Evans' point streak ends, comeback falls short and more: 3 reasons why Montreal Canadiens lost 4-2 against Chicago Blackhawks 

The Montreal Canadiens lost 4-2 against the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday night at United Center, ending their three-game winning streak. Meanwhile, the Blackhawks ended their five-game losing skid.

Nick Foligno scored twice for the Blackhawks, with Tyler Bertuzzi and Patrick Maroon getting the others for the Blackhawks. Meanwhile, Cole Caufield got his 20th of the season for the Montreal Canadiens, with Emil Heineman adding the other tally.

Here's a closer look at three reasons why Montreal lost to Chicago on Friday night.

3 reasons why Montreal Canadiens lost 4-2 to Chicago Blackhawks

#3. Blackhawks capitalized on Canadiens’ mental mistakes

Overall, the Canadiens outplayed the Blackhawks. The Canadiens outshot the Blackhawks 40-26 and had the edge in hits at 25-20. However, the Blackhawks were more efficient in scoring.

Despite being significantly outshot, the Hawks capitalized on the Habs’ mistakes. For example, Patrick Maroon’s goal early in the third period is a good example.

The Canadiens had cleared their zone but promptly coughed up the puck in the neutral zone while attempting to transition into offensive mode. Ryan Donato took the puck, led the 3-on-2 rush, and sent a cross-ice pass to Craig Smith. Smith then fired a shot-pass to a streaking Maroon who did not miss the shot.

That play highlights how the Canadiens played well all game but lost due to crucial mental mistakes that the veteran Blackhawks team did not miss.

#2. Comeback fell short

The Montreal Canadiens were in the game all night long. They entered the third period down 2-1. While Maroon’s goal made it 3-1, the Canadiens came back, with Heineman scoring to make it 3-2 with a little over 10 minutes to play.

Unfortunately for the Canadiens, Blackhawks captain Nick Foligno dashed their comeback hopes, scoring his 10th of the season at 15:51 to make the game 4-2. The Canadiens would push late in the third, but ultimately could not pull off the comeback.

#1. Canadiens stars couldn’t pick up offensive slack

The Habs’ top offensive stars could not pick up the offensive slack, leaving the team painfully short of goals. While Cole Caufield scored, with captain Nick Suzuki adding an assist, Montreal’s top players did not come through.

Josh Anderson, Brendan Gallagher, Juraj Slafkovsky and Alex Newhook failed to get on the scoresheet. Jake Evans, who had been on a recent hot streak, also went quiet on Friday night, ending his six-game point streak.

The Canadiens will have little time to regroup as they take on the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena next in an inter-conference clash on Saturday.