Montembault deserves immense credit for essentially stealing 3 goals from us.
Yes, we played sloppy, but that's still getting goalied. Both can be true.
The sloppiness was on defense. Goals given up to guys coming in unmarked late. As Chico just pointed out, multiple goals scored by guys who didn’t have a Devil within 6 feet of them when they shot the puck. Everyone defending on one side of the ice while Montreal players are alone on the other side. Siegs already defending a 2 on 1 when the puck gets passed clean through him for a tap in.
Montreal took it to us and outskated us from the opening puck drop. We didn’t have the focus we needed. And that happens sometimes this time of year, particularly against a young and motivated team like the Habs who have nothing to lose.
Classically, the first game back from a long road trip is the fatigue “let down” game. But playing back to back against Winnipeg, after we beat the Pens, we came home and didn’t let down on Sunday. The back to back nature of the games seemed to let us sustain the play we had in Pittsburgh.
Tonight - the second game at home after the 4 games on the road - was the post road trip letdown. Mentally even more than physically and especially in our defensive focus.
