Connect with us

Canadiens Postgame

Canadiens Loss Shouldn’t Overlook Positives In 2024-25 Season

Published

4 months ago

on

By

montreal canadiens screenshot

The Montreal Canadiens faced the Washington Capitals on Wednesday, looking to extend their surprise playoff appearance for at least one more game.

There was some good news for the Habs ahead of Game 5, as defenceman Alexandre Carrier was cleared to play, giving head coach Martin St-Louis a fighting chance to win a second game against the top seed in the Eastern Conference.

Unfortunately, the Habs could not count on the other injured players, starter Samuel Montembeault and sniper Patrik Laine, adding yet another adversity-filled chapter filled to their rebuild book.

The Capitals started on the right foot, quickly establishing a 2-0 lead and never looking back. Montreal fought back in the third period, but it was all for naught, as Washington emerged with a 4-1 win, both in the game and the series.

Let’s dive into the highlights!

This Is A Rerun

The Canadiens were the best team in the first few minutes of the game, and while that would usually be a positive factor, they failed to score despite several good chances.

As we all know, that’s tempting the hockey gods.

Which is why Alex Ovechkin took only a second or two to score once the Capitals were given a powerplay.

The Capitals doubled-up their lead shortly afterward, with defenceman Jakub Chychrun taking all the time he needed to score his third goal of the playoffs. Defensive coverage has always been an issue for the Habs, and the series versus the Capitals has been a great reminder that there’s still a lot of work to do in Montreal when it comes to everyone’s impact in the defensive zone.


On An Island

Even though Jakub Dobes allowed two goals in the first period, he was still the best Canadiens player on the ice, which says a lot about the team’s initial effort.

Poor starts are common in Montreal, and we’ve come to accept them, but there’s really no room for 20 minutes of underwhelming hockey in the playoffs.

Fortunately, Dobes kept his team in the game via a few great saves.

Dig Up, Stupid!

To make matters more difficult for the Habs, Jake Evans decided it would be a good time to take a penalty, despite the fact that he’s struggled since he signed his extension with the Habs.

I don’t want to put his effort-level into question. Evans tries his best every night, regardless of his contract status, but it’s hard to ignore that his play has gone the way of Thelma and Louise since Emil Heineman was injured in Utah.

A lot of it is luck, which he used up in the first half of the season.

His extension is fine, especially when we consider the salary cap is going up, but there’s no doubt that his role should be restricted to fourth-line usage, and that doesn’t usually involve much offence. More than anything, Evans’ cold stretch has been a reality check as to the importance of monitoring shooting percentages.

Alright, back to hockey.

The Capitals scored on the ensuring powerplay, giving them a 3-o chokehold on the game until Evans’ former linemate, Emil Heineman, managed to score his first of the playoffs. We also have to give credit Oliver Kapanen and Joel Armia for their great work on the forecheck.

It was a rare goal from the fourth line, one that gave the team a lift when they needed it most.


The Montreal Canadiens took over from that point, and though it didn’t amount to much in terms of goals, it was very encouraging to see the team do their best in the final 20 minutes of the period.

They went out on their shields, and that’s all you can ask from the youngest team to ever qualify for the NHL Playoffs.

We’ll discuss the intricacies of the series during the next few days, however, we shouldn’t lose sight of all the positives for the Canadiens in 2024-25.

Few expected them to make the playoffs in the first place, and yet, for stretches, they looked like they were pushing the Capitals to the limit.

Washington simply had more talent, more experience, and more depth than the Habs, and that’s an issue that can only be rectified with more playoff hockey in the upcoming seasons, not to mention a few roster tweaks here and there.

Given how well the rebuild has gone in Montreal, it seems like it will only be a matter of time before they can gain more precious experience.

For what it’s worth, the Canadiens hit a post in the dying minutes of the third period, marking the ninth time they hit iron in the series versus the Capitals.

Such is life in the playoffs.

Stay tuned for our coverage of all things Montreal Canadiens, including the first-round series in the AHL between the Laval Rocket and the Cleveland Monsters. All Montreal Canadiens statistics are 5v5 unless otherwise noted, via Natural Stat Trick.

Related Topics:

MHN in your inbox

Enter your email address and get all of our articles sent directly to your inbox