For the first time ever, I needed to get a guest on the Bottom Six Minutes to keep me from launching into a nonsensical rant following the Montreal Canadiens’ game last night. My friend and colleague Pat Bexell hopped on the podcast to discuss the 7-0 drubbing the Dallas Stars handed the Habs on home ice, and what this team needs to do to right the ship before this losing streak gets any longer.
They started the game looking like they had figured out what ailed them against the Kings, and ended up leaving it with far more questions than answers.
There's no universe where this should be 6-0. Drag Peter Budaj out of retirement, hire a zamboni driver from the Leafs organisation, or use a shooter tutor.
— Matt Drake (@DrakeMT) November 14, 2025
You should be in this kind of game. pic.twitter.com/DzkOMxJaFs
What to do about their goaltending situation was perhaps the biggest question following the game. Allowing seven goals on just 19 shots against is an incredibly effective recipe for a loss, and neither goaltender seems to be playing with a modicum of confidence at this point.
Still, goaltending feels like a convenient scapegoat for a team that has mustered a paltry one goal in their last six periods of hockey. Even if their goaltenders stood on their heads through those six periods, the team isn’t generating enough offense to win. If every chance against is going into your net, and you’ve lost the ability to outscore that problem, you’re really in between the proverbial rock and hard place.
So… What do they do? Alex Newhook is likely out for a significant period of time, so they have no choice but to look at the forward group and find a new optimal configuration without him. Jared Davidson has been recalled from Laval, so he figures to become a new linemate for Oliver Kapanen. This could precipitate a move for Ivan Demidov on to Kirby Dach’s line, as Kapanen showed some chemistry in a small sample with Brendan Gallagher after Newhook went down. They’ll have to get creative and find a way to get this team scoring again.
As for the goaltending, that is a much tougher problem to address. Some fans have gone as far as to suggest recalling Jacob Fowler, which may sound interesting in theory, but throws the season on the shoulders of a 20-year-old rookie, and likely destroys any confidence the other two have remaining. For now, they’ll have to hope that one or both of them can regain the confidence required to give their team a chance at some wins.
At any rate, with two very different but equally disappointing performances in a row, this young team has to answer the overarching question of how they handle adversity.
Click the play button below to listen to your full Bottom Six Minutes, also available wherever you typically get your podcasts. We’ll be back on Saturday night for the finale of this home stand against the Boston Bruins.
