"Hope to God the PP will not be this bad": Habs fans frustrated as Montreal Canadiens finish preseason with 4-2 loss to Ottawa Senators

Montreal Canadiens fans felt frustrated after the team ended their preseason with a 4-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Saturday at the Canadian Tire Centre. This result gave the Canadiens a 2-4-0 preseason record, leaving some fans worried about the team's form going into the regular season.

Head coach Martin St. Louis shared before the game that his priority was keeping players healthy, not the result. From that perspective, the game was successful, as all 20 players finished injury-free. For St-Louis, staying healthy before the regular season was the main goal, and that was accomplished.

Christian Dvorak and Arber Xhekaj scored the only goals for the Montreal Canadiens, but offense remains a concern for many fans. After an emotional preseason, the team still needs to work on finding consistent scoring.

Despite the focus on health, the 2-4-0 record frustrated some fans on X (formerly Twitter).

"Hope to god the powerplay will not be this bad (not holding hopes too high)," one fan said.

"Anyone that says a habs player was amazing tonight or deserved a roster spot (rookies) is completely out to lunch," another fan commented.

"The good - preseason game, so it doesn't count. The bad - we'll all wish the regular season won't count. It'll be another long year. But at least they'll probably get another top 5 or 7 pick," one X user said.

Take a look at some more reactions from fans on X.

"I’m not doing this again.. the best team in nhl history, and in my lifetime they pull this..," a fan said.

"No kidding. What a dogsh*t goonshow. Can't even let the big boys get their reps in anymore," a fan commented.

"It’s not like your regular season will be any better," a fan tweeted.

The Montreal Canadiens will begin their 2024-25 season at home on Wednesday against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Montreal Canadiens' February matchups and playoff hopes without Patrik Laine

The Montreal Canadiens aim to end their three-year playoff absence this season. However, they will be without Patrik Laine for two to three months due to injury. February has a lighter schedule with eight games, split evenly between home and away, plus a two-week break for the 4 Nations Face-off at the Bell Centre.

Key games include two against the San Jose Sharks on Feb. 4 and Feb. 27, featuring top draft pick Macklin Celebrini. The Canadiens will also face the Tampa Bay Lightning on Feb. 9, though Steven Stamkos is no longer on the roster.

The month wraps up with a game against the Ottawa Senators on Feb. 22.