Canadiens Win but Barely: Control Didn’t Become Comfort
Montreal out-shot and out-chanced Detroit all night, yet a one-goal result left the margin razor-thin
Montreal controlled the flow but never turned it into breathing-room scoring.
The Canadiens produced the better chance volume and quality — a 59.4% share of shot attempts and an expected-goals edge (4.27 to 3.90) while firing 30 shots on goal — yet left the scoreboard at a single goal. That gap shows up in two places: Detroit generated more high-danger looks (15 to Montreal’s 11), meaning defensive lapses allowed the tougher chances against, and Montreal’s finishing failed to convert its volume into multi-goal cushions.
Both goalies finished perfect on the scoresheet (30 saves each), so Montreal’s defense didn’t get the quiet night it might have deserved given puck control. Special teams didn’t tilt things either — both clubs were 0 for 4 on the power play. Coaching will want crisper defensive detail in those moments that produced Detroit’s high-danger chances and cleaner finishing on the chances Montreal already creates.