Canadiens: California Road Trip An Important Stretch For the Habs

The Canadiens are about to embark on a very important Western swing when they take on the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday night. The Habs are a bit of a wounded duck right now (pun intended), having lost four straight, including an embarrassing defeat to their bitter rivals, the Boston Bruins. This road trip could be the perfect place to rebound or the place that ultimately sinks them.

The road trip begins on Wednesday night, where the Canadiens and Ducks will battle it out for the first of two matchups this season. Then, the Canadiens will travel to San Jose to take on the Sharks in a Black Friday matinee game (3:30 ET), followed by a Saturday afternoon game in Los Angeles (4:00 ET). The road trip concludes next Wednesday in Columbus before the Habs begin a four-game homestand.

What happens on this road trip could have drastic effects on the play of the Canadiens from here on out. We know the expectations were not to make the playoffs, but the players certainly don’t want to lose. However, they’ve lost eight of their last ten games, and the hopes of making the playoffs grow slimmer with each loss. Yes, it’s still relatively early in the season, but the Canadiens can’t afford to play catch-up in the standings.

And the team is reeling, with numerous players struggling and the overall play of the team leaving a lot to be desired. A rough road trip may continue what’s already become somewhat of a downward spiral. Lord knows Martin St. Louis wants to right the ship, going so much as to bag skate the team on Monday.

I don’t think it’s lost on this group that times are tough right now, and there’s clearly a sense of urgency here to fix things. That said, it’s easier said than done. The California trip hasn’t been particularly kind to the Canadiens in the past, with Anaheim in particular causing the biggest issues as of late. The Habs are winless in their last seven trips to the Honda Center, last winning there in 2015.

The Sharks used to hold that distinction of toughest place to play for the Canadiens, as they hadn’t won in San Jose since 2001, prior to the Canadiens win in 2021. Since then, they’ve won two straight there and will be looking to go for three on Friday. The Sharks are not a good team this year; that feels like a must-win for the Canadiens.

By the time the puck drops on Wednesday night, it’ll have been four days since the Canadiens last played a hockey game. Ideally, that time off, mixed with the nice weather out in California, gives the Canadiens the refresh they needed to play their best hockey. The last thing they want is for the losing streak to continue to grow and the pressure to continue to mount.

There’s nothing the Canadiens can do on this road trip to ensure them a playoff spot, but they might be able to lose one if this trip goes poorly. Sitting at 7-9-2, the Habs have already dug themselves a hole. They can’t let it get bigger; they won’t be able to climb out of it.

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