Canadiens lose 5-3 to Devils as rebuild takes another step backwards

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12 months 3 of The Rebuild for the Canadiens isn’t going the best way administration and head coach Martin St. Louis hoped it might.

The Canadiens misplaced 5-3 to the Devils Thursday evening in New Jersey, dropping their report to 4-8-2. It was their fifth straight loss (0-4-1), matching their longest shedding streak final season when then went 0-5-0 from Feb. 15-24.

The Canadiens have solely two wins of their final 11 video games (2-7-2), have been outscored 46-26 throughout that span and sit in final place within the Atlantic Division. They’re six factors behind their tempo final season after they have been 7-5-2 after 14 video games and 5 factors behind their tempo from 12 months 1 of The Rebuild after they have been 7-6-1. They completed twenty eighth within the general NHL standings in every of the final two seasons.

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Administration’s aim of being “within the combine” for a playoff spot this season is already fading away. As an alternative it appears to be like just like the Canadiens can be within the combine for the No. 1 decide within the draft lottery for the fourth straight yr.

The Canadiens haven’t solely been unhealthy this season, they’ve additionally been boring to observe on many nights — other than the play of rookie defenceman Lane Hutson. They’ve the worst aim differential within the NHL at minus-20.

Jesper Bratt scored twice for the Devils, whereas Ondrej Palat, Jonas Siegenthaler and Jack Hughes added singles. Alex Newhook scored twice for the Canadiens and Brendan Gallagher additionally scored. The pictures on aim have been 27-24 for the Devils as Canadiens goalie Samuel Montembeault noticed his report fall to 3-6-1 with a 3.46 goals-against common and a .892 save share.

The Canadiens obtained off to one more gradual begin, falling behind 1-0 just one:33 into the sport and so they have been trailing 2-0 after a boring first interval that may have had followers watching on TV in Montreal altering the channel. The Canadiens have now given up 20 first-period targets, probably the most within the NHL.

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Gallagher continues to be one of many few brilliant spots for the Canadiens, scoring in a second straight recreation to present him six targets this season, 4 behind workforce chief Cole Caufield. Newhook now has 4 targets and is tied for third on the Canadiens with captain Nick Suzuki. No one else on the workforce has greater than two targets.

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The Canadiens appear to be caught between a puck and a tough place whereas attempting to be within the combine for a playoff spot and “studying to win” — the phrases of St. Louis — whereas additionally specializing in growth with 10 gamers age 23 and beneath on the roster, together with 5 defencemen. They’re actually lacking veterans Sean Monahan, Johnathan Kovacevic and Jake Allen, who have been traded away to make room for youthful gamers.

The reality is that this younger workforce simply isn’t excellent with a scarcity of offence, too many breakdowns within the defensive zone and a few shaky goaltending. As former NFL head coach Invoice Parcells as soon as mentioned: “You’re what your report says you might be.”

St. Louis doesn’t consider that and informed reporters in New Jersey after the sport that he’s not nervous or involved about his workforce.

“Go rewatch the sport if you need,” St. Louis mentioned. “I felt good about the best way we performed tonight. I do know we’re down two … we obtained a damaged stick (on Juraj Slafkovsky earlier than the primary aim). We flip the puck over, sort of a bouncer, that creates their second aim. I felt we didn’t get a lot assist … I’ll go away it at that. We didn’t get perhaps a bounce right here and there, however the engagement and the work and the intentions are proper the place I need them to be. We’re simply not getting rewarded proper now and that’s OK. We’re going to maintain going and we’re going to attempt to discover perhaps some solutions for some gamers which are perhaps combating it and we’re going to maintain engaged on the collective recreation, however I believe that’s in a superb place.”

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Slafkovsky is among the gamers combating it with just one aim this season and none within the final seven video games. He had just one shot towards the Devils whereas enjoying on the second line with Jake Evans and Newhook. Fellow forwards Kirby Dach and Christian Dvorak even have just one aim this season and Dach is a team-worst minus-13.

“We’re enjoying adequate hockey,” Gallagher informed reporters in New Jersey after the sport. “It wasn’t excellent, nevertheless it was adequate hockey the place extra occasions than (not) in case you play like that you just’re going to be on the opposite aspect of it. Tonight we weren’t. Clearly, with the best way issues are going proper now it’s irritating, however no person’s going to really feel sorry for you. You bought to proceed to do the work.”

Evans additionally mentioned there’s a way of frustration because the losses preserve piling up.

“However we’ve to have a look at the positives on this one, I believe,” Evans informed reporters in New Jersey. “We have been simply speaking about it. There’s 68 video games left, so if we play like that the majority nights I believe we’re going to have a extremely good likelihood.”

Issues gained’t get any simpler for the Canadiens with their subsequent three video games additionally on the highway towards the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday, the Buffalo Sabres on Monday and the Minnesota Wild subsequent Thursday.

scowan@postmedia.com

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