One wonders what Dominique Ducharme can think of when he sees the Canadian playing these days.
Updated yesterday at 11:39 p.m.
If it is, Ducharme doesn’t know, because right now he might be on a beach in Mexico, with a Bob Marley CD in the player of the rental car. And why not ? We, in any case, that’s what we would do in his place.
But if he watches the games, like Monday night’s game at the Bell Centre, for example, the former coach must ask only one question: but who are these guys, exactly?
This time, it was another victory, a third in a row (unheard of this season), by a score of 5-2 against the Toronto Maple Leafs. This is already surprising, but what is surprising above all is the sudden awakening of some guys.
Cole Caufield, for example.
“The coach trusts me and he puts me in situations to be successful, explained the young striker on Monday evening. That’s what’s most important to me. »
It’s funny, because under Ducharme, Caufield had become a fourth-line player, who would soon have to take the metro to Montmorency station. But here he is invigorated, full of confidence, he who is in the process of regaining his form of the spring of 2021. In his last six games, the first six of Martin St-Louis at the helm, the small forward has a record of five goals and two assists for seven points.
And what did Martin St-Louis do so different with Cole Caufield, exactly?
“I don’t think I did much,” replied the coach. Sometimes it’s just to restart the psychological side; a fresh start can do that. I find that Cole plays more freely. He makes his mistakes sometimes, but he does a lot more good things than mistakes, and as a coach, you have to live with mistakes like that. »
Last spring had already shown us that Caufield and his friend Nick Suzuki make a perfect pair, but with Josh Anderson to complete it, it’s even better. The three players collected a total of 7 points on this festive Monday evening in front of 50% of the public at the Bell Center, and an announced crowd of 10,552 spectators.
PHOTO FRANÇOIS ROY, THE PRESS
Josh Anderson ahead of Petr Mrazek
This is a trio that brings back fond memories for Martin St-Louis, by the way.
“When I was a player, I had excellent crosses in Vincent Lecavalier, Brad Richards, Steven Stamkos… When I played with Vincent, I got a little bigger. Many times, he went back into the pile, and he came back to the bench to ask me if an opponent had been a bastard; sometimes I said nothing, otherwise he would stop playing hockey!
“But it’s important for Cole and Nick to know that they won’t get pushed around on the ice. In Josh’s case, I like his speed and his size, and he can play hockey too. »
Cole Caufield is not the only one who seems to be living again since the arrival of the new coach. Add to this list of happy lads the name of Jeff Petry, who grumbled at the time of the previous administration, but who has just collected five points in his last four games.
We are not going to put Petry’s name in the race for the Norris trophy, but we have to admit that he is doing much better. Which is pretty good for the Canadian, finally, especially one month before the deadline for transactions…
Finally, and this is not insignificant, several players suggest that the Canadiens’ locker room is now a more pleasant place, and it even appears that you can hear music there.
“It’s very important that everyone is on board with the system,” Anderson said late in the evening. It’s been a very difficult start to the season for us, but we’ve been playing the right way for the last three games. We feel good. »
This is not what Dominique Ducharme deserved. But clearly, this team needed a new voice.
In details
Gallagher unlocks!
PHOTO FRANÇOIS ROY, THE PRESS
TJ Brodie and Brendan Gallagher in 2and period
Nick Suzuki’s trio caught the eye, but Brendan Gallagher quietly had an offensive burst in the win by picking up two assists. He didn’t steal his two points. On the first, it was he who took the puck from Jake Muzzin in the defensive zone, before passing it on to Mike Hoffman. The latter certainly took advantage of the altruism of Petr Mrazek, but Gallagher still managed a key play. On the second, he relaunched the attack even though he was at the end of his presence, since he had been on the ice for almost two minutes. But Auston Matthews had been there for 80 seconds and clearly lacked gasoline to complete his withdrawal, which allowed Rem Pitlick to score. Gallagher thus ended a 12-game pointless streak, a streak that began on November 24, in the final days of the Marc Bergevin era.
A scare for Muzzin
Jake Muzzin, in spite of himself, brought back bad memories to the players of both teams in the second period. He lost his footing and fell into the legs of defenseman Chris Wideman, and Muzzin’s header hit the ice hard. The game was reminiscent of the injury to John Tavares, on a collision with Corey Perry, during the last series. Muzzin eventually got to his feet, but didn’t come back into the game in the third period. Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said Muzzin will stay in Montreal tonight to be examined. He will therefore not accompany the team to Columbus, for the duel against the Blue Jackets on Tuesday. Muzzin, who turned 33 on Monday, had just recovered from a concussion. If he were to be absent again, we guess that the pressure will increase on Kyle Dubas so that he finds a defender in a trade.
Pitlick, defensive forward?
Who was Martin St-Louis’ most used forward on Monday? None other than Rem Pitlick! He indeed spent 17 min 27 s on the ice. But it is above all the role in which he was employed that is surprising. Of the 14:37 he played 5-on-5, he was on the ice at the same time as Auston Matthews for 12 minutes, according to Natural Stat Trick. His center, Jake Evans, also took seven face-offs in the defensive zone, against only one in the offensive zone. “Pitlick is a very good defensive player,” hammered St-Louis after the game. Pitlick has always stood out for his ability to score goals, but hearing about the coach, he will have the chance to assert himself in a different role. If he fulfills his missions, maybe he will find a way to hang on in the NHL for a long time.
They said
It’s the whole team. Attackers, defenders, goalkeeper: no one was good enough.
Auston Matthews
I have the impression that the five goals were scored in recovery. We lost races, we weren’t in sync. Our attackers let players escape, our defenders weren’t playing tight enough.
Sheldon Keefe
They didn’t generate anything. They were really beaten in hard work, like many of our players.
Sheldon Keefe, about the John Tavares trio
We feel great, the atmosphere is more fun in the locker room. It hasn’t been long since Martin arrived, but we are already making great progress… It’s pleasant, the atmosphere is much better after a victory like this.
Samuel Montembeault
It’s the commitment of the players that I notice… It’s more mental than physical. I’ve been here for 10 days and I think we’ve grown as a team, and I’m not saying that by comparing with what it was before. I’ve just been talking since I’ve been here.
Martin St Louis
Rising
Cole Caufield
A game of one goal and two assists for this player who exudes confidence.
Falling
Michael Pezzetta
A slightly more difficult evening for him, who finished at -2 in a game that was nevertheless offensive in favor of his team.
The number
45.5
This is the value, in millions of dollars, of the salaries paid to the five players of the first wave of the Maple Leafs on the power play. Monday night, the payroll of Canadian players was 43.3 million…