There have been trials and tribulations this season for Canadiens defenceman Jayden Struble in his quest to become a regular along the blue line.
He was a healthy scratch for Montreal’s opening four games and 22 times overall while he battled Arber Xhekaj for playing time as the team’s sixth defenceman.
But Struble has played the last seven games, , and has generally performed well while appearing to earn the trust of head coach Martin St. Louis.
And with fellow rearguard Alexandre Carrier sidelined two to four weeks with an upper-body injury, Struble’s spot on the Canadiens could be further enhanced, despite Monday’s recall of defenceman Adam Engstrom from the AHL’s Laval Rocket.
While Engstrom practised with Lane Hutson in Tampa ahead of Tuesday night’s game, Engstrom did extra work after the session — indicating he wouldn’t play against the Lightning — further solidifying Struble’s status.
Kaiden Guhle was teamed with Xhekaj, who dressed as a forward on the fourth line during Sunday’s game at Carolina.
Jakub Dobes, named the NHL’s first star of the week on Monday, was expected to start against the Lightning, while forward Josh Anderson, who left Saturday’s game against Nashville feeling ill, was also slated to return.
Although Struble has been playing regularly of late, the 24-year-old native of Cumberland, R.I., won’t allow complacency to affect his game.
“I think I’m playing hard and killing a lot of plays,” Struble said before the Canadiens embarked on their five-game, nine-day road trip. “I’m hard to play against. I’m happy with my games recently. But I’m never going to be really comfortable, which is a good thing.”
Struble, who has been teamed with Hutson of late, has one goal and 11 points through 50 games. While the 6-foot, 207-pounder will never be known for his offensive prowess, he provides the Canadiens with a physical presence while working hard to improve his defensive play. He has a plus-5 goal differential while averaging 13:40 of ice time.
Struble believes being teamed with Hutson has improved his overall game.
“He’s awesome,” Struble said. “He’s one of the better players I’ve played with. Just being able to get the puck to him and watch him do whatever is pretty special.”
Canadiens’ Jayden Struble celebrates after scoring his first goal of the season during a 2-1 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets in Montreal on March 26, 2026. John Mahoney / Montreal Gazette
The Canadiens took a season-long five-game winning streak into Tampa in a potential opening round Atlantic Division playoff matchup.
While a five-game road trip this late in the season could have derailed the Canadiens’ playoff aspirations, they continue winning thanks to solid goaltending from Dobes and , along with sound defensive play and some balanced scoring.
“Our second and third periods have been good and we’re not panicking,” Struble said. “We’re adapting to the game that’s in front of us and we’re killing a lot of plays. We haven’t let up that much in the games we’ve played. We know our assignments and I think we’re pretty good in the neutral zone. I think we’re going pretty good.”
The Canadiens have been remarkably resilient on the road this season, posting a 20-8-8 record. That translates to a .667 winning percentage and is the fourth-best road record in the NHL. Only Colorado, Tampa Bay and Dallas have higher winning percentages.
After some early-season struggles at the Bell Centre that included a three-game losing streak in November — along with a pair of two-game skids — the Canadiens have improved to 22-13-2 on home ice.
“Honestly, we might play better on the road,” Struble said. “You’re all together, going out to dinner. There’s a lot of team bonding. You’re at the hotel. It helps bring the group closer.”
While there’s a tendency to play a more simple game on the road, because entertaining fans isn’t paramount, centre Jake Evans said there’s no correlation between the way the Canadiens play depending on the venue.
“I don’t even know our record on the road compared to home,” he said. “If anything, going on the road helps with the energy levels sometimes. I don’t think there’s a real reason, just a coincidence. We like playing (at home) and get energy here. I guess, on the road, we find other ways to get that.
“We have one goal in mind — to keep pushing and peak, playing our best hockey of the season for the playoffs,” he added. “It’s a good challenge for us to play some good teams (this trip). Keep pushing our game to new levels.”
hzurkowsky@postmedia.com
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