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Canadiens' New Year Resolutions

The 2024-25 season hasn't been a walk in the park for the Montreal Canadiens. It's been a tough three months, from the Habs brass saying they hoped to be "in the mix" at the season-launching golf tournament to the Patrik Laine injury to the multiple games in which the wheels came off the wagon. There have been a lot of lows.

Here are three resolutions that could help the Canadiens make their fans happy in the second half of the season:

1. Play 60 minutes (minimum)

Too often this year, the Canadiens have played well for parts of the game but not for the whole 60 minutes, and it has cost them. At times, they weren't ready when the puck dropped, and the other team had taken a three-goal lead quicker than it takes the average hockey fan to drink their overpriced beer at the Bell Centre.

Other times, they took a period off in the second or the third, destroying an outstanding effort up to that point; you don't need to go very far to reach the last occurrence; the spectacular collapse against the Pittsburgh Penguins cannot be forgotten.

2. Learn To Shake It Off

No, I don't mean the choreography of Taylor Swift's popular 2014 song. I mean, one mistake is not the end of the world once you learn to get over it and refocus. All too often, for the Canadiens, a mistake leads to another one and another, and the wheels just come off the wagon as the team unravels.

Related: Canadiens: Too Many Lopsided Losses

Since that's part of learning how to win, it should already be relatively high on the Canadiens' to-do list, but a reminder never hurts.

3. Keeping Their Head Up

This should be on every player's list, really. Rookies and young players often look down at the puck or at their pass as it reaches its target, and that's dangerous. It's a shame, but with players like the Anaheim Ducks' Jacob Trouba in the league, safety dictates players be on their guard at all times.

Related: Canadiens: Champions' Night Before Big Defeat

This season, we've seen Justin Barron be obliterated by one of his hits. A couple of seasons ago, Juraj Slafkovsky had the bad habit of looking down at the puck, and while he's mainly over it, he does forget at times.

Keeping those three resolutions would ensure a much better second half of the season for both the Canadiens and their fans, wouldn't you agree?

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