The Habs were looking to get back in the win column on Saturday against Vancouver after a pair of overtime losses. They blew leads early in the second and third periods and twice had to come back to tie it but managed to survive overtime and win in the shootout, coming away with a 5-4 victory.
In a game that featured many momentum swings, the overall result was dictated by the Habs inability to hit the net. They stole a point that they more or less deserved but ultimately fell to Vancouver in overtime once again, bringing their extra time record to 0-9.
The Habs were not the better team for most of Wednesday’s game in Winnipeg. Carey Price made saves when it mattered and the Habs held on long enough to give themselves a fighting chance and managed to get it to overtime before losing 4-3.
In a move that comes as little surprise, the Habs placed Paul Byron on waivers on Tuesday in order to allow him to continue being shuffled to the taxi squad after his waiver exemption ended last week.
The Jets were firing on all cylinders on Monday night but Montreal there every step of the way for the first 40 minutes as they attacked a vulnerable Winnipeg back end. The Jets didn’t give up as the Habs bent but didn’t break as they escaped with a 4-2 win on Monday night.
The news is in for Ben Chiarot and it’s not good as the Habs announced on Monday that the defenceman has undergone surgery to repair a fractured hand. The estimated recovery time is 6-8 weeks.
Montreal’s second lengthy Western road trip got off to a good start in Vancouver where they picked up three of four points but they certainly struggled in the second leg, dropping two straight to Calgary.
The Habs were back in action on Saturday night as they looked to split the set in Calgary. Unfortunately, they did not come to play early on and by the time they woke up, the damage had been done as they fell 3-1.
The quick turnaround, a different time zone, the loss of Chiarot, and poor execution. All of these factors could be used to explain why the Habs were completely flat in Thursday’s game versus Calgary where they lost 2-1 and didn’t even get their shot count to 20.
Some lineup tweaks proved to be just what the Habs needed as the offence came back to life on Wednesday night in a 5-1 victory over Vancouver to pick up three of four points in the two-game set.