Without Suzuki, Demidov, the Canadiens are forced to dig in. That could be a good thing

The New York Times argues that losing Nick Suzuki and Ivan Demidov to multi-week injuries forces the Montreal Canadiens to rely on collective team principles. Both players were ruled out for two to four weeks after blocking shots. In their absence, Montreal earned a 4-1 victory against the Chicago Blackhawks, with Oliver Kapanen promoted to the top line alongside Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovský.

Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis emphasized that structure and team rules matter more than individual talent. Forward Jake Evans scored twice, including a short-handed goal, to lead Montreal to the win. The piece suggests that navigating this injury adversity could benefit Montreal's lineup depth and tactical discipline later in the season.