Marc Dumont
The Montreal Canadiens were in Detroit on Thursday night, facing the Red Wings in a game that was doused in playoff implications.
In the end, the Red Wings emerged with a 3-1 victory, winning one of the most important games of the schedule in the process.
Let’s dive into the highlights!
Throwing Jabs
Neither team managed to break the ice in the first period, as tentative hockey was on the menu, though it must be said the Canadiens did a better job when it came to generating high-danger chances. The Habs held a 5-3 edge in high-quality shots, including a great scoring opportunity for Juraj Slafkovsky that was set up by captain Nick Suzuki.
Hell of a pass by Suzuki to set up Slafkovsky with a great scoring chance. #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/lDiteUfVI0
— Montreal Hockey Now (@MTLhockeynow) March 19, 2026
Powerplay Threat
There’s an adage in hockey that suggests generating Corsis will lead to potential windfalls.
Or, more traditionally, put the puck on net and good things will happen.
The Canadiens don’t really abide by this saying, as they take fewer shots with the man-advantage than most teams in the NHL, despite having a top-10 powerplay.
On Thursday night, we received a prime example of the theory at work, when a low-quality shot from Cole Caufield bounced off John Gibson and landed directly on Slafkovsky’s blade. The 21-year-old Slovak made no mistake, scoring his 25th goal of the year.
If we want to be pedantic, we can describe it as a quick pass by Caufield, rather than a shot, but the point stands.
If you want to take a ride on the river boat, you have to go down to the river.
It’s an important lesson the Canadiens must keep in mind going forward.
More shots. Always more shots.
Juraj Slafkovsky scores his 25th goal of the year to give the #GoHabsGo a 1-0 lead! pic.twitter.com/n1joZ5wiXQ
— Montreal Hockey Now (@MTLhockeynow) March 20, 2026
Coaching Ire
The Red Wings tied the game in the third period when a Patrick Kane point shot hit Jakub Dobes before deflecting off JT Compher, a rather innocuous play all things considered. However, Canadiens head coach Martin St-Louis was irate, with most of his anger seemingly directed toward Alex Newhook, and possibly Ivan Demidov.
Martin St-Louis était furieux au banc après le but des Red Wings 😬 pic.twitter.com/lDM4eP6F8q
— TVA Sports (@TVASports) March 20, 2026
One Mistake Too Many
It was a hard-fought game, which usually requires a bad bounce, or a poor shift, to decide the outcome. In this case, Mike Matheson provided the terrible shift that led directly to Detroit’s first lead of the game, with roughly three minutes left in the third period. They would go on to score an empty-net goal to secure the win shortly thereafter.
Brutal shift for Mike Matheson.
— Montreal Hockey Now (@MTLhockeynow) March 20, 2026
Red Wings take the lead with about 3 minutes left in the 3rd. pic.twitter.com/nvjaEoio8s
The Montreal Canadiens are back in action on Saturday, facing the New York Islanders at the Bell Centre. The puck drop is scheduled for 7 pm ET.
All Montreal Canadiens statistics are 5v5 unless otherwise noted, via Natural Stat Trick.
