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Game 9: Bowing to the Kings |
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For the 2nd time in as many occasions, the Canadiens completely crumbled in a game following a big win. When they should have been inspired and confident, they look uninterested and that is the most worrying thing. They did score the first goal of the game late in the 1st period, but from then on, it was all LA.
In fact, when the Canadiens came out on the ice to start the 2nd frame, they looked like they were half asleep, at this stage, I’m really starting to wonder if they actually drink warm milk between the first and the second. The Habs were playing on their heels and making the Kings look like the Harlem Globe-Trotters. Los Angeles dominated so much, that they scored 5 goals in a row and the result of the game was never in doubt. To be frank, this was the most uninspired match of the season so far, during the last two periods, Montreal’s players actually looked like they were skating in quicksand.
Thanks to the Canadiens’ lack of discipline, the Kings got 5 power play opportunities tonight and they scored on 3 of them. Which means that your penalty kill has got a 40% success rate on the night…With such a penalty kill, Montreal should be looking to stay out of the box at all costs, but they’re not, they’re even taking silly penalties in the offensive zone.
With a 2-7 record, the Tricolore has dug itself in such a hole that its closer to emerging in China than to managing to fill the hole and become relevant this season. After the game, the players held a meeting, and the media availabilities were delayed. We’ll never know what was said behind those doors, but it’s hard to believe that a simple meeting could solve anything, the problem looks much deeper than that. According to RDS, Marc Bergevin also went into the locker room to speak to the players. If you recall, when he spoke to the press last week the GM said that he wasn’t going to make changes just to make changes and that the players just had to perform and meet expectations.
Where does Dominique Ducharme go from there? Tomorrow, his team has got a 2nd game in 24 hours and he needs them to win it. Does he once again send Jake Allen in net? Does he stick with the same line-up because there is no time to practice? Or does he bring Brooks and Wideman in? I can’t see how Wideman would make this team better and Brooks isn’t a savior either…
While most everyone has been saying that on paper, the Canadiens are better than what they’ve showed so far, but eventually, you have to come to the conclusion that yes, the Canadiens are that bad. They’ve played 9 games and they have 4 points to show for it. Sooner rather than later, we’ll be more interested by how the draft prospects are playing than how the Sainte-Flanelle is. This could be a very long season indeed Habs fans…
Montreal Canadiens Blogger • 
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