Canadiens get crushed 10-0 by Blue Jackets in first regulation loss of season
The Montreal Canadiens finally suffered their first regulation loss of the season on Friday night, and boy did they ever suffer.
The Blue Jackets handed the Habs a 10-0 loss in Columbus, making some significant history in the process.
Montreal's backup goaltender Al Montoya was between the pipes for all 10 goals against, which means that we can probably expect him to demand a trade to the Colorado Avalanche at some point soon.
In all seriousness, it certainly wasn't Montoya's finest night, but he took one (or 10) for the team as starter Carey Price got a night of rest on the front-end of a back-to-back for the Canadiens. Price will most likely get the start in net against the Flyers on Saturday, and one would assume that things will go a little smoother for Montreal.
Ironically, the blowout loss puts the Canadiens at 9-1-1 on the season, but it may not be an emergency situation just yet. They still hold the top spot in the Eastern Conference and have a lot of early season positives to be proud of, even though this game was certainly not one of them.
As for the Blue Jackets, this was one of the most impressive victories not only in the history of their franchise, but also in the history of the league. It's only the 34th time ever that an NHL team has scored double-digit goals in a shutout effort. All but two skaters in the Blue Jackets' starting lineup recorded a point, with eight players notching a multi-point night.
A 10-0 scoreline would be pretty shocking under any circumstance in hockey, but it was especially surprising in this matchup. The Canadiens have looked like one of the NHL's best teams early on in the season, while many projected the Blue Jackets to finish among the league's worst teams.
The result of one game may not change either of those things in the long run, but it was still an incredibly unexpected result on Friday night.
#CBJ 10, #Habs 0. Not a typo. Most goals in #CBJ history, matches worst defeat in #Candiens history, which is saying something.
— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) November 5, 2016
