Each sports formation has an easier time winning against certain rivals and at the Montreal Canadiens this season, the Pittsburgh Penguins have been a favorite target.
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By losing 6-4 in front of their supporters on Tuesday, Sidney Crosby and his cronies missed a great opportunity to collect precious points in the race for the playoffs of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL ).
And if they miss their shot for the first time since 2005-2006, they will have to look to the Habs.
Indeed, the “Pens” achieved the unenviable feat of losing their three games of the season against the Bleu-Blanc-Rouge; on October 17 and November 12, they both left the Bell Center with an overtime loss.
Moreover, before the current campaign, the Penguins had always managed to obtain at least one gain in their annual series against the Canadian since the arrival of Crosby in 2005.
In fact, the previous sweep was from 2003-04, when Pittsburgh finished last overall.
True, however, Montreal has had its share of success against the Pennsylvania franchise, winning all three playoff matches (1998, 2010 and 2020) between the two teams.
Not enough
Avoiding commenting on the performance of his opponents, head coach Mike Sullivan lamented a specific failure to explain the troubles of his troop on Tuesday.
“It’s obviously not enough, because we ended up on the wrong side of the scoreboard. I think we worked hard throughout the game. However, we haven’t always done it intelligently. Therefore, on the few scoring opportunities [du Canadien], some were of high quality, however few there were, he pointed out, as reported by the team’s official website. This is an aspect on which we must do better, which is to reduce the chances of counting on excellent quality. The structure is part of the solution and we must avoid chaining errors.
Holding the first pass of the clubs drafted from the East with 78 points, the Penguins will be entitled to a much stronger opposition, Thursday and Saturday: the New York Rangers.