TRH GAMEDAY 64 – MONTREAL CANADIENS: California Trip
The “California Trip” is seen as one of the toughest three-game stretches that an opposing team faces during the season.
Having to go up against the Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks in four- or five-day span is seen as test to see how a particular team measures up to the very best that the NHL has to offer.
And, tonight, the Montreal Canadiens finish up their California Trip against the LA Kings.
California hasn’t been kind to the Canadiens so far as they were shutout by Sharks and were two minutes away from suffering the same fate at the hands of the Ducks.
It’s not as if the Habs are a bottom-dwelling Eastern Conference team either. With a win against the Ducks, the Canadiens would have had the best record in the NHL. And before this road trip, they had a 19-9-1 record on the road.
So does that mean that the Ducks, Kings and Sharks have been invincible when they host Eastern Conference teams during their California Trip?
Hardly.
| Team | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Bruins | 3-2 L (Ducks) | 2-0 L (Kings) | 7-4 L (Sharks) | 0-3-0 |
| Buffalo Sabres | 4-1 L (Ducks) | 2-0 L (Kings) | 2-1 W (Sharks) | 1-2-0 |
| Columbus Blue Jackets | 5-4 W (Sharks) | 4-1 L (Ducks) | 5-2 L (Kings) | 1-2-0 |
| Detroit Red Wings | 4-3 L (SO) (Ducks) | 1-0 L (Kings) | 3-2 W (Sharks) | 1-1-1 |
| Florida Panthers | 6-2 W (Ducks) | 5-2 L (Kings) | 3-2 W (SO) (Sharks) | 2-1-0 |
| Montreal Canadiens | 4-0 L Sharks) | 3-1 L (Ducks) | March 5 (Kings) | 0-2-0 |
| New Jersey Devils | 5-3 W (Kings) | 5-1 L (Ducks) | 5-2 W (Sharks) | 2-1-0 |
| New York Islanders | 3-1 L (Sharks) | 3-2 W (OT) (Ducks) | 2-1 W (SO) (Kings) | 2-1-0 |
| New York Rangers | 4-1 W (Ducks) | 4-3 W (Kings) | 3-1 W (Sharks) | 3-0-0 |
| Ottawa Senators | 3-0 W (Ducks) | 1-0 W (Kings) | 4-2 W (Sharks) | 3-0-0 |
| Philadelphia Flyers | 2-1 L (Sharks) | 5-4 L (SO) (Ducks) | 2-1 W (Kings) | 1-1-1 |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | March 6 (Ducks) | March 7 (Kings) | March 9 (Sharks) | 0-0-0 |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | 5-2 W (Sharks) | 3-2 L (Kings) | 4-1 W (Ducks) | 2-1-0 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 2-0 L (Kings) | 4-0 L (Ducks) | 3-1 L (Sharks) | 0-3-0 |
| Washington Capitals | 5-4 W (OT) (Sharks) | 3-1 L (Kings) | 5-3 W (Ducks) | 2-1-0 |
| TOTAL | Game 1 7-6-1 | Game 2 3-10-1 | Game 3 9-4-0 | 20-19-2 |
No, that isn’t a sleight at the Carolina Hurricanes. They just happen to be the only Eastern Conference team that didn’t have the California Trip on their schedule. Frankly, I’m sick of the NHL’s pro-Hurricanes agenda.
The Eastern Conference has a respectable 20-19-2 record while on their California Trips this season. And the New York Rangers and mighty Ottawa Senators even managed to go undefeated on their respective road swings.
So what does it all mean?
Maybe the California Trip isn’t as scary as people make it out to be.
More importantly, like with every other game remaining on their schedule, the Kings can’t afford to lose tonight.
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