Hosting a Los Angeles Kings team that was trounced in Toronto the night prior, Thursday night felt like an excellent opportunity for the Montreal Canadiens to get a win. Though the Habs would open the scoring in the first period, four straight goals from the Kings would see them head back to California with a win that they probably shouldn’t have had.
And for significant portions of that game, it was hard to tell which of the two teams had been run over by the Leafs 24 hours earlier.
An “immature” effort, as it was called by captain Nick Suzuki, is about as diplomatically as one could put it. The effort level required to win an NHL game simply wasn’t there, at least not sustained enough to give them a real shot at getting back in the game once they surrendered the lead. They had some chances, but it never really felt like they were about to fight their way back in. After the 2-1 goal for instance, they spent the entire next shift hemmed in their own zone. Later, they spent close to half of a power play stuck in their own zone as well. There was no urgency.
Statistically, this was a decent game for Montreal, particularly if compared to some of their previous efforts. The shot totals were relatively close, they came out ahead on scoring chances and high-danger chances, and they were very much in the game on the scoreboard until the final few minutes. Still, it felt at times as if they were simply going through the motions. It’s hard to give them any credit for having better underlying numbers when the effort felt at best equal to, if not worse than some of those tougher games.
Nobody expects this team to make the playoffs, and while a slim few have some hope of a surprise run, the vast majority of the fan base understands that this is still a rebuilding team. Most, however, were expecting a step forward this season, and what we’ve seen through five games hasn’t inspired any confidence that we’ll be seeing that.
The effort level needs to be better. Win or lose, they need to play these games as if they actually matter. The results may not, but the way they play in achieving those results can help set the stage for the end of the rebuild.
Click the play button below to listen to your full Bottom Six Minutes, also available wherever you get your podcasts. We’ll be back following Saturday night’s trip to New York, where the Habs will take on the Islanders.
