Canadiens Need a Win or Season Is Burned Toast

After such a great stretch a couple of weeks ago, the Montreal Canadiens are in tough as they prepare for their game against the last-place San Jose Sharks tonight. The team has picked up only one point over its last five games, going 0-4-1 in that stretch. They hope to break their winless drought and get back on track in the Western Conference game.

Interestingly, although the Sharks are a struggling team, they usually get the upper hand against the Canadiens. Montreal has historically struggled against San Jose. If the Canadiens are going to stop their slide, they’ve got to pull up their collective socks. This is a game they need to win – and badly.

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The Canadiens Struggling to Find Any Consistency

The Canadiens’ recent stretch of games has been horrible. Montreal has dropped five in a row after a run of incredible games, where the Habs went 13-3-1 to propel them from the bottom of the Atlantic Division to the edge of the Eastern Conference playoff race. But that’s history now.

The Canadiens’ last game was a painful 3-2 loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday. They led 2-0 halfway through the game, but the Ducks reversed the score quickly when they scored twice in 40 seconds during the second period. Alex Killorn’s third-period goal stole the game for the Ducks.

Why Can’t the Canadiens Close Out Games?

Head coach Martin St. Louis expressed frustration with his team’s inability to close out games: “We’re not getting dominated, but we’re finding ways to lose. We’re hurting ourselves. We’re not as sharp, we don’t execute.” The Canadiens will look to stop the bleeding with a win against the Sharks, who have struggled all season.

The Canadiens will likely split their goaltending duties for the back-to-back games against the Sharks and Kings. Sam Montembeault played in the loss to Anaheim and could take a rest, with Jakub Dobes expected to get the start in San Jose. Dobes has been alternating starts with Montembeault over the past month, so this will be a critical game for the young goalie to show his stuff.

What’s Next for the Canadiens?

Can the Canadiens snap their losing streak by taking home a much-needed win against the Sharks tonight? Montreal can’t afford to let this chance slip by. Although the Sharks have historically been challenging, the Canadiens must know this game could turn into a pivotal moment. Given Montreal’s desperation, they’ll come out hard. If they cannot win, it’s back to the drawing board for Montreal’s season. It would be challenging for the team to go on another heater like they did before this dry stretch.

After tonight’s game, the Canadiens face the Los Angeles Kings tomorrow. The Kings are no slouch and have been playing strong hockey all season. The back-to-back games will test the depth and resilience of Montreal, with the focus on breaking their winless stretch and regaining momentum for the remainder of the season.

Can the Canadiens snap their slide and win at least one of these back-to-back games? It’s fish or cut bait time for the team.

Related: Why Are the Canadiens a Potential Suitor for Trevor Zegras?