from Stu Cowan of the Montreal Gazette,

Canadiens fans can be forgiven if they’re now thinking the first 10 games this season might have only been a dream.

The Canadiens started the season with a 7-1-2 record while outscoring the opposition 44-27.

Spotlight on Canadiens’ 2021 disappointments | HI/O Bonus

Since then, the Canadiens have a 13-16-7 record and have been outscored 108-90. They now have a minus-1 goal differential for the season.

The Canadiens had a 9-5-4 record with Claude Julien as head coach and are now 11-12-5 under interim head coach Dominique Ducharme following Saturday night’s 5-2 loss to the Flames in Calgary. This team has been getting worse instead of better as the season goes on.

While Canadiens fans might have been dreaming about a 25th Stanley Cup 10 games into the season, missing the playoffs now looks like a real possibility. After two wins in two nights over the Canadiens, the Flames are only four points behind in the chase for the fourth and final playoff spot in the North Division with Montreal holding one game in hand.

The final game of this three-game series Monday night in Calgary (6:30 p.m., TSN2, RDS, TSN 690 Radio, 98.5 FM) will be huge.

continued