Embarrassing Sharks loss pushes Canadiens down standings
Photo credit: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images
Captain Nick Suzuki and head coach Martin St-Louis watched the Montreal Canadiens open their Western road trip with an absolute defensive disaster.
They found the back of the net five times against the San Jose Sharks. Generating that much offense on the road should easily guarantee a victory in today's fast-paced NHL.
That offensive output means absolutely nothing when the blue line completely falls apart. The structure was nonexistent.
Montreal handed over seven goals to a struggling opposition. The defensive coverage in the slot was a massive liability all night long.
It was a miserable night at the office for the entire roster. The baseline effort level simply was not there for a group fighting to keep their season alive.
Giving away two points in regulation stings immensely right now. The Eastern Conference playoff race is entirely unforgiving.
This specific collapse has massive consequences. It officially pushes the Habs out of a guaranteed top-three spot in the Atlantic Division.
Atlantic Rivals Capitalize
Division rivals are taking full advantage of this costly stumble. Nobody is waiting around for the Canadiens to figure things out.
The Buffalo Sabres grabbed a hard-fought 3-2 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights at KeyBank Center. They are peaking at the exact right time.
Buffalo now sits in second place with 78 points in 61 games. That builds a highly frustrating three-point cushion over Montreal.
Boston is breathing right down their necks as well. The Bruins erased a late deficit to secure a tight 2-1 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Bruins have closed the gap significantly. Marco Sturm has his Boston squad sitting just two points behind the Bleu-Blanc-Rouge.
The current Atlantic Division picture is incredibly tight. Tampa Bay leads the pack with 80 points, while Detroit just slid into third place with 76 points.
Montreal is now stuck looking up from fourth place with 75 points through 60 games. The math is getting complicated for a team that recently controlled its own destiny.
The margin for error is completely gone. Montreal desperately needs crisp passing and solid execution against the Anaheim Ducks on Friday.
Dropping points against rebuilding teams guarantees an early offseason. Their response in California will dictate the rest of the year.
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| POLL | ||
MARS 4|168 ANSWERS Embarrassing Sharks loss pushes Canadiens down standings Will the Canadiens secure a playoff spot this season? | ||
| Yes | 137 | 81.5 % |
| No | 31 | 18.5 % |
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