The Montreal Canadiens suffered an embarrassing 8-2 loss at the hands of the Seattle Kraken. The Habs fell to a 4-5-1 record as they near the bottom of the Atlantic Division. After the clock hit zeros, the Canadiens goaltender Sam Montembeault was visibly frustrated and dropped a harsh admission on the pathetic defeat.
The Canadiens are struggling to get their 2024-25 NHL season going, and the competitive division offers little hope for fans in Montreal. The team’s struggles are evident in these blowout losses. Although they’re only 10 games into the season, this was already the Habs’ second loss by 5 or more goals. And both were on home-ice.
Sam Montembeault had a particular rough night. The 28-year old was given the nod in net but he was pulled in the second period, in favor of Cayden Primeau. Montembeault allowed five goals on ten shots with a save percentage of .500. After the game Montembeault made an honest statement on the team’s effort.
“I don’t have the words — it’s embarrassing. It’s a game to forget, it goes straight in the trash,” Montembeault told reporters. “We don’t want to play games like this at the Bell Centre in front of our fans. We’ve gotta come out stronger and I have to make stops.“
Canadiens last Division titles
The Canadiens have been crowned divisional champions in 24 opportunities. However, only four of those came in the 21st century. The last time Montreal was crowned in the Atlantic Division was in the 2016-17 season.
When was the last time Montreal made the Stanley Cup Playoffs?
The Habs have failed to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs in each of the last three seasons. The last time they made the postseason party in 2020/21, they reached the Stanley Cup Final but fell to Tampa Bay in five games.
However, that season was shorten due to Covid-19. So was the 2019/20 campaign in which the Habs lost in first round to the Flyers. The last time Montreal reached the playoffs in a full 82-game season was in the 2016/17 season.