In a game that featured very little excitement, many Habs who had impressed so far found themselves with performances that fell short. The result was the Habs first defeat of the preseason on Monday night, a 3-0 outcome against a Maple Leafs squad that featured very little of their actual NHL roster.
Montreal dominated the back end of their back-to-back set against Florida as Florida just couldn’t keep up with the speed of the Habs. However, it still took a shootout for the Canadiens to prevail with a 5-4 victory.
In what proved to be an inconsistent effort by both teams, the Habs took advantage of new players trying to make their mark to earn a first preseason victory as they defeated the New Jersey Devils by a 4-2 score on Monday night.
Thursday’s game was not as entertaining as Tuesday’s though I would say the Habs tried every bit as hard. The difference is that Washington was defensively aware of what Montreal was bringing to the table and had a plan to keep the Habs off the scoreboard and did so as they pulled off the 2-1 victory.
Tuesday’s must-win game against Tampa Bay game had it all: big time hits, strange goals, nice goals, spectacular saves, and even some nastiness. In the end, the Habs pulled together a full 60-minute effort from every single player dressed to win 4-2.
Saturday night’s tilt with the Jets was one to forget, but Montreal played a near perfect road game in the process. Fan boredom aside, this was a well-executed game for the Habs who skated out of Winnipeg with a 3-1 to keep their playoffs hopes alive.
After a strong start, the Habs spent much of the night completely winded as they faced a Blue Jackets team that was bigger, stronger, and more skilled that pulled off the 6-2 victory on Thursday night.
The Habs came out flying and that’s all that was needed to bury the Panthers on Tuesday night as they offered very little resistance in a 6-1 victory by the Canadiens.
The Habs were able to overcome some strange plays to beat the Sabres as Max Domi, Tomas Tatar, and Brendan Gallagher led the way with three-point nights in a 7-4 victory.
A strong second period for the Habs that saw them score three times helped the Habs get their revenge on the Islanders as they beat New York 4-0 on Thursday night.