After emerging with a pair of wins in a 24-hour span last weekend, the Montreal Canadiens have now dropped two consecutive games. Both games allowed six or more goals.
Back-to-back blowout losses expose a troubling trend for the Habs, with head coach Martin St. Louis admitting that many of the team’s issues are self-inflicted.
In his typically vivid style, the Habs bench boss didn’t hold back when describing the team’s most recent performance. In fact, he compared it to vomit.
“We have a fragile group right now for sure,” St. Louis said in French after Thursday night’s 6-3 loss in Washington. “We’re doing it to ourselves. We’re putting our finger down our throat, you know what I mean? I’m not talking about food poisoning.”
When asked about the team’s struggles to maintain discipline through three periods, the coach didn’t mince words, bringing out yet another barf-themed remark with reporters.
“Our start showed that we were patient and disciplined in that department,” St. Louis continued. “And like I said, we were in a good spot going into the third [period], but then you just throw up all over yourself.”
With St. Louis not masking his disgust, the Canadiens know they haven’t been good enough lately. Since Sam Montembeault’s season-opening shutout, the team has slipped to the league’s worst save percentage (.852) and goals-against average (4.56) — a stat line that echoes the frustration in the locker room.
“We’re going through some things right now. And the frustrating thing is repeating mistakes,” veteran forward Brendan Gallagher noted, offering his thoughts on the loss. “Once again, we’re sitting here, disappointed we lost a game. We felt like we handed it to them.”
With pressure mounting, the Canadiens will look to get back in the W column this Saturday and improve upon their 4-6-1 record when they face the Pittsburgh Penguins.