Rebuilds are never ideal. Conceding to a rebuild means admitting your team can no longer succeed as constructed, and the only way to fix it is to press the reset button.
Most fans understand that a rebuild can be a long process. They also should realize, that process does not follow a flat trend line. It is a journey full of highs and lows. Moments of hope and optimism are mirrored by moments of disappointment and confusion.
If there has been a clear low point to the Canadiens’ rebuild, it was last Thursday night at the Bell Centre. A 9-2 drubbing at the hands of Pittsburgh Penguins. It was a performance so abominable that many in attendance exited early en masse. Jeers reigned down on the home team. In the aftermath, the team faced the damning accusation that they “quit.” Whether that indictment is true, it’s hard to deny the third period was ugly. As Kevin McCallister’s older sister in Home Alone declares, the Habs were “what the French call les incompetents.”
That performance had all the classic flaws: poor defensive play, overwhelmed goaltending, disengagement, and lack of effort. In recent memory, it would be hard to think of a lower point for the team. Samuel Montembeault was pulled, and while this helped avoid a 1995 Patrick Roy-esque humiliation, Cayden Primeau became the sacrificial offering. The 25-year-old netminder–already struggling with on-ice performance and confidence–ceded three goals on seven shots. Both faced a deluge of high-danger chances, with little support from the defence in front of them. Not exactly prime conditions for building confidence.
There were moments during the final frame when it appeared the Canadiens had simply given up. The body language from the ice and the bench was discouraging. The performance raises hard questions like, who will rise against adversity? Does the young core have the resolve to fight back in tough times? Are the veterans setting a good example?
Morale amongst Habs fans was strong after watching the team win three of their last four games before that game. But last Thursday was a stark reminder that the franchise is still deep in the rebuilding phase.
A successful rebuild is more than just accumulating players and draft picks; it’s about building a winning culture. In my opinion, no team in the NHL (or perhaps any professional sport) is built on a culture quite like the Montreal Canadiens. Tradition, excellence, and resilience have been, and should remain, the pillars of the organization. They are Les Glorieux. They are supposed to hold the torch high. A rebuild period is not judged solely on wins and losses. How a team handles losses, and how they hard compete contribute to player growth and future success.
The beating from Pittsburgh may be the lowest point of the Habs’ rebuild, but hopefully, it also serves as a wake-up call. The team has to find a way to learn from this defeat. They should remember the disappointment, the embarrassment, and the outrage to use as fuel. They can regroup, reassess, and establish a forward path that builds confidence in the players and the fans.
I still have great faith in the Habs’ rebuild and future outlook. It was encouraging to see a stronger performance in Winnipeg following the Penguins disaster while they also played well against Buffalo on Tuesday. It won’t always look great, but good things happen to those who wait, even if it is sometimes hard to watch.
