The scoreboard in Denver glowed mercilessly: 7-2, Avalanche. But the real story of the Montreal Canadiens’ disastrous afternoon began with a single, jarring image—Martin St-Louis, arms folded, gaze fixed somewhere between frustration and disbelief, as his team unraveled shift by shift. The scene captured not just the pain of defeat, but the simmering questions now swirling around the Habs’ top six and the man tasked with leading them.

From the opening faceoff, it was clear the Canadiens were in trouble. Colorado pressed relentlessly, exploiting every crack in Montreal’s structure, and by the time the second period began, fatigue and confusion had set in. Goaltender Jakub Dobes was left exposed again and again, facing a barrage of high-danger chances as teammates scrambled to recover from blown assignments. Each Avalanche goal seemed to strip away another layer of confidence, leaving the Habs visibly shaken and the coaching staff searching for answers.

But while the loss itself was brutal, the fallout online was even more explosive. As social media lit up with criticism, one post cut through the noise: “Kapanen is now a clear weak link in the top 6.” The words, shared by Jordan Decker, echoed across fan forums and media outlets, igniting a fierce debate about the center’s place alongside Juraj Slafkovsky and Ivan Demidov. The contrast was glaring—Slafkovsky surged with energy and creativity, Demidov found ways to generate offense, but Kapanen struggled to keep pace, his impact fading into the background.

The scrutiny intensified with every replay, every stat line, and every frustrated comment from the locker room. Josh Anderson, speaking candidly after the game, didn’t mince words: “None of those goals were Dobes’ fault. It’s on us, the players, to be harder to play against.” The sentiment was echoed by St-Louis, who acknowledged a strong start but lamented the team’s lack of attention to detail and their tendency to chase the game, trying to solve everything with one desperate play.

For Montreal fans, the questions are urgent and unsettling. Is Kapanen truly the weak link holding back the top six? Can St-Louis find a solution before the next setback becomes a trend? And what does this defeat mean for a team that, until now, seemed to be finding its stride on a challenging Western road trip?

Yet, beneath the frustration, there’s a sense of opportunity—a chance for St-Louis and his staff to reevaluate, regroup, and prove that this loss was just a blip, not a warning sign of deeper issues. The spotlight is harsh, the criticism loud, but the road ahead is still open. As the Canadiens prepare for their next test, all eyes remain locked on the lineup decisions that could define the season—and on the coach whose next move may determine whether Montreal rebounds or unravels.

Photo of Martin St-Louis

Photo credit: All Montreal Hockey / NHL

After a tough night for the Montreal Canadiens in Colorado, marked by a 7-2 loss and struggles across the lineup, one simple social-media post drew significant attention.

The Habs were dominated from start to finish yesterday afternoon. The structure never held, and the Avalanche took advantage of every mistake. You could sense a team that was tired and overwhelmed. Dobes was left alone far too often.

The result: a 7-2 that was very hard to watch. In a loss like that, as we know, the criticism comes quickly. And yesterday, it was Oliver Kapanen who took a big hit.

A debate surrounding Oliver Kapanen and the top six

The reaction from fans exploded when several observers wrote that Kapanen was a weak link in the top six.

“Kapanen is now a clear weak link in the top 6.” – Jordan Decker

The line he plays on seems to depend heavily on Slafkovsky and Demidov. When Slaf is going like he was yesterday, the contrast becomes clear. That’s when the conclusion hits harder. You quickly realize that a better center could change everything for this line.

After the loss, the post-game comments from Josh Anderson summed up the frustration well. He said in a very honest moment:

“We were confident at the start of the game,” said Canadiens forward Josh Anderson. “There was a bad bounce on the second goal. We didn’t like the call, but we were down 2-0, then 3-0. We should have found a way to help Dobes tonight. None of those goals were his fault. It’s on us, the players, to be harder to play against.” – Josh Anderson

On his end, here is what Martin St-Louis said:

“I think we had a very good start to the game, but we made a few mistakes and they made us pay,” said Montreal head coach Martin St-Louis.

“They then scored right after a faceoff, and we started playing catch-up hockey, trying to do too much. Our lack of attention to detail from that moment on hurt us. We were trying to do everything in a single play.”

“Our details have to be better for the next match. If you have 2-3 matches with these elements of details, it’s going to be a setback.” – Martin St-Louis

A game to forget for the Habs, but still a good road trip out West!