Starting the day with a chance to potentially move into first place in the Atlantic division, the Montreal Canadiens were in action against the Philadelphia Flyers at the Bell Centre on Tuesday night. Unfortunately, they may have been a little late to arrive to that game mentally, as they fell behind 3-1 after two periods before coming on strong in the third. Those strong 20 minutes weren’t enough, as an empty netter would seal a 4-1 victory for the Flyers.
Dan Vladar stepped up for the Flyers in that third period, but perhaps if the Habs had made him work a little more in the 40 minutes before that, they’d have enjoyed a different fate.
The Canadiens always get their daily recommended iron intake. pic.twitter.com/Kkkd81dIgc
— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) December 17, 2025
All these posts and crossbars certainly have something to do with it, but the overall lack of shots is a problem that has plagued the Canadiens this season. Through two periods of hockey, they mustered a paltry 10 shots on goal before doubling their total in the third and final frame, most of which they spent trailing by two goals. It was frustrating to know that they had that sense of urgency in them, but didn’t bother to bring it out until it was too late.
Inconsistency is something you can generally expect from such a young roster, but the age excuse grows weaker by the game. They followed up a strong effort against Edmonton with two very weak periods, and ultimately squandered a chance to gain ground in the Atlantic division in the process. A strong third period was too little, too late, and cold comfort to fans who watched the mostly listless 40 minutes that preceded it. If this team wants to be a perennial playoff participant and take the next step in their rebuild, they have to focus on achieving some consistency, doing away with this Jekyll and Hyde act in the process.
They’ll also need to address why the worst of their play seems to happen within the friendly confines of the Bell Centre. After that loss, they sport a losing record of 8-9-1 on home ice, which stands in stark contrast to their 9-3-3 record on the road. What good is home ice advantage if the benefit of sleeping in your own beds seems to sap the life out of your game?
Well, they have two games left in their home stand to show the fans something to cheer about. Following that, perhaps they’ll be excited to embark on a seven-game stretch away from the Bell Centre.
Oh, and while this didn’t really decide the game, I’ll leave it here just to say that anyone who does this should be forced to walk home after the game.
Unbelievable. Seeler pulls Gallagher's stick into his face and the refs give Philadelphia a power play up 3-1 in the third. pic.twitter.com/GccMyyz1Gz
— Matt Drake (@DrakeMT) December 17, 2025
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