Alex Galchenyuk and Brendan Gallagher spark the Canadiens’ offence in dramatic fashion

The duo of Brendan Gallagher and Alex Galchenyuk had an incredible night in Brooklyn, with the pair of forwards almost beating the New York Islanders by themselves.

It’s been a year of major struggles for everyone on the Canadiens roster, save for a few notable examples, but chief among them was Galchenyuk’s inability to get consistent performances. He bounced around to every line, even spending a decent chunk on the fourth line, but as of late the young forward has found his game once again. His lines are among the best on the ice night in and night out, and with Charles Hudon nursing an injury, he was reunited with his old running mate in Gallagher.

It was an immediate success to say the least, with Gallagher tipping home the first goal of the game on a Galchenyuk shot less than two minutes in.

Galchenyuk went on to register a hat trick, scoring three goals in very different ways. He was dangling through opponents, firing shots from everywhere when he touched the puck, and he was a threat no matter which part of the ice he was on. By the time all was said and done, Galchenyuk had a hat trick and four points, while Gallagher added a goal and an assist. Not a bad nights work for the pair of wingers.

This season might be a loss, but Claude Julien may have found something to set himself up for future success next year. The duo of Gallagher and Galchenyuk together could very well be what the offence needs to kick into top gear; something it’s struggled to do with regularity this season. Gallagher, after two injury-plagued seasons, is closing in on his career high in goals too. On a struggling team, that’s quite a feat.

We know Galchenyuk can score 30 goals, and we’ve seen Gallagher contribute at that pace as well. If the Habs truly want to keep Jonathan Drouin as a centre, maybe insulating him with the aforementioned duo on his wings is the best way to bring out his offensive game.

At the very least, Julien should keep the two together by any means possible, because right now they’re the best thing going on the Canadiens.