Canadiens: Are Lack of Regulation Wins a Cause For Concern?
The Montreal Canadiens are 9-10-2 a quarter of the way through the season, which isn’t too bad, all things considered. But the Canadiens have really struggled winning games in regulation time. The Canadiens have just three wins in regulation, last in the NHL.
The Habs are even behind the lowly San Jose Sharks, who have just five wins on the season, but none of them have needed extra time. Overtime and shootouts have been very kind to the Canadiens so far this season. Technically speaking, it’s not a big deal, as the wins all count the same (two points), but it still is a little strange, isn’t it? Should the Canadiens be concerned about their inability to win in regulation?
Six teams have 5 or less regulation wins thru at least 20 games so far this season: Habs (3), Blackhawks (5), Wild (5), Sharks (5), Kraken (5) and ... Maple Leafs (5)
— David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) November 29, 2023
Regulation wins are used for tiebreakers, but I don’t suspect the Canadiens will be in a position this season where they will want to win a tiebreaker. So, at least from that standpoint, there isn’t necessarily a significant concern over how you win. But there is the question about sustainability and habits that come about winning like this.
Three-on-three overtime and shootouts are, for all intents and purposes, a gimmick designed to end games quickly. Being really good at those isn’t necessarily the mark of a good team, nor does it represent a model for success. That isn’t to say there isn’t a benefit to being good at them, but rather that it can’t be a viable strategy for a team. You have to be able to win in regulation, too.
The Canadiens have struggled to prove as much and have relied heavily on overtime and shootouts to win. Ideally, with still three quarters of the season left, they can figure it out and get back on the right track. Still, I’m sure Martin St. Louis, Kent Hughes and everyone else in Montreal are taking note of what is an area in need of improvement.
Winning in regulation is tough, winning in the NHL, in general, is tough, so you don’t necessarily want to police it too much. That being said, playing complete hockey for 60 minutes, kind of like what we saw in Anaheim a few nights ago, is a much more sustainable brand of hockey. Remember, there is no three-on-three overtime or shootouts in the playoffs, so playing well at five-on-five is a must.
And, of course, this Canadiens team is far from a finished product, as they are still in the midst of a rebuild. And they’re without Kirby Dach, a great player who they really miss. So it’s not super alarming that they are struggling here, at least not yet. But it does perhaps put even more stress on finding talented players that can be effective at five-on-five, when there is less space on the ice. The last thing the Canadiens want is for a problem like this to linger.
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