Montreal — The 5-1 loss to the Kings didn’t just silence the Bell Centre—it triggered an immediate and forceful reaction from Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis. Less than 12 hours after the defeat, he summoned his team to an urgent 11:30 a.m. practice in Brossard, a move many interpret as a symbolic punishment after the embarrassing performance at home.
The decision came after a night to forget, in which the Kings scored three goals in just four minutes at the start of the second period, leaving the Habs completely disoriented. “We fell asleep at the wheel for three minutes,” St. Louis admitted bluntly, acknowledging that brief lapse was enough to lose control of the game.
The locker room atmosphere was tense. Goalie Samuel Montembeault had a rough night, but St. Louis defended him: “I’m not worried,” he said, shielding his player from criticism. Still, the overall message was clear—there’s no time for self-pity.
Players like Juraj Slafkovsky were pulled from the first line and replaced by Ivan Demidov, a direct wake-up call. Josh Anderson, who scored the team’s only goal, summed it up without filters: “They played a more complete game. They wanted it more than we did.”
This morning’s practice isn’t just a technical session—it’s a declaration of internal war. St. Louis demands an immediate reaction before Thursday’s clash against the Dallas Stars. The margin for error has vanished, and the coach isn’t willing to tolerate another collapse.