The Montreal Canadiens will complete a long streak of 10 games on opposing rinks on Monday evening by appearing on one of those that have been the least favorable to them in recent years: the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.
Indeed, the Habs hope to curb a series of seven losses at the home of the Minnesota Wild, a drought during which he notably suffered two thaws from 7 to 1.
His last visit to this place dates back to October 20, 2019 and he almost ended his troubles. However, the Montreal club squandered a one-goal lead in the third period to lose 4-3. That night, Keith Kinkaid defended the net for the Bleu-Blanc-Rouge.
Proof of the longevity of this unfortunate streak of the Canadian, his last triumph on the ice of the Wild was obtained on March 20, 2011 in what was a memorable encounter for defenseman PK Subban. The former team number 76 had scored his first career hat trick in the National League to lead his team to a resounding 8-1 victory.
At the time, the Canadiens had Benoit Pouliot, Andrei Kostitsyn, Alex Auld, David Desharnais and James Wisniewski in their roster, not to mention Paul Mara and Nigel Dawes.
Now, head coach Dominique Ducharme’s players can encourage each other by thinking of a few positive elements. Despite several defensive deficiencies, they have added a point to their record in each of their last three outings, including those against the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday and the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday.
Then, speaking of the inhospitable places, the Canadian had managed earlier this season to win a game at the home ground of the San Jose Sharks, where he had not won since November 1999.
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