Mr Viral
To win games in the NHL, a team must be able to score goals.
It’s not rocket science.
So it’s normal to see that the Canadiens lost (again) today. Martin St-Louis’ team was never able to beat Jake Allen, who hurt his former team by recording a shutout with 34 saves.
Jake Allen was PERFECT!
A 34-save performance for his fourth @pepsi shutout of the season! pic.twitter.com/o1tCWZrXCe
— NHL (@NHL) February 8, 2025
With today’s loss, the Canadiens have now lost seven of their last eight games.
In my opinion, we can forget about the playoffs…
But if the team has lost seven of its last eight games, it’s because they have only scored 15 times.
15 goals in eight games, it’s fair to say that’s far from impressive:
(Credit: ESPN)
It’s glaring to see how the Canadiens’ offense is struggling.
The first line is not producing, nor is the second…
There are not many players who regularly show up to play. And that’s primarily the troubling element.
It seems the guys are already thinking about vacation. Yet, today was a great opportunity to please the fans: it’s family weekend at the Bell Centre, after all.
«Dad, no need to take me to the Bell Centre the next time the Canadiens play during the day!
I prefer to stay home and play Fortnite.»
— Maxime Truman (@MaximeTruman) February 8, 2025
The poor performance of the Canadiens’ offense is not the only thing to take away from this game.
What caught my attention in the game?
1. Josh Anderson deserves some love.
We know he makes a lot of money and that his contract is not necessarily ideal for the Canadiens’ salary cap.
But… Andy is still one of the few who gives his all night after night for the team. His salary is well-deserved.
2. Patrik Laine, Kirby Dach, Alex Newhook, Juraj Slafkovsky… These guys were invisible today.
There was no effort or commitment visible from Slaf and Laine, who are two of the biggest scorers on the Habs.
And it’s practically insulting to see them dragging their feet like that on the ice.
3. Logan Mailloux had a decent game.
You can see he still has things to learn in his zone… And that’s why I was surprised to see Martin St-Louis pair him with Lane Hutson at a certain point during the game.
Both guys are good offensively, but it’s also risky for the Canadiens when they find themselves on the ice at the same time.
Hutson-Mailloux is a fun pairing to watch if you enjoy offence.
It’s a nightmare if you’re a coach and enjoy defensive structure. https://t.co/ciRxO8PafQ
— Christopher (@fuzzychris91) February 8, 2025
4. Once again, the Canadiens were atrocious to start the game.
Jesper Bratt scored in the first period, and from that moment onward, we felt the Canadiens’ energy was nonexistent.
It really shows that the team is not playing with confidence right now. And Martin St-Louis admitted it after the game:
Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis says his team is lacking confidence. #Habs
— Stu Cowan (@StuCowan1) February 8, 2025
5. I will repeat the first sentence of my text: to win games in the NHL, a team must be able to score goals.
Lately, the Canadiens are not scoring… And they are unable to gain the lead over their opponents during the game.
Since January 1, it’s been more than disastrous at this level, as noted by statistician Guillaume Villemaire:
Lowest % of time with the lead since January 1
Montreal: 13.6%
Seattle: 25.1%
NHL Average: 32%
— Guillaume Villemaire (@GVillemaire13) February 8, 2025
Overall, this was a performance to forget for the Canadiens.
We hope tomorrow’s game will be better… Especially for the fans who will be bringing their children.
The Canadiens need to show their fans that they want to win for them.
And lately, that’s far from being the case.
Overtime
Martin St-Louis remained optimistic after the game, saying that “a lot of things can happen in two months.”
I want to believe that… But at the same time, the Canadiens won’t be out of the woods if they continue to string together atrocious performances.
«Martin, what do you say to the fans who want to give up on the season?»
«That’s part of the market […] a lot of things can happen in two months.»
Yeah… I don’t think we’re making the playoffs, coach.
— Maxime Truman (@MaximeTruman) February 8, 2025
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