Three Takeaways From Canadiens Shutout Loss To Wild

The Montreal Canadiens have not received on the Xcel Power Middle since 2011, they usually noticed that streak prolonged to a different season after a 3-0 loss to the Minnesota Wild on Thursday night time.

Their newest setback retains the Canadiens within the basement of the Atlantic Division, tied with their subsequent opponent, the Columbus Blue Jackets, for the worst level whole within the Japanese Convention.

Though Montreal’s opponent on Thursday was a tricky defensive staff, the loss wasn’t that dangerous, contemplating it was 1-0 heading into the third interval. Let’s talk about some takeaways.

Getting Shutout was Sure to Occur

As identified in the course of the TSN broadcast, the Canadiens fired solely two pictures on aim within the first interval. Failing to get on the scoreboard within the early levels of a recreation has its drawbacks, particularly when a staff ranks within the league’s backside half with 2.71 objectives per recreation (twenty third).

Montreal would not even report 25 pictures per recreation, with an NHL-worst 24.2 pictures per recreation common. They rank nineteenth in objectives scored (46) however are tied with Pittsburgh on the bottom for most goals against with 69.

The 2024-25 Canadiens usually are not as electrifying on offense because the Winnipeg Jets, they usually do not play a clear defensive recreation just like the Wild. Therefore, it is stunning that it took 17 video games for them to ultimately be shut out, particularly with a aim differential of minus-24.

Photographs, Photographs, Photographs

Curiously, the Wild common 28 pictures a recreation, and on Thursday night time, that is exactly what number of they registered on Sam Montembeault.

Their closing whole is the tenth highest the Canadiens have surrendered on the season, and their 19 pictures are the second time in 17 contests they’ve failed to achieve 20. To date, they’re 0-2-0 in these video games.

Related: Canadiens Future Success Stories Thriving in Laval

As identified, Montreal is rebuilding and needs to be forward of the place they have been in 2023-24. Nevertheless, final 12 months, they ranked twenty eighth with 27.7 pictures per recreation, so why did they lower to three pictures per recreation?

Perspectively, the Canadiens have been shut out thrice and performed 22 video games with lower than 25 pictures. This 12 months, after 17 video games, they’ve been shut out as soon as whereas bringing their whole of video games with out registering 25 pictures to 9.

The Canadiens Ran Right into a Defensive Crew

Filip Gustavsson’s .924 SV% is second within the NHL behind the reigning Vezina Trophy winner, Connor Hellebuyck (.934 SV%). He is additionally 8-2-2 with a 2.08 GAA, the second-best whole by any goalie who performed greater than 5 video games.

Traditionally, the Wild have been a shutdown-style staff, so Montreal hadn’t received in St. Paul since 2011, when Carey Worth was 23 years outdated.

Moreover, Minnesota is off to one of the best begin, reaching 25 factors sooner than any 12 months in franchise historical past. They also have Kirill Kaprizov, who scored into the empty internet and nonetheless ranks second in NHL scoring.

Finally, shedding to the Wild in Minnesota shouldn’t be the tip of the world. Finally, the tide will flip again in Montreal’s favor, however on Thursday, it was going to be robust regardless of how the puck bounced, and now they’ll regroup for a drained Columbus Blue Jackets staff that performs on Friday night time.

Canadiens & Wild Trivia Solutions

How did you rating in our Game Day Trivia quiz? Listed below are the solutions.

1. P.Okay. Subban

2. Josh Anderson

3. Carey Worth

4. Jose Theodore

5. Sergei Zholtok

6. Sean Hill, J.J. Daigneault

7. Dainius Zubrus

8. Pierre-Marc Bouchard

9. Chris Dyment

10. Andrew Hammond

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