Ormer When talking about the Montreal Canadiens’ defense on TSN’s “That’s Hockey” over the weekend, NHL coach Bruce Boudreau did not mince words. After 12 games and a 1-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, Montreal is 4-7-1. Boudreau’s remarks focused on the team’s obvious defensive problems. The coach, who presently works as a commentator for TSN and was sacked in January 2023 after last managing the Vancouver Canucks’ bench, blamed the Habs’ defense corps for their recent defeats. Boudreau remarked, “Teams are really exposing Montreal’s deficiencies,” “They’ve definitely got holes in their game that they’re starting to see.”
This season, the Canadiens have suffered a number of high-scoring losses, including a depressing 7–2 loss to the New York Rangers and an even worse 8–2 loss to the Seattle Kraken the following week. Goalie Samuel Montembeault’s difficulties were also brought up by Boudreau, though the coach admitted that the Canadiens’ defense has exposed him more often than not. “I think Montreal’s in a little bit of trouble because they’re realizing their team is not very good defensively right now,” Boudreau stated.
Martin St. Louis, the head coach of the Canadiens, has responded to the team’s recent setbacks by emphasizing the positives. St. Louis recognized the team’s puck control gains after the defeat to Pittsburgh. “I felt the guys deserved something, we just didn’t get that,” St. Louis stated. However, the league is difficult. It seems like a really positive indication and a positive move. It’s only to keep that up now.I believe we’ll start if we do it. But Boudreau’s criticism and Montreal’s continuous defensive problems have cast doubt on their capacity to turn things around, and enhancing offensive performance won’t always translate into better defensive performance. Last in the Atlantic Division, the Canadiens (4-7-1)
