The CH absolutely must perform better at home this season

Jonathan Di Gregorio
The CH absolutely must perform better at home this season
Credit: Matt Garies/NHLI via Getty Images

Montreal is a hockey mecca, and the Bell Centre is considered one of the best arenas to play in.

It's also one of the most intimidating places in the NHL for opposing players.

Yet the Canadiens performed worse at home than on the road last year, and one might wonder why the team plays worse at home.

Shayne Gaumond and Stu Cowan discussed the Canadiens' struggles at the Bell Centre on The Sick Podcast and the reasons why the team plays worse at home.

Last year, the Habs (24-9-8, 56 points) tied for second place with the Stars—trailing only the Avalanche—in road record.

However, the Habs' record in Montreal (24-15-2, 50 points) is much less impressive, ranking them only 12th in the NHL.

In other words, the Canadiens were a middle-of-the-pack team at home last season, and with the Atlantic Division shaping up to be particularly competitive, the club cannot afford to leave so many points on the table in its own arena.

This is even more true in the playoffs, where the Habs managed no better than a 2-6 record, notably dropping games that could have shortened their series against the Lightning and the Sabres.

Yet, over the past two seasons, the team had gone on a streak of just one regulation-time loss in 19 regular-season games played in Montreal.

How can we explain the Canadiens' slump at home when almost every other team performs better in its own arena?

Possibly due to the lack of experience among our core of young players, who may be trying too hard in front of their fans.

Playing in a city like Montreal comes with its share of pressure and expectations from fans and the media—a situation that isn't necessarily easy for young athletes to handle.

The good news is that the Canadiens' players gained a lot of experience and maturity last season, as well as during their playoff run, which should help them better handle the pressure from fans and journalists next season.


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