theathleticuk
MONTREAL — The Montreal Canadiens entered Saturday's matchup tied for first in the Atlantic Division with 28 points. Following a 4-1 defeat to a Colorado Avalanche squad missing key players Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon, the Canadiens remained at that same point total Sunday morning.
It marked the first time since a 5-4 loss to the Washington Capitals on Oct. 14 that Montreal failed to earn a point in a game. In the 12 games between, the team posted a 9-0-3 record, with overtime losses to the San Jose Sharks, Winnipeg Jets, and Minnesota Wild.
"We had a long run, and sometimes they come to an end," Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis said. "We'll just have to start another one."
St. Louis found little to criticize after Saturday's loss beyond a lack of offensive execution that hindered the Canadiens from creating and finishing chances. "I didn't hate our game," St. Louis said. "I'll have to re-watch it, but in general I thought our intentions were there. Our offensive execution was missing something."
It's admittedly difficult for St. Louis to complain when his team went a month between regulation losses, so the focus shifts to two recurring issues that have persisted despite the team's quick fixes elsewhere: penalties and the power play.
Penalty Problems
The Canadiens allowed a power-play goal to the Avalanche's Artturi Lehkonen, his 15th of the season—a total he surpassed just once in six seasons with Montreal. Montreal has now conceded a power-play goal in seven of its last eight games, with the only exception being a 5-2 win in Boston on Thursday. Over that stretch, the penalty kill has operated at 67.9 percent efficiency.
What was different in Boston? The Canadiens had to kill only one penalty, the fewest they've faced this season. Against Colorado, the Avalanche converted 1 of 4 power-play opportunities, and when asked about his team's discipline, St. Louis remarked, "Too many penalties again tonight." He then asked how many penalties were taken. Told it was four, he replied, "Maybe one too many." In reality, the Canadiens took five penalties, including a delayed tripping call on Alexandre Texier that led to Brock Nelson's goal—his 22nd in 35 career games against Montreal.
Through 20 games, the Canadiens have been assessed 90 minor penalties, an NHL-worst 4.5 per game. Last season, they ranked fourth in minor penalties but averaged only 3.8 per game. "I feel our compete level is at the source of that a little bit," St. Louis said. "We've got to toe the line; we've got to be careful. We're crossing the line a little too much."
While the Canadiens have been frustrated in multiple games where they controlled play but still took more penalties, captain Nick Suzuki acknowledged the team's role. "It has a lot to do with us," Suzuki said. "You can't give opportunities for them to make it look like a penalty, or let the other team sell it like a penalty. Sometimes our aggressiveness can hurt us like that, so you've got to be smart going into those situations."
Power Play Struggles
The Canadiens also woke up Sunday with the NHL's second-worst power play at 13.3 percent after failing to convert on two opportunities against Colorado. Their high-water mark came Nov. 7 when they scored on the power play in a third straight game to raise efficiency to 15.4 percent, ranking 28th in the league. The injury to Ivan Demidov, who was knocked out of the lineup two games into the season, looms large, but it alone cannot explain how a unit that clicked at 23.1 percent last season has gone cold.
Montreal's two power-play chances Saturday came while trailing 2-0 in the second period. They managed four shots on goal and only six shot attempts, half from the second unit. "You want to be a power play that can score big goals," Suzuki said. "We had good looks again, opportunities to score. There's different points in the game where you get a power play and you know you have to really bear down, and I think we just missed a couple of those in the second period."
The power play is St. Louis's responsibility, and the Canadiens have compiled an impressive record despite its lack of production. Their eight power-play goals are tied for fewest in the league. "We're not operating at a level we're capable of. It needs to improve," St. Louis said. "Power plays will always help you stay in the game, or win a game. Tonight we could have used that."
Juraj Slafkovský led the team with 15 power-play goals last season but has none this year. Cameras caught him and St. Louis in conversation on the bench Saturday, and Slafkovský confirmed afterward they discussed the power play. "It was all positive," he said. "He's just trying to help me from his point of view, and I like that, honestly. I want him to talk to me. When the coach talks to you, you know he cares."
St. Louis recently noted the Canadiens have been slow to adjust to the league-wide trend toward more aggressive penalty killing. But after 20 games, it's not just a slow adjustment—it's glacial.
The Canadiens practice in Brossard on Sunday before embarking on a road trip against the New York Rangers, New Jersey Devils, and Carolina Hurricanes. The latter heavily influenced Montreal's offseason approach after being dominated by the Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference final last spring.
At 12-4-4, the Canadiens boast an excellent record tied for the division lead after the Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins also lost Saturday. In other words, everything is fine. But to start a new streak, the two lingering issues must be corrected. The Canadiens can't keep winning as both the most penalized team in the league and one of its worst power-play teams. One or the other—or ideally, both—must change at some point, and nearly a quarter of the way through the season, there is no time like the present.
Originally reported by theathleticuk.