Sebastian Aho scored a goal right away, and Martin St-Louis watched as the Canadiens fell apart in a 4-0 defeat at the Bell Centre.
The final score made the situation seem even worse. Montreal was already struggling after a first period that left fans disappointed and the team looking for solutions.
Aho scored on a power play at 14:59 into the game. Then, just over a minute later, Jordan Staal made it 2-0, and Logan Stankoven added another goal at 17:46 to make it 3-0.
Is Martin St-Louis Losing Support? Canadiens Fans Share Tough Opinions After Game 4 Loss
That quick scoring of three goals in less than three minutes changed everything. Carolina took control, and the Canadiens couldn’t keep up.
The stats from the first period showed the problem quickly. The Hurricanes had 13 shots on goal, while Montreal managed just 5.
This difference matched what everyone could see. Carolina was winning races for pucks, getting to loose pucks first, and making Montreal’s defense make quick decisions in their zone.
The pressure on Martin St-Louis is increasing.
Once the game ended at 4-0, the talk about Martin St-Louis got even louder.
St-Louis faced a lot of criticism on social media, much of which we can’t share due to bad language.
Social media turned negative very quickly, with fans and reporters criticizing the coach harshly.
No thanks. I don’t want to hear him talk about discipline or motivation. He always blames everyone but himself and his weak strategies.
No thanks. . .
The only way I’ll listen on Friday is if both Xhekaj and Gallagher are back.
If not, see you next year, @CanadiensMTL.
A big reason for that anger was related to the team’s lineup. Arber Xhekaj, Brendan Gallagher, and Oliver Kapanen were left out once more, even though there were calls for a change after the last game.
St-Louis remained with his usual team, and that decision had serious consequences. When a team gets beaten at their home in such an important game, every coaching choice gets scrutinized closely.
Lane Hutson continued to stand out in a tough game.
Carolina’s quickness kept spreading the play wide and then moving it back into dangerous zones, and Montreal never seemed calm on their defense.
The bigger problem right now is the series.
Carolina is up 3-1, which means the Canadiens are just one loss away from finishing their season and it adds even more pressure for the next game lineup.
St-Louis is now facing a lot of pressure as he prepares for the next match. In Montreal, being shut out is already really bad.
Being shut out 4-0 after a disastrous first period and not changing anything makes the criticism impossible to ignore.
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