The Canadiens faced a tough challenge against the Blues, experiencing a disappointing performance that highlighted their vulnerabilities. Despite previous resilience, they struggled against the Blues’ dominant play and aggressive strategy. Noteworthy issues included defensive lapses, particularly from Matheson and Carrier, and a mistake by goaltender Montembeault. As they prepare for an important matchup against the Flyers, the Canadiens must improve to avoid jeopardizing their playoff hopes amid a demanding schedule.
Canadiens Struggle Against the Blues in St. Louis
ST. LOUIS | Every team experiences off nights, and when facing a formidable opponent like the Blues, those missteps can be costly.
A playoff-bound team should ideally exhibit urgency, but at times, appearances can be misleading. For the Canadiens, their recent performance fell short of the high standards they had set since returning from the 4 Nations confrontation break.
This was the same team that had displayed resilience with comebacks in their last three games, yet against the Blues, they couldn’t find that spark.
Blues Dominate with Impressive Record
With an impressive record of 13-2-2, the Blues have emerged as the top team in the NHL following the aforementioned break. Their victory over the Canadiens marked their seventh consecutive win, and it was evident why they are performing at such a high level.
The Blues executed their game plan almost flawlessly, showcasing excellent puck management and aggressive forechecking when they were without the puck. This level of precision highlighted the Canadiens’ weaknesses, which became more pronounced in comparison.
While Martin St-Louis’s team didn’t play poorly throughout the match, noticeable flaws emerged, particularly when held up against the Blues’ near-perfect execution.
One notable point was the struggle of the defensive duo, Mike Matheson and Alexandre Carrier. Historically reliable, they had a tough outing, finishing with a -4 differential, starkly contrasting their recent performances.
Additionally, Arber Xhekaj found himself caught up in a scuffle near the Blues’ bench, leaving a gap in the defensive line. This lapse resulted in Alexandre Texier scoring the Blues’ fourth goal, as the Canadiens couldn’t quickly regain their defensive structure.
Despite these challenges, goaltender Samuel Montembeault made several outstanding saves to mitigate the damage. However, he also experienced a lapse on the fifth goal, when a puck slipped out of his glove.
Looking ahead, the Canadiens face an essential matchup against the Flyers in Philadelphia this Thursday. Their performance in this game is crucial, especially considering the subsequent challenges against the Hurricanes and Panthers. Carolina has been nearly unbeatable lately, and taking on the physically demanding Panthers will test the Canadiens’ endurance during this stretch of four games in six nights.
While their playoff fate isn’t solely determined by this week, a string of poor performances could place them in a precarious position.