Canadiens face Critical Challenges as Playoff Push intensifies
Table of Contents
The Montreal Canadiens’ surprising 2024-2025 season faces a new set of hurdles,as recent struggles in goaltending and the penalty kill threaten to derail their playoff aspirations.
the Canadiens enjoyed a strong start to the season, fueled by the arrival of Lane Hutson, the continued growth of Nick Suzuki, and the health of key players. however, a recent 4-3 defeat to the boston Bruins exposed vulnerabilities that were not present a year ago, leaving the locker room unusually silent in its aftermath.
Penalty Kill Woes Plague Canadiens
A significant concern for Montreal is the performance of its penalty kill unit. “It starts with our penalty kill. We have to be better. We can’t give up three goals, we have to be better,” lamented a key player, Mike Matheson, who is a cornerstone of the team’s shorthanded defence.
Over the past five games, the Canadiens have allowed nine goals in 17 penalty kill attempts, resulting in a dismal 47% success rate. This decline has dropped them to 27th in the league in penalty killing, a stark contrast to their 9th-place finish last season. The departure of experienced penalty killers Joel Armia, Christian Dvorak, and David Savard during the offseason has undoubtedly contributed to this regression.
Caufield Shines, But Team Needs Consistency
Despite the team’s challenges, individual performances offer glimmers of hope. Cole Caufield continues to be a scoring threat,earning comparisons to wrestling legend Rob Van Dam,nicknamed “mr. Monday Night,” with 11 goals in 15 Saturday games this season.
Though, the team recognizes the need for greater consistency. “Thes games for the playoff race ‘are more exciting,'” Caufield recalled. “We wanted to live in this situation for a long time, because it took a long time to get there. It’s more frustrating than before. We were leading at the start of the third, that can’t escape us.”
Looking Ahead
The canadiens face a crucial stretch of games as they battle for a playoff position. Alexandre Texier characterized upcoming matchups against the Bruins as “playoff games,” emphasizing the intensity of the competition. The team must rediscover its winning form,or risk squandering the early-season cushion they established.
Rising: Cole Caufield, who continues to deliver on Saturday nights.
Declining: Phillip Danault, who struggled with faceoffs, losing a crucial draw that led to a game-winning goal.
The number of the Match: 1 – The Bruins secured their first point this season in a game they lost after two periods, previously holding a 0-17-0 record in such situations.
In Detail:
- Bolduc’s Physical Play: Zachary Bolduc continues to make his presence felt with his physicality, racking up 106 hits this season, second among Canadiens forwards. His hard check on Nikita Zadorov, though resulting in an injury to the Bruins player, highlighted his aggressive style of play.
- Dach’s Sacrifice: Kirby Dach sustained a hand injury during a fight with Jonathan Aspirot, demonstrating a willingness to sacrifice for the team. The Canadiens face a challenging decision regarding their roster as injured players, including Patrik Laine, return to health.
- Geekie’s Resurgence: Morgan Geekie is experiencing a scoring surge, with two goals on Saturday bringing his total to three in his last four games. Despite a recent 12-game drought, Geekie is proving to be a valuable offensive contributor. .
The Canadiens will need to address their special teams deficiencies and find consistency in their goaltending if they hope to maintain their playoff aspirations as the season progresses.
