A lot can happen in 10 months. The last time I wrote a game recap for the Montreal Canadiens, Jeff Gorton had just been hired to be the new link between management and ownership. In a corresponding move, Marc Bergevin had just been let go and his replacement, the former agent Kent Hughes, was yet a few weeks from being named his successor.
In December, 2021, Dominique Ducharme was still the head coach, being less than half a year removed from a Stanley Cup berth. In the lineup, Kale Clague was making his first start after being claimed off the waiver wire.