How the Montreal Canadiens performed without Patrik Laine in 2024-25

The Montreal Canadiens’ turbulent 2024-25 season told two distinct stories. Before Patrik Laine’s arrival on December 3, the team floundered, managing just 8 wins in their first 24 games and appearing destined for another lottery pick. Then Laine stepped onto the Bell Centre ice for his debut against the New York Islanders, and something changed. The Canadiens went 32-15-7 after that game, transforming from playoff hopefuls into legitimate postseason contenders. But what exactly did the Montreal Canadiens performance without Patrik Laine reveal about this young team’s vulnerabilities?

The answer is complicated. While Laine’s arrival coincided with a remarkable turnaround, attributing all of Montreal’s success to one player oversimplifies a multifaceted transformation. The early-season struggles exposed critical weaknesses that went beyond any single absence, yet Laine’s presence undeniably catalyzed a shift in momentum and confidence. Understanding the Montreal Canadiens’ performance without Patrik Laine provides crucial insight into what this team still needs to become a genuine contender in the Eastern Conference.

How the Montreal Canadiens struggled before Laine’s debut

The opening weeks of the 2024-25 season were brutal for Montreal. Through their first 24 games, the Canadiens posted an 8-13-3 record, sitting well outside the playoff picture with just 19 points. The team that had entered the season with genuine optimism about their young core looked disjointed and inconsistent, unable to string together winning streaks or find any semblance of rhythm.

Offensive production proved particularly anemic during this stretch. Montreal managed just 2.54 goals per game in those opening 24 contests, ranking near the bottom of the NHL. The power play, which would later become a strength with Laine quarterbacking the second unit, converted at an abysmal rate under 15 percent. Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki carried much of the offensive burden, but without additional scoring threats, opposing defenses could key in on Montreal’s top line with minimal consequences.

The defensive zone coverage also deteriorated during this period. Goaltender Sam Montembeault faced a barrage of high-quality chances nightly, and while he kept Montreal in several games, the defensive structure in front of him remained porous. The team allowed 3.25 goals per game before Laine’s arrival, putting constant pressure on the goaltending to steal points. Young defensemen like Lane Hutson showed flashes of brilliance, but the backend lacked the steady, veteran presence it would later acquire through the Alexandre Carrier trade.

Perhaps most concerning was the visible lack of confidence permeating the locker room. After losses to teams like Seattle (8-2) and Pittsburgh (9-2), the body language told the story of a team searching for answers. Head coach Martin St. Louis juggled line combinations constantly, trying to spark something—anything—that might generate consistent offense and tighten up the defensive breakdowns that plagued nearly every game.

The December 1 loss to Boston, a 6-3 drubbing at TD Garden, represented the nadir. Montreal’s record stood at 8-16-0, and the season appeared to be slipping away before the calendar even turned to 2025. According to The Hockey Writers, the Canadiens had won only 12 of their first 31 games, battling “inconsistency, defensive lapses, and goaltending instability early on.” The atmosphere around the team grew increasingly pessimistic, with many fans already looking ahead to the draft lottery.

The immediate Laine effect on Montreal’s turnaround

Patrik Laine made his Canadiens debut on December 3, 2024, against the New York Islanders. He scored in a 2-1 overtime victory, and suddenly Montreal had something it hadn’t possessed all season: a genuine second scoring line threat. The psychological lift was immediate and tangible. The Canadiens didn’t just win; they looked different, playing with a swagger and confidence that had been absent for weeks.

The numbers from December 3 onward tell a remarkable story. Montreal compiled a 32-15-7 record after Laine’s debut, accumulating 71 points in 54 games—a 107-point pace over a full season. The offense exploded, averaging 3.26 goals per game during this stretch compared to 2.54 before his arrival. The power play conversion rate jumped dramatically, fueled by Laine’s devastating one-timer from his office on the left circle.

But attributing the entire turnaround to Laine alone ignores other critical factors. Lane Hutson continued his remarkable rookie season, establishing himself as a genuine number-one defenseman despite being just 20 years old. The arrival of Alexandre Carrier from Nashville in late December stabilized the defensive pairings, providing the steady, reliable minutes Montreal desperately needed. Sam Montembeault found his groove in net, posting save percentages well above .900 for extended stretches.

The team’s underlying metrics also improved significantly during this period. Montreal’s Corsi percentage jumped from 48.2% to 51.7%, indicating they were controlling more of the puck and generating better quality chances. The defensive zone breakdowns that plagued the early season became less frequent as St. Louis settled on more consistent line combinations and defensive pairings. According to data from Hockey Reference, the Canadiens finished the regular season 40-31-11, a dramatic improvement from their early-season trajectory.

Laine himself struggled with consistency, posting a minus-14 rating despite his 20 goals in 52 games. His even-strength production remained underwhelming, with just five goals at 5-on-5 play. The power play carried much of his offensive output, where his elite shooting ability made a significant impact. Still, his presence opened up ice for Caufield and Suzuki, forcing opponents to respect multiple threats and spreading defensive attention across two dangerous lines.

The timing of the turnaround also coincided with the team simply getting healthier and younger players gaining more NHL experience. Juraj Slafkovský developed into a consistent top-six presence, using his size and skill to create space for linemates. The chemistry between Suzuki, Caufield, and Slafkovský solidified into one of the league’s more dangerous trios. These developments would have occurred regardless of Laine’s presence, though his arrival certainly accelerated the team’s confidence.

Critical weaknesses exposed by Montreal’s performance without Patrik Laine

The early-season struggles revealed several fundamental issues that even Laine’s arrival couldn’t completely mask. The most glaring problem was the lack of secondary scoring depth. When the top line of Suzuki, Caufield, and Slafkovský wasn’t producing, the rest of the lineup offered little offensive punch. Players like Josh Anderson, Joel Armia, and Christian Dvorak combined for inconsistent contributions, leaving Montreal too dependent on their star players to carry the offensive load night after night.

Special teams performance before Laine’s debut bordered on disastrous. The power play’s inability to convert put enormous pressure on the team to win games at even strength, where they already struggled. The penalty kill also leaked goals at an alarming rate, with opponents converting at over 23% during the opening weeks. These special teams failures turned close games into losses and prevented Montreal from building any sustained momentum.

The defensive structure also crumbled repeatedly without a consistent system. Young defensemen like Arber Xhekaj and Jayden Struble showed promise but lacked the experience to anchor shutdown pairings. Mike Matheson, while offensively gifted, often found himself overmatched in his own zone when forced to play top-pairing minutes against elite opposition. The absence of a true number-one defenseman forced St. Louis into constant shuffling, never allowing pairs to develop chemistry or trust.

Goaltending depth proved problematic as well. While Montembeault eventually found his form, Cayden Primeau struggled mightily in his appearances, posting a 4.70 goals-against average and an .836 save percentage. This lack of a reliable backup meant Montreal couldn’t rest Montembeault adequately during the compressed schedule, potentially contributing to early-season inconsistency. The late-season call-up of Jakub Dobeš from Laval provided some relief, but the goaltending situation remained precarious.

Perhaps most concerning was the team’s road performance. Montreal posted a losing record away from the Bell Centre all season, finishing 19th in the NHL in road wins. This inability to win consistently on the road suggested deeper issues with the team’s maturity and ability to handle adversity. Young teams often struggle in hostile environments, and the Canadiens proved no exception, frequently wilting under pressure in buildings where they lacked crowd support.

The mental fragility displayed during losing streaks also raised questions about the team’s championship pedigree. After the 8-2 loss to Seattle on October 29, the Canadiens dropped six of their next seven games, unable to stop the bleeding or find ways to manufacture wins during difficult stretches. Championship-caliber teams typically respond to adversity with character wins; Montreal’s early-season struggles showed they still lack that hardened mentality.

What the statistics reveal about team composition flaws

Diving deeper into the advanced metrics reveals troubling patterns about Montreal’s construction. The Canadiens’ expected goals percentage (xGF%) sat below 50% through the first quarter of the season, indicating they were being outplayed at even strength regardless of the final scores. This underlying weakness suggested that wins during the early season often came from opportunistic scoring or exceptional goaltending rather than dominant play.

The team’s high-danger chances against spiked during the period without Laine, exposing a defense corps that struggled to box out opponents around the crease. Montreal allowed 13.4 high-danger chances per 60 minutes during the opening weeks, well above the league average of 11.2. This defensive zone coverage breakdown put Montembeault in impossible positions repeatedly, facing point-blank opportunities that even elite goaltenders struggle to stop.

Offensive zone time also suffered dramatically. The Canadiens spent just 51.3% of their five-on-five time in the offensive zone before December, indicating an inability to sustain pressure or maintain puck possession in the attack zone. This lack of sustained offense resulted in a shot differential that heavily favored opponents, forcing Montreal into a reactive, defensive shell that didn’t suit their roster’s skill set.

Individual player metrics highlighted specific problems. Kirby Dach’s minus-29 rating over 57 games revealed his struggles to find consistency after multiple injuries. Alex Newhook’s minus-21 in 82 games suggested defensive zone issues that undermined his offensive contributions. These negative possession players created holes in the lineup that opponents exploited ruthlessly, particularly during the early-season struggles when the team desperately needed every player pulling in the same direction.

The faceoff performance also deserves scrutiny. While Nick Suzuki won 51.6% of his draws and Jake Evans posted 52.9%, the team’s overall faceoff percentage hovered right around 50%. During critical moments late in games or on the penalty kill, this inability to consistently win draws cost Montreal possessions and ultimately points in the standings. Faceoffs often go overlooked, but for a young team trying to establish control, these small margins matter enormously.

The bigger picture for Montreal’s championship timeline

The Canadiens’ journey from lottery team to playoff participant represents significant progress in their rebuilding timeline. General manager Kent Hughes has assembled a young core featuring Suzuki, Caufield, Slafkovský, and Hutson that gives Montreal a foundation to build around. The addition of Ivan Demidov late in the season added another blue-chip prospect to the mix, creating excitement about the franchise’s future trajectory.

However, the early-season struggles without Laine highlighted that this team remains several pieces away from legitimate championship contention. The Eastern Conference features powerhouses like Florida, Carolina, and the New York Rangers—teams with depth, experience, and championship pedigree that Montreal currently lacks. The first-round playoff exit to Washington, where the Canadiens lost in five games, demonstrated the gap between playoff participant and genuine contender.

The upcoming offseason presents crucial decisions for Hughes and the front office. Patrik Laine enters the final year of his contract at an $8.7 million cap hit, requiring a decision on his long-term future. While he provided value during his partial season, his inconsistency and defensive limitations raise questions about committing significant term and money to a player approaching his late twenties. The team must balance win-now additions with maintaining flexibility for their young core’s extensions.

Defensive upgrades remain the most pressing need. While Hutson emerged as a special talent, Montreal still lacks a true shutdown defenseman capable of handling the opponent’s best players nightly. Matheson and Guhle form a solid second pairing, but neither profiles as the number-one guy championship teams typically feature. Addressing this weakness through free agency or trade could dramatically improve the team’s ability to protect leads and win low-scoring games.

According to analysis from Adam Gretz’s Substack, the hardest step in a rebuild comes in progressing from “good” to “contender.” Montreal has successfully climbed from “bad” to “good,” but the next phase requires more difficult decisions about adding expensive veterans, potentially sacrificing draft picks, and committing to a shorter competitive window. The franchise must decide whether to accelerate that timeline or continue a patient approach that allows the young core to develop naturally.

The Montreal Canadiens’ performance without Patrik Laine exposed a team still finding its identity and establishing consistent habits. The dramatic turnaround after his December debut proved that talent matters, but also that young teams can flip a switch when confidence builds and systems solidify. As Montreal enters the 2025-26 season with playoff experience under their belts and another year of development for their core, expectations will shift from “exceeding expectations” to “legitimate contender.” Whether they can meet those heightened expectations depends on addressing the weaknesses that nearly derailed their entire season before Laine ever stepped on the ice.