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The Canadiens get shut out for a 10th time in a difficult season

Despite putting 40 shots on Roberto Luongo last night, the Montreal Canadiens got shut out for a 10th time this season. The offence just isn’t coming for the Habs this year as they rank among the least-prolific teams in the league in goals for, and in the standings as a result.

It’s the worst mark of futility for the team in the six years since the most recent lockout.

Canadiens scoring woes

Season Times shut out
2012-13 2
2013-14 6
2014-15 6
2015-16 2
2016-17 7
2017-18 10

It wasn’t supposed to be this way. The Canadiens sacrificed their top prospect in the off-season to add a young playmaker who could help them solve their offensive issues. But the acquisition of Jonathan Drouin hasn’t worked out as intended. The former Tampa Bay Lightning player posting just 33 points. A move to the centre position hasn’t set him up for success in his first year with the team.

The Canadiens do have several players who are underachieving this season, but it appears the team is desperately missing the abilities that Andrei Markov and Alexander Radulov brought them last season, ones that may have covered up some of the offensive issues for a team that was still held goalless on seven occasions.

Adding players — both at forward and defence — who can help add to the skill of the team while unlocking what lies dormant in the roster they currently employ has to be the main focus for the team in free agency this summer, and during what is shaping up to be a draft filled with an opportunity to add some high-end prospects as the team holds five picks in the first two rounds.

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