Nick Suzuki heard the haters and proved them wrong with two-goal performance

It was an ugly night for the Montreal Canadiens against the New York Rangers. Samuel Montembeault allowed four goals in the first period, which led to Cayden Primeau coming into the game. The game looked like a blowout, but Nick Suzuki got the Habs on the board late in the first period. The Habs still had a long way to go to make the game enjoyable, but an Adam Fox hooking penalty allowed Suzuki to score his second of the night and close the lead to 4-2.

Suzuki scored his first goal of the year off a beautiful dish from Josh Anderson. Suzuki extended his shift after a special team situation and stayed in the offensive zone with Anderson and Brendan Gallagher. Anderson picked up the puck in the corner and centered it to a waiting Suzuki. The only question is whether Suzuki was "greedy" to stay on and score the goal or if it was acceptable in this case.

The fans have few pretty goals to cheer for this season, but Suzuki's second of the night may be the best yet this season. It was some poor defending by the Rangers, but Suzuki's hands were the highlight of the play. Kirby Dach and Mike Matheson received assists on the powerplay goal, but make no mistake, the play was all Suzuki. He received a dropoff pass from Matheson, walked in from the right flank, outwaited two defenders and Igor Shesterkin, then slid it into the empty net.

The Suzuki brace was the only bright spot of the Canadiens' performance against the Rangers. They couldn't recover from the early 4-0 deficit and struggled to keep their composure long enough to mount the comeback. The Rangers finished with a 7-2 victory, leaving plenty of questions about the Canadiens defense and goaltending situation. It was an ugly night for Lane Hutson and Jayden Struble, especially. Logan Mailloux and Mike Matheson's defensive efforts didn't impress many people, either.

The score and the individual performances aren't the only issues leaving this game. Jacob Trouba caught Justin Barron with a dangerous-looking hit to the head, which left Barron dazed and lying on the ice. He will likely join a long list of Canadiens injuries, with Arber Xhekaj ready to draw back into the lineup after two consecutive healthy scratches. Mailloux and Struble could also use a night in the press box or a trip back to Laval, but the injury situation won't let that happen.