After enjoying a day off in New York on Friday, the Montreal Canadiens were back on the ice on Saturday night to take on the New York Rangers. For a second game in a row, Jacob Fowler was in the net, Samuel Montembeault was backing him up, and Jakub Dobes was in the press gallery.
After a solid first game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, the American netminder had earned an opportunity to play another game. Still, he had a tall task since the Canadiens had struggled against the Rangers in the last couple of years.
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Weathering The Early Storm
When the puck dropped in the first period, the Rangers tested Fowler quite a few times while the Canadiens were looking for the perfect play at the other end, repeatedly passing the puck instead of unleashing a shot on legitimate scoring chances. Ivan Demidov made that same mistake quite a few times tonight. It’s all well and good to be an elite playmaker, but that’s not a reason for not even shooting when you have a golden opportunity.
Still, thanks to Fowler weathering the early storm, the Habs stayed in the game, and when they finally took a shot, it went in. And they did it again a minute and a half later. With shots up to 5-2 Rangers, the score was 2-0 Canadiens, and the Sainte-Flanelle even added another goal to take a 3-0 lead. When the goaltender holds the fort, he gives the team a chance to overcome a tough start.
Le capitaine met la table dans la Grosse Pomme
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) December 14, 2025
A Big Apple in the Big Apple#GoHabsGopic.twitter.com/mpE9HeVo3H
Had the Canadiens been able to take that lead into the intermission, things might have worked out differently, but after a penalty to Lane Hutson, the Rangers got on the board through Noah Laba. Both Arber Xhekaj and Mike Matheson tried to get the puck on the play, but they missed it; Laba didn’t. Then, with Artemi Panarin heading on a breakaway, Noah Dobson spun him around, and he was awarded a penalty shot, which he buried.
Stuck Inside
While the Canadiens do not normally struggle to launch their attack, tonight, they had trouble getting out of their own zone. The Rangers were both proactive and aggressive, quickly shutting down the young Habs and making it hard not only to attack but to defend, as the quick turnovers allowed New York to come back and attack in waves.
Stuck in their own zone, the Canadiens panicked and repeatedly gave the puck back to the Rangers. No matter who’s in net, if you play nervously and on your heels, you will make mistakes, and it’s only a question of time before they cost you.
Speaking to the press after the game, Martin St-Louis maintained the Habs weren’t giving much to the Rangers early on, but that stupid mistakes were their downfall. He was clearly annoyed by the outcome, but said he was happy that his men would have the opportunity to get right back on the saddle when they host the Edmonton Oilers.
Pucks On Net
In the first frame, the Canadiens got seven shots on net; in the second, they managed only four, before putting up five in the third and one in overtime. Scoring three goals on seven shots on Igor Shesterkin is a miracle; you shouldn’t have beaten him that often, and you certainly won’t fool him again in that game if you don’t give him a real test.
The Habs went 10 minutes in the middle frame without taking a single shot; that can’t happen, and it’s a significant reason they are struggling in the second period. Montreal has scored 32 goals in the second stanza this season and has allowed 44; that’s a minus-12 differential. When they scored a goal 3:17 into that period, I thought they might have turned a corner, but they didn’t.
As Michael Gary Scott once said, 100% of the shots you don’t take don’t go in (don’t worry, I know Wayne Gretzky said it first, and I fancied a wink to The Office), it was never as evident as it was in the first period. St-Louis may say he’s not worried about the number of shots, but the shots are so few and far between and so often that it is a trend and one that needs addressing. This was a 5-4 overtime loss that should have been a win.
After the game, the coach said he didn’t know who would be in the net on Sunday night, but given that Montembeault has been the backup for the last two games, I’d put money on him being in.
The Canadiens flew right back home after the game, and there won’t be a morning skate because of the back-to-back, but it will be in their best interest to play a much better game against the Oilers.
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