Canadiens blow two-goal lead in OT loss: Canadiens morning report

Tuesday night at the Bell Centre, the Canadiens added another frustrating chapter to an early-season pattern. After building a two-goal cushion, Montreal allowed the San Jose Sharks to claw back and eventually fell 4-3 in overtime. As La Presse points out, it’s another blown two-goal lead that ends up costing the Habs a point in the standings.

Dobes’ penalty and Celebrini’s dagger

Sportsnet’s coverage underlines how San Jose completed the comeback, with Macklin Celebrini scoring his second goal of the night at 2:13 of overtime to secure the win. Another Sportsnet highlight shows Jakub Dobes taking an interference penalty while trying to grab Colin Graf, putting the Canadiens down 4-on-3 in overtime and setting the stage for Celebrini’s one-timer winner.

Sportsnet also describes the 4-3 overtime loss as the product of a series of bad decisions, noting that the result will haunt Dobes, a goaltender who badly needed a win. Earlier in the night, another sequence picked up by Sportsnet had a Jake Evans turnover in the Montreal zone gifting Celebrini a clear lane to open the scoring for San Jose.

Eyes on the Prize went as far as to say the Habs did everything in their power to give away a win, a stark assessment that matches the narrative of a team unable to close out games despite stretches of dominance described by La Presse.

Individual flashes and encouraging signs

On the individual front, Sportsnet recently spotlighted a highlight-reel goal from Juraj Slafkovsky, who chipped the puck around Darnell Nurse before beating Alex Nedeljkovic, a reminder of the young winger’s high-end skill. Eyes on the Prize notes that Arber Xhekaj has been simplifying his game and, in doing so, gaining the coaches’ trust, a positive sign for the Canadiens’ blue line.

In the pipeline, Eyes on the Prize points to Luke Mittelstadt providing an early-season lift for the Laval Rocket, while the NHLPA reports that the Heritage Classic experience has Lane Hutson feeling like a kid again, a glimpse into the mindset of one of Montreal’s most intriguing prospects.

Standings check and an unclear schedule

In the Atlantic Division, the Canadiens now sit 7th with a 4-3-2 record and 10 points through 9 games. The next opponent and game date are not yet specified in the information provided, but after another squandered multi-goal lead, tightening up late-game execution will be the obvious focus, regardless of who lines up next on the schedule.