The CH’s shorthanded play led to the three losses against the Sabres

Michaël Petit
The CH’s shorthanded play led to the three losses against the Sabres
Credit: Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images

There's a lot to be said about the Montreal Canadiens' loss on Saturday night.

Who expected an 8-3 loss to the opponent in the first game of the 2026 playoffs on a Saturday night at the Bell Centre?

Well, a lot of things didn't go right for the Habs in this game, particularly with certain players. We can certainly expect to see changes to the lineup.

Above all, changes need to be made in an aspect of the game that doesn't get much attention.

It's not the power play, and it's not the goaltending either.

It's actually the penalty kill, which has been pretty disastrous since the start of the playoffs.

TVA Sports actually ran an article on this earlier today.

In fact, this special teams unit has largely been responsible for the Habs' three losses.

In Game #1, the Sabres capitalized on two of their three opportunities. In Game 4, the Sabres were two-for-four, while in the last game, they scored four times (on six opportunities).

Specifically, the Habs' penalty kill has a 73.6% success rate since the start of the playoffs (which ranks them 13th out of 16 teams), and changes need to be made in this area.

First, we need to identify the key players involved.

I don't think there's much to change on defense. Mike Matheson, Alexandre Carrier, and Kaiden Guhle are all indispensable, and Lane Hutson is making a huge impression defensively. That aspect of his game is very underrated.

On offense, Phillip Danault and Jake Evans absolutely have to stay.

As for Alex Newhook, he brings something interesting to the table. His speed on the penalty kill reminds me a lot of Paul Byron, and I feel like he could be a wild card.

Then there's Josh Anderson, who is often paired with Danault in that situation.

However, I feel like he could be replaced by Nick Suzuki.

We know the captain is very responsible and very smart. Plus, the fact that he's a right-handed center adds an interesting dimension to the faceoff circle.

Danault and Newhook could take faceoffs on the left side, while Suzuki and Evans would take them on the right.

We know the team excels at the faceoff circle, and it needs to capitalize on that by maximizing its chances of gaining possession of the puck in every situation.

By winning more faceoffs, it will obviously be easier for the Habs to clear the zone.

Could Oliver Kapanen be inserted into the lineup? That would be another option for the Habs to consider, as he's known for his defensive responsibility and the team needs to lighten the workload on Jakub Dobes.


In a nutshell

– It will be interesting to see if the Panthers make a move in the draft.

– I'm really looking forward to seeing if the Ducks will make changes or if they'll put their faith in their young group.

– Indeed.

– Must-read.

facebook icon Share twitter icon Tweet linkedin icon Share
Copied!