Looking to close their four-game home stand with a bang, the Montreal Canadiens lined up for Amazon Prime’s Monday night hockey against the Vancouver Canucks. Despite controlling play through two periods, they found themselves tied up at three apiece, but pulled away in the third period to earn a 6-3 win. Their home record has left something to be desired this season, but that win gave them
And while the team was struggling to convert chances in the second period, it was an unlikely hero who stepped up to give them the scoring they needed.
"I put the team on my back doe."
— Matt Drake (@DrakeMT) January 13, 2026
– Alex Carrier, probably
3-2 #Habs pic.twitter.com/lcvIYzDsDv
This may have been Alexandre Carrier’s best game ever with the Habs, and likely ranks up there with the best he’s played in his NHL career. Normally relied upon as a steady defensive presence, he looked incredibly comfortable carrying the puck up ice, and joining in on rushes. As he is paired with Lane Hutson, these are duties you typically expect the squirrely American to handle, but Carrier took a page from his partner’s book on Monday.
His presence has often allowed Hutson the freedom to roam the ice as he pleases. Carrier took advantage of the attention Hutson commands to pick some very advantageous spots to create offensive opportunities. As a pairing, this was a very effective game from them.
NHL GameScore Impact Card for Montreal Canadiens on 2026-01-12: pic.twitter.com/Jm0L6ritfh
— HockeyStatCards (@hockeystatcards) January 13, 2026
It didn’t hurt that the pairing of Noah Dobson and Mike Matheson also had an excellent night, giving the Habs a one-two punch on their blue line that kept a torrid pace on Vancouver for most of the night. When Kaiden Guhle is up to speed, the current configuration on the blue line could provide them with some really strong play from all pairings.
Carrier can’t be expected to explode offensively every night, but if he’s picking his spots well and using the threat of Hutson to exploit open space, he can give them some sneaky good production in what appears to be a very tight playoff race for the second half of this season. When they’re lining up against more contender-type teams, strong defensive play with some surprising scoring upside could be an ace in their back pocket that turns the tide in tight games.
It is tough to get too excited about a commanding win over the Canucks, because they are a team that the Habs should be able to handle with ease. Still, for them to close out a home stand with a 3-1 record is a great way to send themselves off for another road trip on a high note.
Click the play button below to listen to your full Bottom Six Minutes, also available wherever you get your podcasts. We’ll be right back tonight, when the Habs will start that three-game road trip against the Washington Capitals.
