The Montreal Canadiens suffered a loss against the Winnipeg Jets that could derail an entire season if a team lets it. The Canadiens were up 4-0 with less than three minutes left in the third period before the Jets would score four straight goals before the end of the period to force overtime and score the game-winner in the extra period.
"You can't let this defining shock that we left with; you can't let that define what's next for this group," Martin St. Louis said on Wednesday. "Sometimes you get hit in the teeth, and you just got to get up and go, and that's what we need to do."
Right now, that loss is only one game, and the Montreal Canadiens are the ones who can decide if it stays that way. If they let this game linger into their game against the Utah Mammoth, then that is when it becomes a problem.
Utah Mammoth might be the perfect opponent for the Montreal Canadiens
One issue the Canadiens have had this season is their inability to hold onto leads in the third period. While they haven't all been historic, like in the game against Winnipeg, they have given up multi-goal leads on more than a few occasions this season.
The Utah Mammoth has been great about getting the lead going into the third period, with the lead in nine of their 16 games this season. They have been able to win every game that they had the lead, but have not been able to secure a win yet when trailing going into the final period, and currently have a 0-5-0 record.
As for the Canadiens, they have had the lead going into the third period in 10 of their 15 games this season but have an 8-0-2 record in those games. The Canadiens are going to want to put the Winnipeg Jets game behind them, and the best way to do that is to have the chance to play with the lead in that final period.
If the Canadiens are able to get the lead, the Utah Mammoth have shown they are not able to overcome deficits late in game. That might be exactly the type of confidence boost this team is going to need to put that game against the Winnipeg Jets behind them and get back on track.
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