In the movie Slap throwwe hear Chiefs goalie Denis Lemieux say “I’m going to Florida, that’s where the motton is.” Not sure that Samuel Montembeault said the same thing to himself when he got up this morning.
Let’s agree, he started his career with the Panthers and perhaps still has friends there, but that’s not the question.
Since we’re letting the characters speak, let’s quote another great sage: Junior Bougon.
“What we mean by what we mean” is that end-of-year trips to Florida have been particularly difficult for the Canadian in recent years.
Eight defeats
The tradition of visits to Florida between Christmas and New Year’s Day dates back to 2005. At that time, things were going pretty well for the Habs, but we’ll come back to that.
For now, let’s focus on the last Florida excursions of Sainte-Flanelle who suffered setbacks in each of their last eight matches in the Sunshine State as part of these holiday trips.
The team’s last victory was a 5-3 victory over the Panthers on December 28, 2018. The last victory in Tampa? December 28, 2015.
Numerology enthusiasts will be happy to know that the Canadian faces the Panthers on the 28th this year.
There was a time…
The last few years have therefore been hard for the Canadian when he went to see his Florida supporters at the end of December.
We have to go back to 2009, the team’s centenary year, for it to win its two matches under the sun during the same trip. It’s starting to be a long time coming.
It was also the end of a certain golden age for the team during these trips. Because at the beginning, things were going pretty well.
In fact, the team achieved the double during its visits in 2007, 2008 and 2009, totaling seven victories in a row until 2010.
And since 2005, these visits to the two Florida teams have only been interrupted by the lockout of 2012 and the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. In 2014, exceptionally, the Canadian had only visited the Panthers. Over the years it has also often happened that the team has made a stop in Carolina during this trip.
No difference
Did the Canadian have more trouble against the Panthers or against the Lightning? We could say that it’s “four and thirty cents for a piasse” in this case.
Indeed, the Habs have accumulated as many points at Sunrise as on the edge of Tampa Bay, i.e. 14. The record in Tampa: six victories, eight defeats, two defeats in overtime. At Sunrise: seven wins and ten losses.
All this gives an overall record of 13 wins, 18 losses and 2 overtime losses. It’s not catastrophic, but the problem is that there is a balance between the successes of the first years and the difficulties of recent years.
In terms of goals scored, the Canadian was largely dominated by his Florida opponents. He scored 83 goals and allowed 107.
In short, we don’t know if it’s in Florida “where the motton is”, but that’s where the Canadian will have to shine to get off to a good start on a five-game trip which will then take him to Vegas, Chicago and Denver.
Florida Holiday Travel by the Numbers
Eight consecutive defeats since 2019
Last win against the Panthers: Dec. 28 2018
Last win against the Lightning: Dec. 28 2015
Sheet since 2005: 13 V 18 D 2 Def. in prol.
BP: 83
BC: 107
