Montreal Canadiens

Canadiens Coach Believes that His Team Deserved to Lose

The Montreal Canadiens are a young team that is emerging. What does the team need to do to win more games this season?

by
Old Prof
November 17, 2023

The Montreal Canadiens have had an up-and-down season. However, as head coach Martin St. Louis acknowledged in a recent interview, sometimes his team deserves more than they receive. That said, sometimes his team deserves exactly what they get. The recent loss to the Vegas Golden Knights is a case where his team absolutely deserved their fate.

The reason? The team took too many late penalties. And, in his words, that can’t happen.

Coach St. Louis Didn’t Mince Words: The Canadiens Deserved to Lose

The Canadiens head coach didn’t mince words after his team’s loss to the Golden Knights. His candid assessment was that they deserved the outcome. St. Louis attributed the loss to a combination of factors, including late penalties. Here, forward Brendan Gallagher was the culprit.

In his post-game analysis, St. Louis pointed out that this was the second time the Canadiens played the defending champions tough and lost by just one goal. Despite the close margin, the coach felt that the team deserved more in their first game against Vegas. Not so much in the second.

The Late Penalties Were the Tipping Point for the Canadiens

St. Louis addressed the issue of late penalties. As noted, those were incurred by Gallagher. He acknowledged that taking penalties late in the game was a crucial issue that couldn’t be overlooked. St. Louis stated, “It can’t happen.” Then he emphasized his own frustration by saying it yet again. “It can’t happen.”

Brendan Gallagher Montreal Canadiens Game 5 NHL Playoffs

The significance of undisciplined play, especially in crucial moments, weighed heavily on the coach.

The coach’s comments shed light on the team’s overall performance and the specific instances that contributed to their defeat. While the Canadiens showed resilience in playing tough against the defending champions Golden Knights, St. Louis believed that winning close games required a more disciplined approach.

The Bottom Line for the Canadiens and Coach St. Louis

Late penalties cost the Canadiens the game. And, St. Louis was clear about the need to address this recurring concern. If his team is to have a chance to win closely contested matchups, especially against formidable opponents like the Golden Knights, it has to be more disciplined in its play.

St. Louis’ assessment is that the Canadiens must learn from their mistakes, address specific issues like late penalties, and play a more disciplined game. For their head coach, discipline is the key stop on the road to improvement.