Canadiens squander golden opportunity to lock playoff spot; 3 least impressive players from SO loss to Hawks

The Montreal Canadiens squandered a golden opportunity to lock up a playoff spot by losing 4-3 to the Chicago Blackhawks in the shootout on Monday night at the Bell Centre. The Habs had a 2-0 lead in the first period.

The Blackhawks turned the score around, grabbing a 3-2 lead in the third period. The Canadiens tied the game, sending it to overtime, but could not prevail. The Habs came away with a loser point when everything was said and done.

Ivan Demidov got his first NHL goal, with Alex Newhook and Juraj Slafkovsky (PPG) getting the other tallies for the Habs.

Meanwhile, Tyler Bertuzzi and Frank Nazar both tallied power play goals for the Chicago Blackhawks. Lukas Reichel got the other goal for Chicago. Nazar scored the winner in the shootout.

So, here’s a look at the three least impressive Montreal Canadiens from their shootout loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday night.

3 least impressive Montreal Canadiens players from SO loss to Chicago Blackhawks

#3 Samuel Montembeault

The Montreal Canadiens starting goaltender wasn’t overly impressive on Monday night. Samuel Montembeault faced a total of 25 shots but surrendered three goals. While he can’t be blamed entirely for the two power play goals, he failed to give the Canadiens a chance to win in the shootout.

Montembeault failed to bail his teammates out, especially during the Blackhawks’ third goal. Let’s take a look:

The play started with Demidov’s shot being blocked. The puck came back the other way, with Lane Hutson misreading the play and then Kaiden Guhle being unable to catch up. But instead of bailing his teammates out, Montembeault was cleanly beaten by the shot.

The even-strength goal tied the game at three, keeping the Habs from grabbing the two points and securing their ticket to the 2025 NHL playoffs.

#2 Nick Suzuki

The Montreal Canadiens captain has had a great season. But on Monday night, he failed to be the one to pick up his teammate when needed the most. Nick Suzuki played 26:41 over 25 shifts. He got two shots on goal while failing to generate high-danger scoring chances.

In the shootout, Suzuki missed his shot. That situation opened the door for the Blackhawks to get the game-winner and play the part of spoiler.

#1 Mike Matheson

Mike Matheson’s defensive lapses have been a recurring theme all season for the Canadiens. On Monday night, Matheson was again at the forefront of crucial defensive lapses.

Matheson had a poor showing on defense during both Chicago power play goals. Let’s look at the second goal in particular:

The Blackhawks moved the puck around the zone, with Teuvo Teravainen getting the puck over to Frank Nazar for the one-timer. The replay showed Matheson standing in the shooting lane but doing nothing more than puck-watching.

Matheson failed to even attempt to block the shot or take the pass away. Matheson’s inaction gave Nazar a clear shooting lane, easily beating Montembeault for the game-tying goal.

The Habs will have one more chance to lock up their ticket to the 2025 NHL playoffs with their regular-season finale against the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday night at home.

About the author

Nestor is an NHL and MLB writer at Sportskeeda with over 10 years of experience. Growing up in Toronto, he became an avid Maple Leafs and Blue Jays fan, but also admires the New York Islanders and Los Angeles Dodgers for their dominance in the 80s. Holding an Economics and Education major, Nestor’s passion for writing and sporting events led him to take up reporting about the sport professionally.

Nestor credits the Leafs’ playoff runs in the early '90s as having a lasting impact on him. His favorite players are Doug Gilmour and Mike Bossy, as he feels they were tough, talented leaders, while Pat Burns is his favorite coach of all time for always preaching a fast-paced game.

Growing up in Canada, it was natural for Nestor to become interested in ice hockey and he played Minor Hockey as a teenager, which has given him a unique perspective on the sport. Nestor has mastered the art of how to best present facts and he also has a knack for knowing which sources can be trusted, and which can't for stories.

When he is not writing about Canada’s national passion, Nestor enjoys running and hiking.

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