The Montreal Canadiens might have come down to earth following their extended run of success.
Having lost two games in a row, the Canadiens are facing a severe challenge from the Western Conference-leading Winnipeg Jets, who visit on Tuesday night. The Jets are riding a three-game winning streak.
From Dec. 17 to Jan. 21, Montreal went 13-3-1 to vault into the Eastern Conference wild-card conversation. However, the Canadiens then lost 4-2 at Detroit on Thursday and 4-3 at home in overtime to New Jersey on Saturday.
They haven’t dropped three in a row since an 0-5-1 slide from Oct. 29 to Nov. 9.
“Everyone’s in the same boat,” said Canadiens star Nick Suzuki, who had a goal and two assists on Saturday.
“You just have to find ways to win,” Suzuki told the Montreal Gazette.
Though the Canadiens overcame a 3-1 deficit to force overtime and eventually earn at least a point for the 14th time in the last 18 home contests, the club is still far from polished.
“It’s just mental errors that we have to eliminate from our game,” said Montreal’s Alexandre Carrier, who scored his second goal of the season Saturday.
The Canadiens likely can’t afford many mistakes of any kind if they expect to beat Winnipeg, which sits atop the West with 71 points.
When the teams met in Winnipeg on Dec. 14, Montreal opened the scoring in the first period on a goal by Lane Hutson, but then allowed three consecutive scores en route to a 4-2 defeat.
On Sunday, in the Jets’ second consecutive 5-2 victory, Gabriel Vilardi had two goals with two assists and Kyle Connor added three points as the Jets defeated Calgary. Winnipeg has outscored its opponents 33-20 and gone 7-of-14 on the power play during its current 7-2-1 stretch.
Vilardi has six points in his last three games (three goals, three assists). He, Connor and Mark Scheifele each have at least 20 goals for Winnipeg, which entered play Monday second in the NHL averaging 3.53 goals per contest.
“We have so many threats. I think you have got to worry about different options,” Vilardi said.
“(On the power play) we’re doing a good job of interchanging. … We’re attacking off the rush as well. It’s not like we’re looking to get into a set, and go from there. We’re taking what (the opponents) give us.”
Winnipeg backup goalie Eric Comrie stopped 20 of 22 shots on Sunday and halted an 0-7-1 starting skid. Starting goalie Connor Hellebuyck could be back in the Jets’ net on Tuesday. He has a 1.72 goals-against average and .927 save percentage during his current 6-1-0 stretch.
Hellebuyck made 26 saves against the Canadiens in December.
Connor has a team-leading 63 points, although he has none in three straight road games.
Montreal’s Jakub Dobes made 40 saves while taking his first NHL defeat Saturday in the sixth game of his career. Dobes owns a 1.93 goals-against average and .933 save percentage, but he yielded four goals in each of his last two starts.
Meanwhile, teammate Sam Montembeault has a 3.45 GAA while going 3-3-1 in the new year. He made 23 saves against the Jets earlier this season.
Suzuki has recorded 29 of his team-leading 50 points at home.
–Field Level Media
