Stu Cowan: Canadians trying to build first winning streak of season

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A game.

That’s the longest winning streak the Canadians have had this season compiling a 5-13-2 record, which puts them 29th overall in the NHL. At a quarter of the season, the Canadiens are on track to finish with 49 points, about half of what it will likely take to make the playoffs.

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The first four times the Canadiens had a chance to win two in a row they lost 5-1 to Seattle Kraken, 5-2 to the Los Angeles Kings, 6-2 to the New York Islanders and 3-2 in overtime to the Red Wings of Detroit.

The Canadiens, coming off a 6-3 win over the Nashville Predators on Saturday night at the Bell Center, will have a fifth chance to win two in a row on Wednesday when they face the Capitals in Washington. (7 pm, SNE, RDS, TSN 690 Radio, 98.5 FM) in the first of three consecutive away games. The Canadiens are 1-7-1 on the road this season.

The Capitals are 11-3-5, are 6-1-1 in their last eight games while outscoring the opposition 27-15 and are 5-1-3 at home. Alex Ovechkin leads the Capitals in scoring with totals of 15-15-30, ranking third in the NHL through Sunday’s games. Nick Suzuki leads the Canadiens in scoring with totals of 10-4-14, tied for 70th in the NHL.

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After facing Washington, the Canadiens will play back-to-back games against the Buffalo Sabers on Friday and the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday. This will be a tough week to put together a winning streak.

When the Canadiens win, they win big, beating the opposition 23-6 in their five wins. When they lose, they lose big, are outscored 64-21 and never score more than two goals in any of their 15 losses.

Winning back-to-back games has been a problem for the Canadiens since last season, when their longest winning streak was three games, something they accomplished three times. They also had two two-game winning streaks, but ended the season winless in their last five games (0-3-2), reaching the playoffs with a 24-21-11 record. They had a seven-game winning streak during the playoffs en route to the Stanley Cup final.

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The Canadiens need another seven-game winning streak this season (or more) to have any hope of entering the playoff race. It seems highly unlikely the way this team has been playing.

In an interview with Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic last Friday, General manager Marc Bergevin said the brief change after last season’s long playoff streak and the loss of key players like Carey Price, Shea Weber and Joel Edmundson didn’t help the current situation, but added: “I don’t think justify the beginning we have. I’m having “.

Price hasn’t skated since last Monday and is still working out in the gym to get in shape after off-season knee surgery, followed by 30 days in the NHL / NHLPA player assistance program that addresses substance use. . He’s not even close to coming back. Weber’s career is probably over due to injuries, while Edmundson will only rejoin the team next week at the earliest after his injury.

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Players who are healthy do not seem ready to play for too many nights.

“We didn’t get engaged from day one of (training) field,” Bergevin told LeBrun. “And it lasted until the beginning of the season. And we are paying the price. It’s hard to see when the team that was so good for two and a half months in the playoffs falls flat on its face since the start of the season. It’s hard to understand. “

Bergevin added that Dominique Ducharme’s job security is not in question “at this time,” noting that he did not become a bad coach after the Stanley Cup final.

“He’s not just one person,” Bergevin said. “It is not just a problem.”

One of the biggest problems is the uncertainty surrounding Bergevin’s future as he is in the final season of his contract.

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Defender Chris Wideman believes Saturday’s win is something to build on, and not just because of the final score.

“Winning on a Saturday night at the Bell Center is unbelievable,” Wideman said after intense, fast-paced practice Monday at Brossard. “That is always a great moment. But if you look back at the game, there were four or five scrums where the guys were in it with one guy on their team or two guys on their team. And then you look two seconds later and we had all five guys there. Guys defend each other and that’s what you want.

“Yeah the goals are great and Monty (goalkeeper Sam Montembeault) made some amazing saves and we made some great plays as a team, but the guys defend each other and go in and chase the other team, that’s what makes it fun. ”Wideman added. “That’s where you see the group of guys coming together, defending themselves, protecting each other, that’s good.”

Two wins in a row would be better.

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