After 10 games, the Montreal Canadiens are sitting at 4-3-1, but the number that jumps off the page is the one buried inside those four wins: only one came in regulation.
That’s the part Martin St-Louis and his group can’t ignore. The Canadiens have been good enough to stay in games, but not clean enough to close them out. They’ve already spent too much time trying to salvage second points in overtime or a shootout instead of banking a full three-period win.
Montreal’s only regulation victory so far came in the opener, a 3-2 result over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Since then, the other three wins have all needed extra time.
Phillip Danault is right when he says the Canadiens need to learn how to win in regulation. Montreal has blown too many leads, forcing the team to chase the second point in extra time.
That matters because the standings don’t just reward wins - they sort them. A win is still worth two points no matter how it’s earned, but one of the NHL’s key tiebreakers is regulation wins. Right now, no team in the Eastern Conference has fewer of them than the Canadiens.
That’s not a place you want to be when the season starts tightening up. Last year offered the warning sign: Montreal finished third in its division with 106 points, tied with the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Canadiens had 34 regulation wins, while Tampa Bay had 40, and that edge made the difference.
There’s another layer to this, too. When games spill past regulation, Eastern Conference opponents can pick up an extra point in the playoff race. That matters a lot more in matchups with teams like the Lightning or Florida Panthers than it does against the San Jose Sharks.
The Canadiens are averaging 3.4 goals per game, but they’re also giving up 3.8, which leaves very little margin for error. That kind of balance tends to produce tight games, and Montreal has already lived that reality. Three recent games needed shootouts or overtime: a 1-0 win over Detroit, a 4-3 win over Buffalo, and a 4-3 overtime win against the Sabres.
Those victories still count, and overtime wins do help the mood in the room. But the bigger picture is clear.
A regulation win would have been worth more than just a cleaner finish. Over the long haul, these details can shape where a team ends up in the standings.
Tonight at 7 p.m. against the San Jose Sharks, the Canadiens get another chance to show they can close a game the hard way by finishing it on time.
In Other News...
Canadiens Let Another Winnable Game Slip Away Late
The Canadiens had enough through two periods to feel in control, with their top line driving the offense and Juraj Slafkovsky, Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield each finishing with a goal and an assist. For a team trying to stack wins and turn promising starts into points, a 3-1 lead heading into the third period looked like the kind of game it needed to close out.
Instead, the third period turned into the latest reminder that nothing comes easy for Montreal right now. San Jose chipped away, erased the cushion and eventually finished the comeback in overtime, leaving the Canadiens with another result that will sting because the opportunity was there for the taking. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Fans Have A New Reason To Watch The Dylan Larkin Rumors
Andrei Markov got the kind of welcome at the Bell Centre that only a longtime Canadiens favorite can command, drawing a standing ovation during the game and reminding everyone how quickly old connections still matter in Montreal. It was the sort of moment that had the building buzzing before the night even moved into more serious hockey business, with familiar faces and front-office energy all around the arena.
Among those watching from above was Red Wings assistant general manager and director of amateur scouting Kris Draper, which naturally sent the rumor mill spinning in a city that never ignores a hint of roster intrigue. The timing lines up with the ongoing Dylan Larkin chatter, as Detroit is said to be looking for a major return, but there is still no trade to report and nothing concrete yet for Canadiens fans to grab onto beyond the possibility. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Could Get Caught In Winnipegs Goalie Drama Fast
Connor Hellebuycks standoff with the Winnipeg Jets has created a situation Montreal has to keep an eye on, even if it is not directly involved. The veteran goalie was suspended for failing to report to training camp, and with that suspension set to run out on Friday, Winnipeg suddenly faces a short-term decision on how to handle one of the biggest names on its roster.
The Jets appear hesitant to simply fold Hellebuyck back into the mix, and the possibility of a trade before Sundays meeting with the Canadiens adds another layer to a divisional matchup that was already worth watching. Montreal is monitoring the situation because any move involving Hellebuyck could ripple into the game plan for both teams, and the timing leaves Winnipeg with little room to sort out what comes next. [Read more 🡒]