Improving to 2-0 on their preseason calendar, the Montreal Canadiens took a 4-2 decision over the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday night at the Bell Centre. Both Xhekaj brothers found the mark with their mother in attendance, and the Habs looked to have a little more jump than the group that skated the night prior.
Perhaps some of that had to do with their top line of Nick Suzuki, Juraj Slafkovksy, and Cole Caufield being involved.
Less than a minute in, Suzuki to Hutson to Caufield to the back of the net. #gohabsgo pic.twitter.com/rTof2007f7
— Matt Drake (@DrakeMT) September 23, 2025
Near the end of their opening shift, they stormed down the ice and put one in the back of the net. It was the kind of quick-strike goal we’ve come to expect from this trio, and it set the tone for a night where they were the best line on the ice by a wide margin. While a lot of players have looked like they’re simply shaking off the rust, these three looked like they’re in game shape already, merely fine-tuning their approach to creating things offensively.
Dominance is what you would hope to see from them in a preseason matchup, but what is a little more intriguing about this is just how polished they looked out there. If the regular season started tomorrow, it sure looked like these three would be more than ready for the games to actually count.
Nick Suzuki somehow snipes short side with two guys all over him. #gohabsgo pic.twitter.com/RXB90uS1lQ
— Matt Drake (@DrakeMT) September 24, 2025
A fair number of their shifts were played with the top pairing of Kaiden Guhle and Lane Hutson, which adds to the intrigue as the top four has seemingly taken shape on the back end. That pair also looked like they haven’t missed a beat since their strong playoff performance together, and with the solid work turned in by Mike Matheson and Noah Dobson the night prior, there’s reason to be excited.
The question of where the secondary scoring will come from this season is perhaps still a concern, but what we’ve seen from the big dogs so far lets us know who will be driving the bus. That may not have been in doubt to begin with, but seeing the chemistry this early on is a fantastic sign.
The top line blossomed into one of the better lines in the entire league last year, and it feels like they’re just getting started.
Click the play button below to listen to your full Bottom Six Minutes, also available wherever you get your podcasts. We’ll be back tomorrow night, as the Habs will start a home-and-home against the Toronto Maple Leafs in Montreal.
