The Montreal Canadiens’ offence hit a wall on Saturday afternoon, completely stymied by St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington in a 2-0 loss at Enterprise Center. The defeat came despite Binnington’s recent struggles and a schedule that appeared to favour the visiting team.
Binnington Bounces Back With Olympic-Calibre Performance
Facing a Canadiens team that had scored 20 goals in its previous four games, Binnington delivered a performance worthy of his recent selection to Team Canada for the upcoming Winter Olympics. The shutout was his first in exactly a year, last achieved against Ottawa on January 3, 2025. This standout game was a stark contrast to his recent record, having won only one of his last seven starts and allowing three or more goals in seven of his last nine.
The Blues, playing their second game in 25 hours after defeating Vegas, entered the contest with the NHL’s worst goal differential at minus-41. The Canadiens, meanwhile, had a day off and an optional practice. The stage seemed set for a Montreal victory, but Binnington had other ideas.
Missed Opportunities and Costly Mistakes Define Habs' Loss
The Canadiens’ frustration began early. Veteran forward Brendan Gallagher hit the post just two minutes into the game, a theme that would continue as he rang the iron again in the third period. Montreal managed only eight shots in the first period, with Gallagher accounting for half of them.
The game’s turning points were self-inflicted wounds. The opening goal came at 15:24 of the first period after a turnover. Zachary Bolduc’s errant cross-ice pass intended for Jayden Struble was intercepted, leading directly to Jonatan Berggren’s goal, his third in eight games since being claimed off waivers from Detroit.
The second period proved more damaging. Despite starting strong, the Canadiens’ power play faltered, going 0-for-4 on the night. The most critical failure was a two-man advantage for 1:37 in the second frame where they generated little. Shortly after that opportunity expired, a turnover by rookie defenceman Lane Hutson led to a shorthanded breakaway goal by Robert Thomas at 10:43, sealing the game for St. Louis.
Road Trip Continues as Habs Look to Rebound in Dallas
The loss marked only the second time this season the Canadiens have been shut out. Despite the setback, Montreal’s record on its season-long seven-game road trip remains a respectable 3-1-2 as it heads to Dallas for the finale on Sunday. The team also reached the midway point of its schedule with a 22-13-6 record, an improvement from the 20-18-3 mark it held at the same point last season.
Captain Nick Suzuki pinpointed the issues post-game. “I thought our execution was poor to start the game,” Suzuki told reporters. “We weren’t able to capitalize on our offensive chances… Five-on-three, if we get one there, it puts us in a lot better spot.”
Forward Juraj Slafkovsky echoed the sentiment, expressing frustration with the power play. “Execution wasn’t there. We should have scored on the power play — that’s for sure,” he said, while looking ahead to the quick turnaround against the Stars.
The Canadiens will need to find their scoring touch quickly, as they were blitzed 7-0 by Dallas the last time the two teams met in Montreal on November 13.
