The Habs were rudely brought back to earth by the Hurricanes

Tank nation was not having any of the recent three-game winning streak that the Montreal Canadiens put together. They did earn all of the six points that they gained during that span, but it definitely put a slight dent in their draft lottery odds. A lot of fans wanted them to get back to losing, and they did that in a big way against the Carolina Hurricanes.

But the team, and its management learned a hard lesson at the hands of one of the best teams in the eastern conference...

If they didn’t already know it, there is a long way to go for the Habs to be consistent contenders like the Hurricanes. They saw what a true contender can do — brutally out-possess, outshoot, out-chance, and outplay their opponents. The Habs held on for 40 minutes thanks to effective counter-attacks, but from pillar to post, the better team was clearly the home side.

Hopefully, management is absorbing this lesson more so than the players. We know players will never play to lose, particularly when you have youngsters on this Montreal roster who are looking to earn permanent roles in the NHL. Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton need to look at this as a sign to get going on their trade deadline moves sooner than later. Making some moves won’t necessarily tank them into the best position for Connor Bedard, but it can clear the way for more evaluation of young players, while simultaneously increasing the likelihood of more losses.

Even if they did go on another winning streak after shedding some veterans, I think the vast majority of the fan base would be fine with the team winning if young players are leading the charge. As long as they’re not being carried to victory by their goaltenders, this would suggest the process is working, and that they’re successfully developing prospects into NHL players.

Tanking is always a touchy subject. As mentioned, everyone knows players won’t play to lose. It’s on management to somewhat nudge them in that direction, and they should start that process post haste.

Bottom Six Minutes!

In this episode, there isn’t a whole lot of good to talk about, but as always, I have some silver linings. Tank nation should be pleased with the result, and with two more games coming up against strong teams, this could be the start of a different kind of streak.

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