Well, that didn’t seem to fix the problem.
On Thursday night, the Montreal Canadiens visited the Winnipeg Jets with their new head coach, Dominique Ducharme. The Habs had a 2-0 lead then a 3-1 lead before surrendering five straight goals in a 6-3 loss.
“I think I saw the guys playing better in the first half of the game, and then we cracked,” Ducharme said. “So we’ve got to be playing the same way that we started.”
Connor Hellebuyck made 18 saves in the win.
Joel Armia scored two goals to give the Canadiens a two-goal lead.
Tomas Tatar scored for Montreal after the Jets had cut into the early lead.
“I think perseverance is a key factor in winning hockey games,” the Jets’ Pierre-Luc Dubois said. “I think the more you go through it throughout the season, the more prepared you are for the playoffs. If you don’t get those couple good bounces in the first period, you’re not fazed by it … You want to go back to the second period and go back to your game. We showed that tonight.”
Dubois and Mark Scheifele each had goals in for the Jets.
Kyle Connor struck for a pair of goals Winnipeg.
“If we have the puck it’s tough for them to score, and I think that’s kind of our mentality,” Connor said. “I think our offensive-zone game is pretty elite in this division and through the NHL. We’re a pretty good, talented team up front and I think it’s tough to generate chances if we’re in your zone for 20-30 seconds.”
Connor started the five-goal outburst over the second and third periods to get the Jets within 3-2, and Blake Wheeler tied it at 3-3.
“That’s the biggest reaction on the bench, is when a guy like [Thompson] scores and it’s his old team and it ends up being the game-winner and you’ve clawed your way back,” Jets head coach Paul Maurice said. “When you block shots for a living and when your lot in life is that you’ve got to do the hard and heavy things, it’s good not just to score, but to score the big goal.”
Nate Thompson put the Jets ahead in the third period at 4-3.
Carey Price made 25 saves in the loss.
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