Montreal Canadiens: Playing frozen at the NHL 100 Classic
By Omar L
The excitement towards the NHL 100 Classic turned into frustration and disappointment for the Montreal Canadiens who were held without a goal in their loss.
Fans from both teams had been looking forward to this game for a while now. When the NHL announced that the Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators would be ringing in the next 100 years, we all marked December 16th down on our calendars.
It was a cold night in Ottawa, but it didn’t seem to bother the sold-out crowd at Lawrence Park. Seeing a large number of Habs jerseys out there was heart-warming as well. You know what wasn’t warming? This game.
Regardless of the historical meaning behind the Classic, watching an NHL game outdoors is always special. There have been some big moments over the years during events like these and players are always looking forward to taking part in them.
It was set to be the first outdoor game for Jonathan Drouin, Byron Froese, Nicolas Deslauriers, Charles Hudon, Shea Weber, Jordie Benn, David Schlemko, and Jakub Jerabek who slotted in for Joseph Morrow. As much as the team tried to downplay it emphasizing the fact that it was just another game and that two points were on the line, you could tell they were looking forward to this one. That was easy to say before puck drop, but not so much during and after.
Montreal was shutout in what had to have been one of the most uneventful outdoor games in a long time. As many have reiterated, the Habs aren’t in a position to go on a rollercoaster of wins and losses, especially to a divisional rival.
Things have tightened up again such that the Habs, Sens, Red Wings, and Panthers are separated by only three points. Additionally, it doesn’t help that Boston picked up a point in their 3-2 loss to the Islanders.
To not show up for a game like this is nothing short of disappointing, and Montreal has a lot of work to do to ensure it doesn’t continue for the rest of the road trip.