The Montreal Canadiens were absolutely desperate to snap a two-game skid when they hosted the Nashville Predators on Thursday night, but despite holding an early lead and an edge in shots, they still fell 5-2. It was a brutal result for a team looking to get back on track.
Lineup Shakes and Early Jolt
Before puck drop, the Canadiens made some serious lineup changes, trying to find that winning formula. The top line saw a reunion of Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Juraj Slafkovsky, which is always exciting to see. Chris Kreider moved down to the second line, playing alongside Alex Newhook and Josh Anderson. On defense, the team decided to split up the Mike Matheson and Noah Dobson pairing, which honestly, felt like a smart move given their “underwhelming statistics” over the past year. Lane Hutson was paired with Dobson on the top pairing, while Matheson played with Alexandre Carrier. Adam Engstrom, making his season debut, joined Arber Xhekaj. And in net, young Jacob Fowler got the call, stepping in after Samuel Montembeault went down with an injury.
The Habs actually started with some fire. Chris Kreider looked like he had the opening goal, taking advantage of some weak Nashville D, but it got called back for offside. Still, a good sign for a team that desperately needs to generate high-danger scoring chances. The momentum stuck around though, and Captain Nick Suzuki delivered, sniping his third goal of the season. That’s his seventh point already, showing why he’s the guy driving the offense. He even got some help from Noah Dobson, whose excellent pressure forced the turnover that led to the score.
The Second Period Curse Strikes Again
Josh Anderson, that veteran who never shies away from the tough stuff, put in some serious work. His endless energy and sustained forecheck led directly to Montreal’s second goal of the game, a sweet finish from Newfoundlander Alex Newhook for his first of the season. That goal was HUGE, not just for the two-goal lead it gave them, but also because, let’s be real, the Canadiens have been abysmal in second periods for about a year now.
You’d think a two-goal lead and only three high-danger chances allowed midway through the game , a big step up from the Carolina game where they gave up almost a dozen high-quality shots in the same stretch , would mean things were looking up. But nope. The “second period collapse” headline says it all. Despite those early positives, they just couldn’t hold on, ending up with a frustrating 5-2 loss. It’s tough to see them struggle with the same old demons.
This team needs to figure out how to put a full 60 minutes together. They’ve dropped two straight before this one, and the frustration is mounting. The search for a consistent win is clearly still on.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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