The Montreal Canadiens commenced this season showing all signs of a successful rebuild by Kent Hughes. The Canadiens ruled the Atlantic Division at the start of the season, but soon faced multiple obstacles and slid down the standings. The Habs are now placed fourth with a record of 15-11-3 with 33 points.
Two successive losses are currently weighing down the Habs. The team faced defeat first at the hands of the St. Louis Blues and then the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Lightning got past their four-game losing streak by clinching a 6-1 win over the Habs at Bell Centre on Tuesday. The defeat stung like no other, prompting captain Nick Suzuki to speak.
Nick Suzuki Makes Feelings Known About the Montreal Canadiens’ Loss at Home Against the Lightning
After four successive losses at home and on the road, Tampa was hungry for redemption and unleashed its most powerful forces against the Habs. Darren Raddysh scored twice while Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point secured one goal and one assist each to enable the Lightning’s easy victory over the Habs.
Another factor that has consistently bogged the Canadiens down is the team’s goaltending. The Lightning’s Jonas Johansson made 26 saves and registered a save percentage of .963. At the opposing end were Jakub Dobes and Sam Montembeault with a save percentage of .786 and .769, respectively.
Cole Caufield, whose 11-game point streak finally came to an end, sounded thoroughly dejected after the Canadiens-Lightning showdown. “We can’t let games get out of hand like that. We’ve got to find ways to stop it and get the momentum back. We’ve just got to be a lot better. It’s pretty frustrating right now,” Caufield stated, as reported by independent NHL correspondent Sean Farrell.
Much like Caufield, Suzuki is just as upset about how things have turned out for Montreal. The team began the season on a high note, but it seems to have lost its rhythm somewhere along the way. Looking back, Suzuki can only think about all the missed opportunities that could have changed the course of the game.
“It’s deflating for sure. Our line could have scored right there on our first shift a couple of times, a couple of looks. And then they get a breakaway with a guy coming out of the box, just mis executed, and it’s 2-0 pretty quickly. It’s definitely deflating for us,” Suzuki confessed as reported by Arpon Basu for The Athletic.
The Canadiens need to address several pressing issues that have plagued their roster if they are ever to salvage themselves from the humbling loss of face on home ice. The team’s goaltending has been particularly difficult for the community at large to forgive. The clock is ticking, and now is the time for the Habs to straighten their numbers and make a comeback.