Caufield shut down, costly turnovers, and more: 3 reasons why Montreal Canadiens were shut out 4-0 by Minnesota Wild

The Montreal Canadiens were shut out 4-0 by the Minnesota Wild on Thursday night at the Bell Centre. The loss extended the Canadiens’ losing streak to four games, while the Wild have now won three in a row.

Liam Ohgren, Marco Rossi, Devin Shore and Frederick Gaudreau (EN) scored for the Minnesota Wild. Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 19 shots for the shutout in what was likely his final game in Montreal, while Jakub Dobes made 23 saves for the Canadiens.

So, let’s take a look at the three key reasons why the Montreal Canadiens were shut out by the Minnesota Wild:

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Three reasons why the Montreal Canadiens were shut out by the Minnesota Wild

#3 Ineffective power play

The power play has been a strength for the Montreal Canadiens this season. However, the Canadiens' power play has fallen off lately, dropping from the top 10 to 19th in the league at 20.3%. That percentage slid further as the Canadiens went 0-for-1 with the man advantage after the Wild game.

More importantly, the Canadiens have been unable to draw more penalties to increase their power play opportunities. As a result, the Habs haven’t been able to unleash their most effective weapon, Patrik Laine, with the man advantage.

Had the Canadiens scored on the power play against the Wild, Montreal could have made the game close. Instead, they failed to do so, allowing the Wild to seal the game for good.

#2 Costly turnovers

The Montreal Canadiens turned the puck over nine times to the Wild’s five. However, the costliest turnover came in the third period with the game 2-0. The turnover led to the Wild’s fourth line scoring, with Devin Shore getting his first of the season.

The sequence started when the Habs recovered the puck in their own zone. However, Alex Newhook carelessly tried to clear the puck, allowing Shore to poke the puck away, get a shot from point-blank range and beat Jakub Dobes stick-side.

Here’s a look at the goal:

The goal was a backbreaker, as the Habs were just starting to build momentum. The goal essentially put the game out of reach, leading to the 4-0 final score.

#1 Cole Caufield shut down

The Habs’ top scorers were shut down, with Cole Caufield being the most notorious absentee on the scoresheet.

Caufield finished the night a minus-1 in nearly 19 minutes of ice time. He managed just two shots on goal. Similarly, captain Nick Suzuki was a minus-2 in nearly 20 minutes of ice time, while Patrik Laine filed to get much going, ending the night a minus-1 in almost 16 minutes. Laine registered one shot on goal.

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The Habs will look to shake their funk as they visit the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday night as part of their West Coast trip next week.