Penalty kill nightmare, Montembeault chased, and more: 3 reasons why Montreal Canadiens were embarrassed 8-2 by Seattle Kraken

The Montreal Canadiens were on the wrong end of an embarrassing 8-2 blowout against the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday night at the Bell Centre.

Brandon Montour led the way with a hat trick, including two power play goals. Jamie Oleksiak, Ryker Evans, Jaden Schwartz, Oliver Bjorkstrand, and Eeli Tolvanen added the others for the Kraken. Cole Caufield and Josh Anderson replied for the Montreal Canadiens.

So, let’s take a look at the three reasons why the Montreal Canadiens lost against the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday night.

3 reasons why Montreal Canadiens lost against Seattle Kraken

#3. The Habs’ penalty kill was a dud

The Habs gave up three power play goals on the night. In total, the Kraken went 3-for-6 with the man advantage. Brandon Montour led the way with a pair on the power play.

The Habs took 26 penalty minutes in total. Jayden Struble’s game misconduct for cross-checking in the third period underscored the lack of discipline on the Habs’ part. As such, the Kraken had multiple opportunities, making the Habs pay.

It’s also worth noting that the Habs’ power play went 0-for-4. Thus, the weak penalty kill combined with the ineffective power play contributed to the lopsided score.

#2. Montembeault faltered

The usually reliable Sam Montembeault faltered on Tuesday night. Montembeault surrendered five goals on ten shots and gave way to Cayden Primeau in the second. However, Primeau didn’t fare much better, giving up three goals on 13 shots.

Overall, the Montreal Canadiens' goaltending was concerning. However, the entire blame cannot be placed on Montembeault and Primeau. The defense played poorly in front of both netminders. For instance, Jamie Oleksiak’s goal was the result of poor coverage. The goal happened 25 seconds into the game, on a shot that Montembeault should have had.

The unfortunate trend persisted throughout the game. The inconsistency seen in both Habs’ netminders has become increasingly persistent over the last few games.

#1. Suzuki and company struggled to get going

The Montreal Canadiens’ offense was unable to get much traction going. Specifically, the persistent penalties made it difficult for the Habs’ offense to gain momentum. Ultimately, the Habs got on the board near the end of the first. However, it was 4-1 by then.

In the third, the Habs strung a couple of good shifts together, leading to Josh Anderson’s goal. For the Canadiens, Tuesday night’s game marked the second time this season the Habs have lost by such a lopsided score.

The Canadiens will have a day to regroup before facing the Washington Capitals at the Capital One Arena on Thursday night.