Montreal Canadiens lose in overtime to Columbus, but the underlying numbers tell a winning-caliber story. Should fans celebrate a loss that showed dominant 5-on-5 play?
We break down why the Canadiens' performance against the Blue Jackets represents real progress despite the final score. The analysis covers Juraj Slafkovsky's physical dominance after his line change, Lane Hutson's exceptional defensive performance that doubled his teammates' advanced metrics, and Mike Matheson's renewed excellence alongside Noah Dobson. Key discussions include why the team controlled 70% of expected goals at 5-on-5, the failed Zach Bolduc experiment on the top line with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield, and necessary roster adjustments including potential waiver claim John Beecher. The hosts examine Jakub Dobes' goaltending, Ivan Demidov's chemistry with Slafkovsky, and why focusing on process metrics matters more than results for a developing playoff contender.
Discover why the advanced stats reveal a completely different game than the scoreboard showed.

0:00 Intro
1:06 Positive reaction to overtime loss
3:50 Canadiens controlled play at 5-on-5
7:36 Evaluating Dobes' solid goaltending performance
10:11 Slafkovsky and Hutson shine despite result
13:38 Slafkovsky drives second line effectively
17:21 Lane Hutson's dominant five-game score performance
20:03 Hutson's positioning and defensive instincts
24:11 John Beecher waiver claim possibility
26:16 Top line struggles and lineup adjustments
29:01 Improved offensive zone cycle game

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