Mistakes Are Killing the Montreal Canadiens’ Penalty Kill

According to a recent interview with the Montreal Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis and goalie Jake Allen, the team is having three issues with their penalty kill. As St. Louis sees it, the Canadiens’ penalty kill revolves around individual mistakes, a need for sharper reads, and a better understanding of the specific opponents the team is playing.

St. Louis and goalie Allen acknowledged that a single mistake could break the entire structure of his team’s penalty kill. St. Louis emphasized the importance of playing this solid structure, which is similar to most of the top teams in the NHL. For him, the structure is not the problem. The problem is that his team has not yet learned as a group to improve their play within that structure. It’s been an issue for most of the season.

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Goalie Jake Allen Noted That the Technical Issues are the Killers

According to goalie Jake Allen, the struggles on the penalty kill seem to stem from technical aspects rather than engagement. Now, in practice, the team is working to correct those individual technical issues and mistakes. Both Allen and St. Louis noted that, when the players’ reads are sharp and the technical aspects are well-executed, the Canadiens are hard to play against. However, when they are slightly off, it opens up opportunities for the opposing team.

The focus for improvement lies in addressing technical understanding, making the correct reads, and being in the right place at the right time. The team recognizes the need to tighten up these aspects to improve their penalty kill effectiveness. And, that’s exactly what the team is working on. But it isn’t quite there yet.

Both St. Louis and Allen expressed the importance of attention to detail. They see the team’s next game – and the games after – as chances to rebound and showcase a stronger penalty-kill performance.

Related: Canadiens’ Christian Dvorak to Miss Season, Faces Major Surgery