Eric Engels joins The Sick Podcast, & talks Habs baseline

The Montreal Canadiens season has been weird, with some of the league's best teams giving them no trouble, and the lesser teams pushing them hardest.

For that reason, before their recent skid of games, the Canadiens have seemingly turned a corner. Eric Engels, Sportsnet Canadiens beat writer, recently spoke about what has stood out, and been the story of the Habs this season. In his opinion, the Canadiens have established their baseline - a level they won't dip below - which improves the team's chances of winning games.

Now, aside from the recent four-game losing skid, the Canadiens had an innate ability to battle back in games that they didn't spearhead from the start. If the team was down, it was clear that they weren't out, not until the final buzzer. But they have been unable to keep up with their opponents of late, and those overtime pushes have been instead fizzling out in regulation.

Regardless of the outcome of the Habs' 2024-2025 season, the Habs would come out on a positive note. Either they would undergo a season, that solely leaned development, and plenty of learning lessons. Or they would play as they have, with some success and the young guys developing, with a playoff berth within reach.

Martin St Louis has expressed that he is learning just as the guys on the ice are, and that is why every lesson is valuable to the Habs. They have dealt with adversity, and even before Marty, Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton came to Montreal, Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki and some others were on that Habs team that lost in the Stanley Cup Final to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Learning and adversity are a perfect way to describe what the Canadiens situation resembles.

Being aware of the team's capabilities, and potential this year is important because the difference between playoff contenders and golfing during the playoffs is quite drastic. Nothing is truer than that for Hughes, whose season doesn't end just because the Canadiens wrap theirs up. Hughes will be busy heading into the Trade Deadline, and at the end of the season, July 1 to be exact, he has some decisions to make.

Owen Beck, Logan Mailloux earn NHL callup

Canadiens prospects Logan Mailloux and Owen Beck have been called up to the big club, according to Habs' Twitter. Mailloux and Beck will represent the Laval Rocket at the AHL all-star game, slated for February 2nd, and 3rd. The pair will head to California for the festivities, and they will play against a trio of California teams (Anaheim, San Jose & Los Angeles).

I'm not exactly sure how that will work out if they will play with the Habs and compete in the all-star festivities. Anyhow, both players are deserving of their all-star invites, and their recall from Laval to join the Habs. Mailloux's offence is much needed on the blueline, and if he can prove the defence is coming along, he may stick; as for Beck, he deserves a look at centre.

Unfortunately, Beck was recalled recently and then sent back down after one game. But I think that if he could get a chance to play in his natural position, he would impress. Beck was put on the wing, and his game is tailored for centre because he has worked hard at it. Playing him on the wing takes away from his game, and the Canadiens need him where he fits best.

It's exciting any time that a young guy gets an opportunity with the Habs, and I think that the two that did could play themselves into a spot where they force Marty to keep them in Montreal.