A Winning Habit
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Canadiens: Three Keys to Tonight’s Game Versus Calgary

By Ryan Praught

MONTREAL, CANADA - DECEMBER 12: Josh Anderson #17 of the Montreal Canadiens skates the puck against Andrew Mangiapane #88 of the Calgary Flames during the third period at Centre Bell on December 12, 2022 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Montreal Canadiens defeated the Calgary Flames 2-1 in a shootout. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
MONTREAL, CANADA - DECEMBER 12: Josh Anderson #17 of the Montreal Canadiens skates the puck against Andrew Mangiapane #88 of the Calgary Flames during the third period at Centre Bell on December 12, 2022 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Montreal Canadiens defeated the Calgary Flames 2-1 in a shootout. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images) /
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MONTREAL, CANADA – SEPTEMBER 29: Josh Anderson #17 of the Montreal Canadiens skates after celebrating his goal during the third period against the Toronto Maple Leafs in a pre-season game at the Bell Centre on September 29, 2023 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Montreal Canadiens 2-1. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
MONTREAL, CANADA – SEPTEMBER 29: Josh Anderson #17 of the Montreal Canadiens skates after celebrating his goal during the third period against the Toronto Maple Leafs in a pre-season game at the Bell Centre on September 29, 2023 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Montreal Canadiens 2-1. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images) /

Josh Anderson and Juraj Slafkovsky have one goal combined between the two of them through 15 games this season. It goes without saying that this is not good enough. Both are playing in the top six, both are on the PP (albeit Slafkovsky is on unit two), and both have expectations of being better than this. We need to see it.

Slafkovsky is coming off perhaps his best game of the year despite not registering a point. Tonight will be an excellent test to see if he can build on it. The rookie has just two points this year, and while production isn’t the be-all end-all, it’s a part of the equation. Hopefully, he can get going here soon enough.

As for Anderson, the expectation is he can score 20 goals a season for the Canadiens. So, only having one so far this season is just not acceptable. The Canadiens need more from him; they’re paying him too much money, not too.

If both of these guys can get going, it will go a long way from the Canadiens both tonight and moving forward. For Anderson in particular, you feel like he’s close to scoring one, and being the streaky scorer that he is, you feel like the floodgates will just open after that.

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