You can point to many reasons why the Montreal Canadiens lost 5-4 to the Winnipeg Jets in the worst collapse in NHL history, allowing four goals to tie the game with just 2:36 remaining. Goaltending isn't one of them, since the Jets outshot the Canadiens 47-22, and the only reason they were in position to collapse was Jacob Fowler. You also can't really blame the offense, since four goals should've been enough to get it done.
It all really comes down to one thing: discipline.
Discipline isn't just about penalties, but one penalty certainly didn't help on Tuesday night. The Canadiens went shorthanded only once in the third period on Alexandre Carrier's penalty, but it gave the Jets the chance to tie the game with their fourth goal.
Discipline also means knowing when to pick your spots wisely as an enforcer, a quality both Xhekajs lack in their pugilistic skills. With a 4-0 lead in the third period, it's best just to let sleeping dogs lie and run out the clock, but instead, the Xhekajs both chose to pick a fight with Winnipeg, which, whether you believe it or not, gave the Jets some extra juice for the remainder of the game.
Did the actions of the Xhekajs play into the result? Who knows.
— Habs Chronicle (@HabsChronicle) November 4, 2026
Hindsight is 20/20 but wouldn't be surprised if this is talked about in the locker room. https://t.co/mLbACA7QGx
Another important part of discipline is knowing when to play with a lead. When you are chasing the game, maybe you need an extra pinch or two from the defensemen, but when protecting a lead, you never want to give your opponents the chance to get odd-man rushes up ice. More importantly, when you're a stay-at-home guy, you never want to let that happen, no matter the score.
Arber Xhekaj got that wrong on both fronts on Tuesday night, as shortly after the Jets scored to make it 4-1, he made a brutal pinch to try and intercept a puck at the attacking blue line, which sent Morgan Barron in on a 2-on-1 to give Winnipeg hope with a 4-2 deficit. 1. Don't pinch in that situation, and 2. Arber should never be doing that, period.
The Canadiens have some things to clean up in their game, and on Tuesday night we learned that discipline and maturity are two more elements that Martin St. Louis will have to address. Simply put, the Canadiens got a little too full of themselves with a four-goal lead and disrespected their opponents, which you can never do, no matter how long the losing streak is in the other locker room.
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