The Montreal Canadiens are still licking their wounds after a humbling 7-2 loss to the Colorado Avalanche, but head coach Martin St-Louis isn’t looking for scapegoats. He’s looking in the mirror.
That kind of accountability doesn’t always make headlines, but it says a lot about the culture St-Louis is trying to build in Montreal. After reviewing the game tape and reflecting on what went wrong in Denver, the former NHL star didn’t mince words: the Canadiens’ lackluster performance started behind the bench.
“In terms of game preparation, I could have done a better job so we wouldn't be as passive,” St-Louis admitted. “We talked about it today - we didn’t have our legs. Against that kind of speed, you have to be aggressive.”
That speed, of course, came in waves from a Colorado team led by Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar, who carved up the Habs with clinical precision. Montreal struggled to match the Avalanche’s pace and intensity from the opening puck drop, and the scoreboard reflected it.
But what stood out most wasn’t just the execution - or lack thereof - it was the game plan itself. St-Louis owned that too.
“I asked the guys to defend in numbers rather than taking away time and space, and that was probably a mistake,” he said. “You have to learn from mistakes, and I need to learn that we're a better team when we take away time and space.”
That’s a revealing comment from a coach who’s still relatively new to the NHL bench but clearly evolving. It speaks to a deeper understanding of his roster - a young, hard-working group that thrives when it plays on its toes, not its heels.
Despite the lopsided loss, there’s a silver lining. The Canadiens remain in third place in the Atlantic Division, and as things stand, they’re the only Canadian team currently holding down a playoff spot - helped in part by the Senators’ recent loss to Dallas.
Which brings us to tonight. A bounce-back opportunity awaits as Ottawa rolls into the Bell Centre. It’s a chance for Montreal to show that Saturday’s blowout was a one-off - not a sign of things to come.
Samuel Montembeault gets the nod in net, and he’ll be looking to steady the ship after the Avalanche game saw the Canadiens’ defense unravel in front of their goaltenders. But this isn’t just about goaltending. It’s about urgency, structure, and mindset - all things St-Louis is clearly focused on correcting.
The Canadiens have shown flashes this season of being a team that can punch above its weight. But consistency is the next step. How they respond against a division rival tonight will say a lot about their resilience - and about the kind of team Martin St-Louis is shaping in Montreal.