Considered one of the NHL’s worst teams over the past few seasons, the Montreal Canadiens don’t look too bad at the moment.
Riding a record of 12-13-3, the Habs, instead, seem like your average middle-of-the-pack team on paper.
But upon taking a closer look at the stat sheet, a problem becomes evident.
The Canadiens have won less than half of their games (42%) in regulation, relying on overtime for seven of their wins. If they were playing like this before the NHL abolished ties in the 2005-06 campaign, they’d be missing a lot of points in the standings. Luckily that’s not the case.
Further exemplifying their inability to end a game with a goal, three of Montreal’s wins and two of their losses have come in the shootout. That ties them with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Vegas Golden Knights for most shootout appearances this season (5).
Since shootout goals don’t count toward a player’s stat column, that could be one reason the team ranks 27th in total goals scored (73) in the NHL so far this season. The Habs also have the fifth-worst record for average goals scored per game (2.61).
Head coach Martin St. Louis recently acknowledged the team’s scoring slump and proposed a strategic solution.
“I think we need to play inside a little more. There’s a little too much on the perimeter,” St. Louis told reporters Tuesday. “I like the time we spend in the offensive zone but I think we should generate more goals.”
That message seemed to resonate with forward Cole Caufield, who has netted just three goals since October 26.
“We have to find ways to get out of it. Find ways to create more,” the 22-year-old said. “Through struggles, you can find answers, and I think we’re just trying to find those right now.”
With a path to a wild card spot in the Atlantic Division still in view, the Canadiens still have the opportunity to turn things around. They’ll get another chance to boost their (regulation) win column Wednesday night when they face the Pittsburgh Penguins.
- You might also like:
- It's official: Canadiens have the NHL's least productive forward group