A Winning Habit
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Montreal Canadiens: 7 Habs Headlines From Past 7 Days

By Sebastian High

Feb 1, 2021; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens Josh Anderson Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 1, 2021; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens Josh Anderson Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports /
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MONTREAL, QC – FEBRUARY 10: Head coach of the Montreal Canadiens Claude Julien instructs from the bench against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the third period at the Bell Centre on February 10, 2021 in Montreal, Canada. The Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Montreal Canadiens 4-2. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
MONTREAL, QC – FEBRUARY 10: Head coach of the Montreal Canadiens Claude Julien instructs from the bench against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the third period at the Bell Centre on February 10, 2021 in Montreal, Canada. The Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Montreal Canadiens 4-2. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images) /

5. A Losing Habit

Following a phenomenal start to the shortened season, the Canadiens have hit a brick wall. The team that was the most entertaining iteration of the Canadiens in a decade during the month of January has reverted to dump and chase, trap hockey; which has not only been painful to watch but utterly ineffective as well. The dominant speed in transition and the relentless rolling of the four forward lines that suffocated opponents throughout the opening 10 games have been reeled in.

Whether this is a result of bad habits, fatigue or an adjustment in tactics is unclear. What is clear is that since the Canadiens have lost their team identity, they have lost 3 games (all in regulation) in 4 contests… including one against the Ottawa Senators; a defeat that arguably saw the Canadiens’ best team performance of these past 4 games. That is not a good sign.

Ineffective and frustrating are the two adjectives that perhaps best describe this run of losses. The team has failed to create the chances that seemed to occur every few minutes of the first ten games; and the chances that are created are wasted, missing the net entirely more often than not. The team that led the league in goals per game has potted just 6 goals in the last 4 games (1.5 goals/game).

Oh, and 3 of those 6 goals were scored by Josh Anderson, who has been the Canadiens’ most consistent forward this season, not only scoring goals – 9 of them to be precise – but constantly playing physically, speeding down the wings and competing nearly as hard as Brendan Gallagher. This does, however, signify that the rest of the team has scored only 3 goals in the 4 previous games.

Changes need to be made going into Saturday’s contest with the Leafs. I would personally like to see the Toffoli-Kotkaniemi-Armia line reunited, bumping Tomas Tatar back up to the second line. The big change I would make would be to swap Philip Danault, who has been terribly ineffective and flat-footed all season, with Jake Evans. This would give the Habs a phenomenal shutdown line in Byron-Danault-Lehkonen and a second line of Tatar-Evans-Gallagher.

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