Habs, Subban sent into All-Star break with jeers: 'They should have booed louder'
The Montreal Canadiens' death spiral continues.
The club lost a second straight 5-2 decision to the NHL-worst Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday, saw its captain Max Pacioretty go down to injury, and the hometown fans weren't happy about, well, any of it.
Down 3-1 in the second period and on another lifeless power play, defenseman P.K. Subban was booed as he carried the puck from behind his net and up the ice. Subban, who will represent the Canadiens and Atlantic Division at the All-Star Game in Nashville on the weekend, had a game to forget, making two costly turnovers that led to goals. And he took out Pacioretty with a slap shot.
The last time the Canadiens lost consecutive games to the team with the fewest points in the league was Feb 1985 against the Leafs.
— Chantal Desjardins (@ChantalOnAir) January 27, 2016
Subban faced the music after the game. He knows the only thing that can stop the Canadiens from losing another game - for now, at least - is the schedule. Montreal doesn't play again until Feb. 2. The break couldn't come at a better time - the Canadiens need to breathe.
"I deserved a couple of boos," Subban said, according to NHL.com's Arpon Basu. "They should have booed louder, to be honest with you. I didn't play well.
"Listen, I'd probably boo too if I was sitting up there watching me do what I was doing tonight. At the end of the day it doesn't matter if they boo me. Obviously I want to play better. I guess the correct answer would be I'm understanding when they boo. I don't want to say it doesn't bother me, but I understand when you make those types of mistakes that cost your team ... I gave (Columbus) two goals, basically two points tonight."
Outscored and embarrassed 10-4 in two games against the bottom-feeders of the league, the Canadiens are struggling immensely. Their 52 points are now good for 11th in the Eastern Conference - the Carolina Hurricanes passed them Tuesday night. And all this only a few days after general manager Marc Bergevin came out and publicly supported his head coach, Michel Therrien.
Bergevin and all the Canadiens have much to think about over the break. Let's be honest: It can - and may - get a lot worse than some booing.