Genuine playoff contenders don't lose games to the worst team in the league when they are three points back of a playoff spot. Genuine playoff contenders don't allow aging veterans Nick Foligno to score two goals and Patrick Maroon to score a goal in a 4-2 loss. Genuine playoff contenders don't lose a winnable game after upsetting the Vegas Golden Knights, Florida Panthers, and Tampa Bay Lightning in consecutive games.
It isn't the end of the world that the Montreal Canadiens lost this game to the Chicago Blackhawks. They were coming off three straight emotional victories over some of the league's best and were in line for a letdown spot. However, the issue is that the letdown spot is becoming all too familiar for the Montreal Canadiens. The familiar issue is why Darren Dreger said what he said on Overdrive Friday afternoon.
The Canadiens also had a three-game winning streak before the holiday break but somehow lost their last game to the Columbus Blue Jackets before the break. They came out on fire again after the break with the three previously-mentioned games but then found a way to lose again tonight.
The singular loss to the Blackhawks isn't the issue. Playoff teams find ways to win challenging games that may not have all their focus. The truth is that playoff teams know how to keep their focus for 95% of their games. It's clear that the Canadiens don't have that focus yet, and it's only something they'll have to build over time.
What stings the most for the Canadiens is that the Ottawa Senators lost their matchup with the St. Louis Blues on Friday night. A win for the Canadiens would've meant they were one point back of the Senators for the second wild-card spot. The good news is that they didn't lose any ground to the Senators in this scenario.
The other good news is that the Canadiens threw everything they could at Arvid Soderblom and the Blackhawks. Soderblom stopped 38 of 40 shots, including ten high-danger scoring chances. The truth is that if the Canadiens played that same game ten times, they might win the majority of them.
The bad news is they're back on the ice 24 hours later against the Colorado Avalanche. It'll be a much tougher test than the Blackhawks, and they'll likely throw Jakub Dobes into the net in his second-career start. It isn't the ideal scenario for the Canadiens' newest goaltender, and it'll test his true worth.