MANHATTAN — This was a disappointing night for the Montreal Canadiens, and not just because they squandered two big leads they barely earned in a 5-4 overtime loss to the New York Rangers.

No, what was even more disappointing was that some of the Canadiens viewed it as a game they should’ve won but lost.

The truth is they deserved to lose.

The Canadiens started poorly, despite Zachary Bolduc later referring to it as “a good start.” They mismanaged the puck from the second it dropped at centre ice, enabling the skilled Rangers to set up camp in their zone. And even if they didn’t give up a goal while failing to generate a shot through the first 12:40 of the game, they gave up more than enough chances to be trailing by more than one.

Conflating a 3-0 lead with a “good start” because Bold

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