5 Takeaways From Canadiens’ Brutal Loss in Game 2 vs Lightning

May 3, 2015; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; The Montreal Canadiens leave the ice after losing to the Tampa Bay Lightning in game two of the second round of the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports

5 Takeaways From CANADIENS’ Brutal Loss in Game 2 vs Lightning

It was a game not to be remembered. How does a Montreal Canadiens fan even begin to process something like what we witnessed last night? It isn’t easy. By midway through the game, it was evident that things were not going the Habs’ way and it only got worse from there.

Okay, folks, we have two choices. We can either deal with this and find a way to get something positive from it, or we can give up, whistle the season dead halfway through the series, and just not watch games anymore.

I don’t know about you, but I’m taking Option A. There are way too many people who have jumped off the bandwagon, have given up and pretty much have the team dead and buried.

But if you’re with me, and you’re looking for some ways to process this dismal night we all endured, read on.

Mat Germain has written a great review of the game; plays, penalties, problems. Read his write-up here.

As for me, I’ll bring you my outlook as I’ve weighed out the factors to take into consideration as this series moves forward.

First, let me state this as emphatically as I can: the season isn’t over. There are two guaranteed games left. That’s 120 minutes – minimum – in which the Habs can show what their Comeback Kids determination is all about.

Cliché Alert: It always looks darkest before things get better. The Habs have, frequently, found a way to come out of the dismal and into the dawn. Granted, this is playoffs, there is precious little room for error, and moving on has to happen quickly or there’s nowhere good to move.

But perhaps this kind of gong-show loss is what the Canadiens need in order to wake up.

So, what do they need? Here are 5 keys to What Went Wrong.

Note: I’m not going to address the issue of scoring. It’s an obvious absence, it’s a post unto itself. Just know that I – along with every other analyst and fan – am painfully aware of the fact that the Habs need offensive productivity.

5. Discipline

It isn’t as though we haven’t heard this before. In fact, just about this game, it’s Number One on every analyst’s lips, write-up or comment.

The game of hockey is designed to reward well-behaved players who don’t step out of line. That said, the game has become faster than ever, more competitive than ever, and more emotionally stacked than it ever has been.

Most penalties happen in the heat of play. Adrenaline is highest when the play is fastest, and penalties are going to happen.

But what changed from Game 1, when the Habs took only 3 penalties for the whole game, and Game 2 which saw them rack up that many penalty minutes in just the first period?

No excuses. Plain and simple. Brandon Prust‘s 4-minute stint in the box has been written up and will be followed closely.

In total, the Habs took 13 penalties last night. A total of 53 minutes. Aside from play-related penalties, Brandon Prust alone received 1 minor misconduct (in that first period), a 10-minute misconduct and a 10-minute game misconduct.

Suffice it to say it was not Prust’s most shining evening.

May 3, 2015; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens defenseman P.K. Subban (76) crosschecks Tampa Bay Lightning forward Ryan Callahan (24) during the first period in game two of the second round of the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Bell Centre. Subban would get a penalty that lead to a Tampa Bay Lightning power play goal. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports

But the rest of the team took penalties as well. It seemed once Tampa Bay began to score (on their previously dismal, now-effective power play), the Habs came unglued. This is not going to help them, not in the short term, and not in the long run.

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