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Canadiens Postgame

Montreal Canadiens Embarrassed By The Worst Team In The NHL

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4 months ago

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montreal canadiens head coach martin st-louis

The Montreal Canadiens hosted the lowly San Jose Sharks at the Bell Centre on Thursday night. The Sharks are the worst team in the NHL, presenting the Habs with a perfect opportunity to build some momentum before January’s schedule fills up with high-end opponents.

Unfortunately for all the fans in attendance who used their hard-earned money to buy tickets to the game, it was one of the worst outings in recent Canadiens history.

The Sharks were victorious for just the fourth time on the road this season, emerging with a 3-2 win. The scoreline was a little flattering to the Canadiens, who were outplayed by the Sharks for the majority of the game.

It’s one thing to lose to teams with more talent in the lineup, it’s another thing entirely to lose to a team like the Sharks.

Fans don’t expect the Habs to win every night, but they are well within their rights to expect an honest effort, which was not the case against San Jose.

The players certainly did not play up to their potential, but it must be said that head coach Martin St-Louis once again did a poor job preparing his team.

St-Louis is a great motivator, however, there’s a point of diminishing returns when discussing the value of motivation. Eventually, you need a coach who has a strong background in establishing and putting modern hockey strategies into play.

There was some good news, relatively speaking. A loss against a team like the Sharks will only improve the Canadiens’ draft lottery odds down the line.

Alright, let’s dive into those highlights!

And Then There Was One

Not only are the Sharks the worst team in the NHL by a wide margin, but they’re also the worst team in the league when it comes to scoring goals in the first period.

But that did not stop them from taking a 1-0 lead after a rather unfortunate pass attempt by rookie defenceman Jayden Struble that landed directly on Luke Kunin’s stick.

Given that Struble has the least experience in the NHL under his belt, no one will malign him for making a mistake. Bad plays have been quite rare whenever Struble has been on the ice.

Hopefully, it serves as a learning moment for the young defenceman.

The good news is that he bounced back quickly, landing a very heavy body check on Sharks forward William Eklund.

Another One

The Sharks made it 2-0 late in the second period, and a bad decision by a Habs defenceman was once again at the heart of the scoring play.

Mike Matheson made a nice hit as the Sharks entered the offensive zone, but quickly lost his coverage. He did not take either the man or the puck, which led to an easy pass in a high-danger scoring area.

Much like Struble, Matheson made up for his questionable defensive coverage shortly afterward. The veteran defenceman was part of a very nice passing play that led to Brendan Gallagher’s seventh goal of the year.

On that note, we should probably clear something up regarding Gallagher’s play this season. Many fans are disappointed with his results, but overall he has made a positive impact on the team.

When he’s on the ice the Habs control the shots and scoring chances, which is more than we can say for many of the players in the lineup.

 

Here We Go Again

The Sharks scored late in the second period to take a 3-1 lead, serving as a perfect wake-up call for a Canadiens team that is struggling to establish their identity through the chilly waters of a rebuild.

Jake Evans, in particular, looked terrible on the play, but he was far from the only Habs player who made a bad decision prior to the goal.

Despite trailing the Sharks on the scoreboard, the entire lineup was playing as if the Canadiens had a two-goal lead.

 

Last Push

The Habs made a late-game push, pulling Samuel Montembeault with over six minutes left to play in the third period. Score effects came into play, and the Habs did manage to generate a few chances.

Josh Anderson got his stick on a Matheson point shot to cut the lead to 3-2, but it was too little, too late for the home team.

Kirby Dach Is All Of Us

N’uff said.

 

The Montreal Canadiens will be back in action on Saturday. They will face Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers at the Bell Centre. The puck drop is scheduled for 7 pm ET.

All Montreal Canadiens statistics are 5v5 unless otherwise noted. Via Natural Stat Trick.

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