There are no easy games in the NHL. As many times as Martin St-Louis has repeated it since he took over at the helm of the Canadiens, we've finally internalized it. Did his players get it in the end?
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That's the question we can ask ourselves after the 3-2 loss to the miserable San Jose Sharks. Marc-Édouard Vlasic and his teammates came to Montreal on a streak of 12 defeats, the last of which was a 7-1 volley on Tuesday in Toronto.
The same Sharks who, with just 10 wins this season, are on track to have one of the worst seasons in the last 30 years.
“When you play a team that goes on such a long losing streak, it's a trap match,” agreed Samuel Montembeault, who made 32 saves in that loss. In the first two periods they worked harder than us.
The excuse of the second game in as many evenings in this situation could not hold water. The St. Louis force should have been on guard.
How can you explain that the front row was virtually invisible against a team that had already conceded 168 goals since the start of the season? As was the case the day before in Philadelphia.
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Except in the third period, where the energy of despair set in. Also, how is it that we had to wait for St-Louis to replace Montembeault in favor of a sixth attacker with just over five minutes left to play to see the Canadiens' pressure?
As my father, a man of wisdom, often says in front of his big Bertha (not my mother, the TV): “They never used to be tempted to play like that!”
Before those five minutes, in which the Montrealers knocked on the door multiple times, it was the fourth trio, that of Joel Armia, Mitchell Stephens and Mike Pezzetta, that showed the most anger. Special mention also goes to Josh Anderson, who we often saw very committed.
It's a shame her energy wasn't infectious sooner.
Mid-season
In addition, the guests had the best performance in the corner of the ice on the Sharks' first three goals. In the case of Jayden Struble, who was at fault for the first goal of the evening, it was unlucky because the disc bounced off his stick in a strange way and landed directly in the slot.
There are no excuses for the other two. In the second period, Filip Zadina easily got the puck out of the corner, while Mikael Granlund wandered around Montreal's territory at will in the third period.
With this setback, the Canadian crosses the halfway point of the season with a record of 17-18-6. With 40 points, he is seven points away from a playoff spot.
Based on the team's performance in the last two games, it could have been better. However, we are talking about a slight improvement compared to the previous year. At the same time, in 2023, the Habs had a record of 16-22-3. His 35 points moved him 13 points out of a playoff spot.
Long reconstruction
Canadiens fans certainly went home angry and cursing their favorites. However, when we talk about reconstruction, we can take comfort.
It will take a long time in San Jose. The branch network is practically empty. After Thomas Bordeleau and Will Smith, it's slim. The Sharks will undoubtedly have the opportunity to add Macklin Celebrini in the next draft. He's still not the one who's going to turn San Jose on its head.
Meanwhile, Canadian MacKenzie Blackwood gave his first victory at an opposing rink in twelve starts this season.