Victory, while ostensibly the objective, can at times carry the weight of defeat—a paradox the Montreal Canadiens likely experienced following their 3-2 triumph over the Chicago Blackhawks at the United Center on Saturday.
Tonight’s contest, however, proved remarkably unambiguous: the Blackhawks engaged in one of the most undisciplined performances in recent NHL memory. By the conclusion of the second period, Montreal had already been granted nine power-play opportunities, and yet the Canadiens were compelled to net a goal with merely fifteen seconds remaining in regulation merely to secure the victory. It’s astounding that this wasn’t a blowout of extreme measures.
While it is worth acknowledging that two of Montreal’s three goals were scored on the power play, it is equally critical to observe how conspicuously disjointed the unit appeared during the team’s remaining eight opportunities.
Montreal power play Is struggling again
Before last year, Montreal’s power play had been struggling for about a decade. Even amid their remarkable journey to the 2021 Stanley Cup Final, the Canadiens’ vulnerabilities on the power play remained evident, as they posted an average success rate of just 18.8 percent during those playoffs. And even last year, head coach Martin St. Louis was forced to overuse captain Nick Suzuki and place him on both waves of the power play. Although the Canadiens had the 2nd-best power play in the league last season, that’s not a good long-term solution.
During the offseason, we were told that St. Louis had plenty of options to work with. Acquired from the New York Islanders in return for Emil Heineman and two first-round selections, defenseman Noah Dobson had long served as a cornerstone of New York’s power-play unit. 12 of his 39 points last season came on the man advantage, but he doesn’t seem to be meshing well in Montreal to start. However, it’s a long season
At the Prospect Showcase, Ivan Demidov, the Canadiens’ power play was virtually unstoppable, feeding a goal to Oliver Kapanen.
Then there is Zack Bolduc. A full third of his 36 points last season with the St. Louis Blues were generated on the power play, and he managed to find the scoresheet in this contest, placing him outside the scope of criticism. Yet, for the Canadiens to mount a substantive playoff run, they must improve their ability to exploit opponents’ errors. In the postseason, failure to punish such lapses invariably invites exposure.
There’s absolutely no excuse that this was a one-goal game. None. It's early in the season, though, and the Canadiens have nothing but time to improve.