One shootout victory doesn’t erase defensive breakdowns, fix a struggling power play or suddenly make the Montreal Canadiens a consistent hockey team. Saturday’s 1–0 win over Detroit stopped the bleeding, but let’s not confuse relief with progress. The Canadiens need to prove they can do more than survive.

The warning signs have been there from the start. Montreal lost 6–5 in overtime to Pittsburgh, surrendered six goals in a 6–4 defeat against Carolina, and then watched a 2–0 lead disappear in a 5–2 loss to Nashville. Three different games, but a troublingly familiar story: defensive mistakes, missed opportunities and an inability to dictate the outcome when the pressure rises. (Read our recaps of the Pittsburgh, Carolina and Nashville games.)

And that’s where the questions for Martin St-Louis begin.

When a team repeatedly struggles to protect leads, it’s fair to ask whether the problem is simply execution or whether the system itself needs adjusting. Are the defensemen getting caught out of position? Are forwards doing enough to support the puck in their own zone? And when Montreal has a lead late in a game, does it know how to manage the situation without surrendering control?

The power play presents another problem. Montreal went 0-for-4 against Detroit and has converted just one of its first 17 opportunities. That’s a dismal return for a team with the offensive talent to do better. Too often, the Canadiens appear to lack the urgency and net-front presence needed to turn possession into dangerous scoring chances. Puck movement means very little if it doesn’t force the opposing goaltender to make difficult saves.

The defensive concerns are just as significant. Mike Matheson and Noah Dobson have faced questions about their defensive reliability, while injuries to Ivan Demidov and Samuel Montembeault have further complicated matters (see the full Canadiens injury report). But injuries can’t become a blanket explanation for every shortcoming. Montreal must find a way to limit quality chances and make life easier for its goaltenders.

To be fair, Saturday offered some encouragement. Jacob Fowler stopped all 30 shots he faced, and Zachary Bolduc delivered the shootout winner. Montreal also had three goals disallowed, from Cole Caufield, Zachary Bolduc and Alexandre Texier, including an apparent overtime winner. There was perseverance, and Fowler’s performance was a genuine positive. Still, winning a shootout after a scoreless 65 minutes doesn’t mean the offensive problems have disappeared.

ICYMI: The Canadiens edged the Detroit Red Wings 1-0 in a shootout at the Bell Centre on Saturday.

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) October 11, 2026

The real issue isn’t whether the Canadiens can win an occasional game. It’s whether they can establish a repeatable style of hockey that produces results. That means better decisions with the puck, more disciplined defensive coverage and a power play that actually changes the momentum of a game.

Nobody expects perfection in October, especially from a young Habs team still developing. But there is a difference between growing pains and repeating the same mistakes without meaningful improvement.

Saturday’s victory bought Montreal some breathing room for now, but the question to ask is: are the Canadiens learning from their early-season struggles, or are we watching a team whose problems run deeper than one shootout victory can hide?

More from HABSHQ: see tonight’s Canadiens lineup, the latest injury report, the schedule and the head-to-head records. For official league numbers, check the NHL standings and the Canadiens page on NHL.com.

Written by Enortap