Montreal Canadiens Flop Again: A Comedy of Errors
Tuesdays are like déjà vu for the Montreal Canadiens, and it seems they can’t get enough of it! After being thoroughly dunked by the New York Rangers the week before, our beloved Habs decided the Kraken were just the team they needed to face next. Spoiler alert: They were wrong! If you like slapstick comedy, you’d have loved watching this match, as the Canadiens served up more goals than a goalie in a circus act.
Last Tuesday, it was a mere 7-2 humiliation. This week? A grander spectacle—a theatrical performance of 8-2. Someone should’ve reminded them that the puck is not a hot potato you hurl at your opponent. It seems Martin St-Louis’ squad took ‘let’s go out with a bang’ a bit too literally. Maybe the Kraken should change their name to the Kraken of Opportunity, because boy, did they seize it!
Quick Goals: The First Five Minutes
For all you latecomers, let’s just say you didn’t miss much—except for the Kraken’s first goal, scored roughly 25 seconds into the game. Yes, folks, that’s a record-setting amount of time for the Habs to start handing out goals like they’re freebies at a promotion. If you blinked, you’d have missed it! The Kraken struck first like a deer in headlights, and before you know it, Jamie Oleksiak had the boys from Montreal ducking for cover.
Just to set the tone for the evening, the Habs doubled down on their defensive futility, giving up another goal less than four minutes later. Ryker Evans decides he’d like to join the party with a point shot that had more traffic than rush hour in downtown Montreal. By 7:27 into the game, the score was 3-0, and you could hear the collective groan from fans echoing in the Bell Centre. It was like déjà vu, but instead of romanticizing it, it felt more like a horror film—one no one ever wants to see a sequel to!
Power Play or Power Fail?
Now let’s chat about power plays… or should I say power fails? The Canadiens had four opportunities to turn the tide, akin to finding a genie in a lamp but not knowing how to rub it the right way. They couldn’t hit the net if it were a giant target at a carnival. Meanwhile, the Kraken scored three power-play goals without breaking a sweat. Talk about a mismatch— it was like watching a toddler play chess against a grandmaster.
Goalies: Overworked and Underappreciated
And what of our brave goalies? Samuel Montembeault was ontologically responsible for five goals on ten shots. By the end of the first, he was thrown out and into the depths of “better luck next time.” Cayden Primeau then came in and faced 13 pucks, which can only be described as “the clean-up crew that doesn’t want to be there.” Joey Daccord had a busy night, facing 30 shots, leaving him to ponder the life choices that led him to this moment.
A Glimmer of Hope in Lane Hutson
But wait! Amidst this chaos, one player stood out like a beacon of hope. Young Lane Hutson was trying harder than a comedian at an accountant’s convention. He maneuvered like a ballerina on ice, showing off some serious talent that had fans rising from their seats. A cheer for effort, but it feels like trying to make a soufflé when your oven is just a pile of coals. There’s talent on the team; they just need to learn where the puck is located at any given time!
The Look Ahead: Capitals Await
As the Canadiens prepare to march into Washington, they need a wake-up call stronger than a double espresso. Martin St-Louis was seen frantically changing lines in the hopes of discovering a winning formula, but fans are left wondering if he’s mixing up a cocktail recipe instead. The Capitals are up next, and if the Habs don’t figure out their act, it might be another Tuesday to forget!
Final Thoughts
If you’ve stuck with the Canadiens through thick and thin, here’s hoping we find some thick, tasteful moments ahead. Until then, let’s grab the popcorn and enjoy the show—not that kind of show the Canadiens want to be part of, mind you. Keep the faith, and who knows? Maybe next week we’ll see an entirely different team—or at least a team that doesn’t seem to expect their own net is a revolving door!
Tuesdays follow one another and are the same for the Montreal Canadiens.
After suffering a disheartening 7-2 defeat to the New York Rangers just a week prior, Martin St-Louis’ squad once again fell into the same troubling pattern against the Seattle Kraken, culminating in an even more devastating 8-2 loss that left fans questioning the team’s resolve.
For the second consecutive game, the Canadiens (4-5-1, 9 points) fell behind early, displaying a troubling trend that has plagued the team throughout the season. The Kraken (5-4-1, 11 points) took full advantage of the Canadiens’ lack of preparedness right out of the gate.
Brandon Montour stole the show with an impressive hat trick, scoring his 2nd, 3rd, and 4th goals of the season, while teammates Jamie Oleksiak (1st), Ryker Evans (3), Jaden Schwartz (2), Oliver Bjorkstrand (3), and Eeli Tolvanen (3rd) all contributed to a dominant offensive display that included three power play goals, demonstrating their superiority.
As for the Canadiens, their offensive struggles continued as they failed to capitalize on any of their four power play opportunities. Despite these setbacks, Cole Caufield managed to net his 9th goal of the season and Josh Anderson added to the scoreboard with his 2nd goal, but it was not enough to shift the momentum.
In a disappointing turn of events, Samuel Montembeault found himself pulled from the game for the second time in a week after allowing 5 goals on just 10 shots. Cayden Primeau stepped in to complete the match, facing 13 shots, while on the other end, Joey Daccord was bombarded with 30 shots aimed at him, showcasing the defensive lapses of both teams.
To the credit of both goaltenders, the defensive effort from the Canadiens resembled a sieve, with the defenders appearing almost ghost-like on the ice, leaving them vulnerable to the Kraken’s relentless attacks.
Lane Hutson stood out as a beacon of hope for the Canadiens, showcasing his remarkable skill and energy as he attempted to rally his teammates with electrifying plays that earned him praise from the crowd. His efforts, however, were not enough to ignite a comeback.
In a desperate move to find the right combinations, Martin St-Louis shuffled his lines throughout the third period, reflecting his ongoing quest to spark some semblance of creativity and effectiveness in the team’s play.
The Canadiens are set to travel to Washington on Thursday to take on the Capitals, seeking redemption after this latest setback.
Quick goals
The latecomers visibly missed the first goal of the match, that of the Kraken, scored only after 25 seconds of play, that of Jamie Oleksiak. The rapid scoring sent shockwaves through the Bell Centre.
It took just over three minutes for the Kraken to double their advantage, as Ryker Evans found the back of the net amidst a chaotic scramble in front of the goal at the 3:49 mark.
The repercussions of a poorly timed penalty to Kirby Dach became apparent when Jaden Schwartz extended the Kraken’s lead to 3-0 at 7:27 into the first period, leaving the Canadiens in dire straits.
As if the night couldn’t get any worse, Oliver Bjorkstrand pushed the score to a staggering 4-0 at 10:33 into the first, further echoing the frustrations of the previous week’s performance against the Rangers. Martin St-Louis opted not to remove Montembeault this time, choosing instead to give him a breather.
Lane Hutson displayed flashes of brilliance, skillfully maneuvering the puck from one end of the ice to the other, but ultimately fell short of scoring his first goal, symbolizing the Canadiens’ struggles on a night when everything seemed to go wrong.