Brian Wilde – Global News

It’s set to be a busy week for the Montreal Canadiens, starting with Monday night’s visit from the Minnesota Wild at the Bell Centre. After that, the Habs take to the road for two games in Detroit and St. Louis, returning home to face the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday night.

The Habs had a little something to prove on Monday night, as they were previously crushed by the Wild, losing 7-1 in Saint Paul in perhaps the worst game for Montreal this season. But as the contest wrapped up, the Wild managed to shut out the Habs 1-0.

Plenty has been written about the skill set of Max Domi — it did not come as advertised. Domi has been far better than his numbers in Arizona would have indicated. However, there’s another factor to consider here that does not get spoken of regularly: Domi has outstanding work habits. He hustles for everything and sets a strong example for the rest of his team. He has a competitive edge that is a lot like Brendan Gallagher’s engine. Domi hates to lose, and despite his smaller frame, he takes no attitude from bigger men. General manager Marc Bergevin has done well here, for sure. You can certainly see Domi as the type of player who gets the big goal in the big game and who fights just a little harder to draw the penalty with his relentless hunger. There is so much to like about this player that while the point totals slow down to a more expected pace, his usefulness does not abate one bit.