In addition, it is the second time in a row that the Habs have retained a game after conceding their first two goals to their opponents.

“Today, with a two-goal lead in the NHL, nothing is certain,” the Canadiens head coach said. We have to stay on task. It's not a magic game that gets you back in the game. It is the consistency of the things we want to apply. By repeating these actions, you end up scoring goals.”

However, the Canadian is playing with fire by falling back. Against better teams, he may not have the luxury of staying in the game. Nevertheless, the team's resilience should be emphasized.

“It is certain that we were not happy with our start to the game. On the other hand, we know that we can come back with the style of play we represent. “Our determination and our foresight allow us to cause turnovers,” said the Canadian captain.

Another win for Primeau

In this win, note Cayden Primeau's 19 saves. The American played his first game since leaving Buffalo on December 9th. An evening in which he had a lot more to do (48 shots).

He has now won four times in his last six appearances.

“We showed a lot of character,” said the goalkeeper. It would have been easy to let go and tell ourselves we were taking a break. »

Primeau and his teammates eventually went there with light hearts and dancing feet.