The Montreal Canadiens' special teams have hit a critical low, with a completely ineffective power play becoming the central story in a hard-fought 3-2 loss to the arch-rival Boston Bruins on Saturday night at the Bell Centre.
A Penalty-Filled Affair
The game was a throwback to the intense, physical rivalry of old, featuring two fights in the opening four minutes. The tone was set immediately when Nikita Zadorov dropped the gloves with Jayden Struble off the opening faceoff. Shortly after, Arber Xhekaj was on the wrong end of a knockout punch in a scrap with Tanner Jeannot.
Amidst the chaos, the hockey continued. Boston's Marat Khusnutdinov opened the scoring, but Montreal's Jake Evans responded less than four minutes later with a shorthanded equalizer, making it 1-1 after the first period.
Power Play Woes Deepen
The Canadiens' primary struggle was glaringly obvious on the man-advantage. The team went 0-for-7 on the power play, including two separate 5-on-3 opportunities that yielded nothing. This performance extends a dismal streak to 0-for-17 with the extra attacker over their last five games.
In stark contrast, the Bruins capitalized on their chances. After Mason Lohrei gave Boston a 2-1 lead early in the second, Viktor Arvidsson scored a crucial power-play goal off a clever between-the-legs pass from Pavel Zacha to make it 3-1.
The game also featured a scary moment when Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy took a puck to the face and did not return.
Glimmers of Hope and a Costly Standings Loss
Cole Caufield provided a spark for the Habs, scoring his team-leading 13th goal late in the second period to pull Montreal within one. Nick Suzuki picked up his 17th assist on the play.
Goaltender Jeremy Swayman was stellar for Boston, making 26 saves, including all nine he faced in the third period to secure the win. Samuel Montembeault made 19 stops for Montreal.
With the victory, the Bruins took sole possession of first place in the Atlantic Division with 24 points. The Canadiens, who have lost five of their last six, remain just two points back in the tightly packed playoff race.
The loss was compounded by significant injury news. The team confirmed that forward Alex Newhook will be out for four months with an ankle injury, and defenseman Kaiden Guhle is sidelined for 8-10 weeks with a torn adductor muscle. Rookie Jared Davidson made his NHL debut in Newhook's absence, registering four shots on goal and earning praise for his net-front presence.
As the Canadiens look to regroup, fixing the broken power play has become the most urgent item on the agenda, a problem that has swiftly overshadowed other early-season concerns.
