"MSL is a clown": Canadiens fans bash HC Martin St. Louis for his post-game assessment after 4-1 loss to Flyers

The Montreal Canadiens’ 4-1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday night drew sharp criticism from fans directed less at the result itself and more at head coach Martin St. Louis’ post-game evaluation.

Following the defeat at the Bell Centre, St. Louis framed the performance as a step in the right direction despite the scoreline.

“In terms of the things we talk about, consistency and maturity, I thought in the last two games, we played a mature game tonight,” St. Louis said. “We didn’t give up much to Philadelphia. We were just a little bit unlucky.”

That assessment did not resonate with much of the fan base. On X, fans openly challenged St. Louis’ characterization of the loss as “unlucky” pointing instead to systemic issues.

“😂😂😂 10 shots over two periods! Unlucky? MSL is a clown,” one fan wrote.

Another user questioned late-game decisions:

“Unlucky? 😭 proceeds to put Gally on the ice at the end of the game when down by 2.”

Several comments focused on offensive philosophy and in-game adjustments or the lack thereof.

“This ain’t being unlucky. You might win 1 of the 10 games you play with 10 shots after 2 periods. This team is trying to be fancy. They need to get back to the basics.” “When are they going to start doing what they talk about. These efforts happening way too often, especially at home. Have the got the right players for the ask. Should be some accountability if they can’t,” wrote one user.

Concerns about lineup usage and tactical changes while trailing also surfaced.

Montreal generated limited offense for long stretches on the night, managing just 10 shots through the first two periods and struggled to create sustained pressure at five-on-five.

After Alexandre Texier opened the scoring late in the first period, the Flyers responded quickly and controlled the game flow exploiting the turnovers and defensive lapses. Philadelphia then scored three unanswered goals before sealing the win with an empty-netter late in the third.

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Canadiens' Jacob Fowler address his turnover leading to Flyers goal

After the loss, Canadiens goaltender Jacob Fowler addressed his turnover that directly led to a Flyers goal.

Late in the second period, Fowler mishandled the puck behind his net which allowed Philadelphia's Matvei Michkov to jump on the loose puck and set up Bobby Brink, whose goal put the Flyers up 3-1.

Fowler acknowledged the mistake postgame noting it was uncommon for him and something he intends to learn from quickly.

“Learn from it. I haven’t given up many of those in my career. Hopefully that’s the last one. Learn from it, get back on the ice tomorrow, and move forward,” he said.

The loss dropped the Canadiens to 8-9-1 at home this season. Their .472 home points percentage now ranks among the lowest in the NHL.

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Edited by Anjum Rajonno