The St. Louis Blues outshot the Montreal Canadiens 11-3 early in the game, taking a 1-0 lead with a Jordan Kyrou goal in the first period. Despite Nick Suzuki quickly answering for Montreal, it proved to be a false dawn.
By the end of the first period, the Canadiens were trailing 2-1 and soon fell behind 4-1 before the game reached the halfway point. Montreal struggled to find the necessary energy and focus until the game was largely decided.
This marked the fourth consecutive game where the Canadiens played from behind, but it was the first of these games to result in a loss of points in the standings. Canadiens fans should hope this serves as a wake-up call, preventing this pattern from continuing as the regular season nears its end.
Breaking this pattern will be challenging.
Consider the effort expended in their comeback victory against the Ottawa Senators the previous week. This likely contributed to their slow start against the New York Islanders last Thursday. Despite rallying to tie the Islanders and secure a point in an overtime loss, it left them depleted for their subsequent game against the Colorado Avalanche.
Nevertheless, against Colorado, the Canadiens erased a 4-1 deficit, earning another point in a shootout loss.
However, it was not surprising to see a 4-1 deficit balloon to 6-1 against the Blues. St. Louis entered Tuesday`s game as the hottest team in the NHL and extended their winning streak to seven games with this victory.
The Canadiens` response to this loss will be crucial in determining their fate in the Eastern Conference wild-card race. They must confront this reality directly.
A defeat of this magnitude should prevent them from ignoring the issues.
“I recently heard a saying: tonight isn`t failure… it`s fertilizer,” Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis told reporters.
“That`s how we need to see it,” St. Louis added.
He is correct. This is an opportunity for growth, similar to many others presented to the Canadiens this season, and they need to capitalize on it more quickly than they have on previous occasions.
Perhaps the increased urgency stems from the approaching playoffs, unlike the manufactured urgency they attempted to create before the 4 Nations Face-Off break.
Previously, a demanding schedule drained the Canadiens, forcing them to rely on their secondary game, which led to a slide in the standings with eight losses in nine games. Entering that period with 35 games remaining, the playoff goal seemed too distant to inspire sufficient urgency to reverse their decline.
But now, with only 12 games left? The playoff goal is within sight, potentially providing the necessary energy and focus that might otherwise be diminished by the physical and mental toll of their recent efforts to rejoin the playoff race.
“I believe the situation is different now, knowing we are fighting for a playoff spot that is within reach is naturally motivating,” Mike Matheson said before the team departed for St. Louis. “It`s very exciting and motivating.”
The shrinking margin for error in their playoff pursuit, highlighted by losses to the Avalanche and Blues, should urgently push the Canadiens to find solutions as they face Philadelphia, Carolina, and Florida in their upcoming games.
They understand the situation.
“At this time of year, winning becomes increasingly difficult, and physical engagement is essential,” Brendan Gallagher said after Tuesday`s loss. “It`s not a lack of desire within the group. Tonight, they simply outperformed us in areas we discussed. Our wins have come when we execute well in those areas, and they definitely executed better tonight.”
The Avalanche also demonstrated this for much of their game against Montreal.
The Canadiens lacked focus and execution at the start of that game but found it later.
Against the Blues, they started sluggishly, complicated their game, and never truly woke up to simplify it.
“We had numerous turnovers that fueled their momentum,” David Savard explained, “and they maintained it throughout the game.”
The Canadiens must now respond immediately because the situation demands it.
“I feel the clock is ticking faster now,” St. Louis noted before the Avalanche game. “We, like many teams, are chasing a goal, and games are coming quickly. With the finish line approaching, we must be sharper and avoid lapses. Earlier in the season, a bad game felt less critical as there was more time for correction.”
Now, in late March, time is running out.
As St. Louis emphasized, corrections must happen within games, something the Canadiens have improved at recently.
However, they failed to do so against the Blues. Expect a constructive discussion, a focused video review, and productive practice time in St. Louis on Wednesday to prevent needing in-game corrections against the Flyers on Thursday.
“Down the stretch, we`ve had many strong starts,” Nick Suzuki mentioned. “Lately, we`ve been falling behind, and we can`t expect to come back in every game. We must improve at taking the lead and avoiding two- or three-goal deficits.”
That`s the initial step.
The alarm bell needs to be ringing now, not 18 minutes into the next game.
