As they pass the half way point of the season, the Montreal Canadiens continued to roll, getting four out of five possible wins on last weeks road trip. After beating the Boston Bruins 4-3 last Sunday, part of their big rival weekend, they traveled to Long Island for their only loss of the trip.

The New York Islanders beat the Habs 6-3 but when Montreal headed further south, they quickly got back on the winning track. With wins against the Carolina Hurricanes, Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers, the Habs were able to hang onto the top spot in the Eastern Conference.

Being in first place is a far cry from their last place performance last season.

“Every year is different,” said PK Subban after their 5-2 win over Florida. “We’ve generated a lot of momentum for our team and it’s up to us to keep that going.”

“We want to be a playoff team and we have to show up every game to do that.”

One player that was a big contribution on the road trip was Michael Ryder. Since coming over in a trade with the Dallas Stars on Feb. 26, Ryder has two goals and seven assists in seven games. Both his goals came against the Panthers.

“I think they brought me in to help with the offence and the powerplay and that’s what I’m trying to do,” Ryder said after the game in Florida. “It took a while but I finally got the monkey off my back.”

The most exciting game of the trip was arguably their 4-3 win over Tampa Bay, but they also lost an important player in that game when Brandon Prust left with a shoulder injury. He is expected to miss the next 10-14 days.

“He’s a tough guy and I wouldn’t be surprised [if Prust comes back] earlier than that,” Subban said. “He’s a big part of our team, not only on the ice but in the dressing room as well.”

After being on the road for a week, the Habs get some much-needed rest. Their next game is Wednesday when they welcome the Ottawa Senators to the Bell Centre.

Quotes from Habs TV.