This game against the Columbus Blue Jackets could have been considered the one game that would get them into the playoffs. With a win tonight the Canadiens would have been in the driver’s seat for the remainder of the season. The Montreal Canadiens did not show up tonight, and there is absolutely no excuse for it!
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The coaching staff clearly wasn’t ready for the game. The trainers weren’t ready. The players weren’t ready. I’m thinking even the bus driver wasn’t ready! There is no excuse for a performance like the one last night in a game that mattered so much! Oh, right I already said that. I DON’T CARE! Every member of the Canadiens’ fanbase should be livid with this piss poor effort!
So, let’s take a look at what exactly I am talking about. This wasn’t a case of being out-skilled (pay no attention to the score), this game was a case of being outworked! The amount of one-on-one battles that were lost by the Canadiens is insane! There is no excuse for being outworked in a game like this one. None!
Every member of the Canadiens’ organization knew how important this game was, EVERYONE! The fact that they were constantly on the wrong ends of puck battles and would get beaten to loose pucks is inexcusable. I can understand losing when you outwor the other team but couldn’t score. AT LEAST YOU TRIED! Not last night. Not the game that I was watching.
Going even further than losing puck battles, the Montreal Canadiens were guilty of so many unforced turnovers that led to Columbus gaining more and more momentum and increased offensive zone time. The Habs were flat from the moment the second period started, and they kept shooting themselves in the feet whenever they tried to accomplish the simplest of plays.
I don’t even want to think about how many passes weren’t successful. I mean they probably couldn’t have passed more pucks in other skaters’ feet if they had tried! Unforced mental errors are inexcusable in a game like the one last night. Time to move on Josh, you’re getting upset again!