Canadiens: Close Games Provide Great Experience For Young Squad

The 2023-24 season is still very young, with the Canadiens having played just nine games so far, but as we approach the end of the month, some things are becoming very apparent. The Canadiens are playing a lot of tight games, decided by just a goal or two. In fact, of Montreal’s nine games, only one has been decided by more than two goals.

This provides valuable experience for a Canadiens squad that is one of the youngest in the league. It can be difficult to teach a team how to play with a lead or play from behind without actually getting to experience that. So far, through nine games, the Habs are getting plenty of practice.

We saw this on opening night versus the Maple Leafs. The Canadiens held a two-goal lead with under five minutes to go in the third period, needing to protect the lead to secure the win. The Leafs scored twice with the net empty to tie the game at five and ultimately won in a shootout. That’s obviously not the desired result, but it’s a lesson learned nonetheless.

In their very next game, the Canadiens again had a two-goal lead in the third period, and although the Chicago Blackhawks added one with the net empty, they were still able to shut the door and win the game. They completely shut the door on the Sabres in their three-to-one road victory in Buffalo on October 23rd.

The best way to learn how to defend a lead is to put yourself in that situation enough to experience it. Through nine games so far, the Canadiens have done it quite a few times, sometimes to great success and sometimes not so much.

And the same can be said for playing from behind, something the Canadiens have had to do a bit this season as well. Good teams find ways to win, and the Habs have already found ways to do that this season. We saw this against the Blue Jackets, where the Canadiens, down three-to-one late in the second period, notched two goals to tie it, and ultimately win it in overtime.

And most recently, on Monday night versus the Golden Knights, the Canadiens dug deep and found an equalizer late, thanks to captain Nick Suzuki. The Habs held the defending cup champs to just two shots in the second period but gave up a goal late in the second to fall behind two-to-one. They could have folded after allowing a demoralizing goal like that.

Instead, the Canadiens controlled the play in the third and tied it up. Sure, they lost in the shootout, but that is effectively like playing your opponent to a draw. These are valuable learning experiences for the Habs, something I know Martin St. Louis isn’t taking for granted. So far, Montreal has done a pretty good job executing in them, and they can be even better. If they reach that height, I’d bet these games played a pivotal role in that.

Want your voice heard? Join the A Winning Habit team!

Write for us!