For some, the Canadian’s recent transformation can only be explained by the arrival of a new “voice” in the team’s locker room. It’s not entirely wrong. But there are nuances to be made.
Posted at 10:00 a.m.
The arrival of a new coach can indeed provide a boost of energy to a demoralized club. The Winnipeg Jets won three straight after the departure of Paul Maurice in December, before suffering six straight losses.
Mike Yeo was undefeated in his first six games behind the bench for the Flyers after the dismissal of Alain Vigneault, before suffering thirteen straight losses.
But in Winnipeg, Dave Lowry could count on one of the NHL’s best goalies, Connor Hellebuyck, and a core team of Kyle Connor, Mark Scheifele, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Blake Wheeler, Nikolaj Ehlers and Josh Morrissey to revive the club.
The Flyers had a seasoned club whose record was around .500 when Alain Vigneault was fired.
A slowdown in the CH over the next few weeks would be normal under the circumstances. It must nevertheless be recognized that Martin St-Louis managed to whip this club with the means at hand.
He inherited the worst club in the NHL, in the midst of one of the worst seasons in team history, going 8-30-9.
Both goalies, Carey Price and Jake Allen, are still injured. He relies on a goaltender claimed on waivers at the start of the season and on a veteran thrown into oblivion in the American League in recent seasons.
Prior to Ben Chiarot’s return, two-thirds of his defense consisted of Chris Wideman, Brett Kulak, Kale Clague and Corey Schueneman, players who could be waived without causing outrage. David Savard and Joel Edmundson are still missing, not to mention Shea Weber, if some still hope to see him again one day on skates.
Jonathan Drouin, Christian Dvorak, Joel Armia and Mathieu Perreault occupy the injured list on offense. We also removed Tyler Toffoli, traded for draft picks and a prospect.
The three centers after Nick Suzuki are therefore called Jake Evans, Laurent Dauphin and Ryan Poehling. The last two were in the American League at the start of the season. Evans is in his second full season and is trying to hit 15 points for the first time this year.
Regardless of whether Montreal experiences more difficult sequences between now and the end of the season – it is to be expected – St-Louis must first lay the foundations for the future of the organization.
That future goes first through Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki. Caufield, whom several sent to Laval, is a transformed player. With three points on Monday, the 21-year-old now has eight points, including five goals, in six games since the arrival of St. Louis, his childhood idol.
St-Louis used his past as an elite player to remind the boy that he was going to let go of some of his mistakes, as long as he continued to use creativity and daring.
The new coach has also tapped into his personal experience by pairing a tough, badass winger in his spare time, Josh Anderson, with his two gems. St-Louis liked to play with Vincent Lecavalier because he could right the wrongs of some opponents who were a little too rude to him.
Alexander Romanov has also been playing with renewed confidence recently. He now rarely plays less than 20 minutes, and usually 22 minutes. A striking contrast with his 16, 17 minutes at the start of the season. Even Ryan Poehling produces more.
Many will therefore have already understood the importance of Martin St-Louis in the short term: the development of young people. Wins are a bonus.
If the player drafted in the top three or four this summer, Wright, Cooley, Geekie or Slafkovsky, can be galvanized as much as Caufield, Suzuki and Romanov are today, if the Jordan Harris, Kaiden Guhle, Sean Farrell, Jan Mysak , Joshua Roy, Jesse Ylonen can thrive more with a coach who understands and supports them, then an important part of Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes’ mission will be accomplished.
Mistake on the person!
PHOTO GARY A. VASQUEZ, USA TODAY SPORTS ARCHIVE
Nathan MacKinnon
Nathan MacKinnon is facing a suspension for his slashing of linesman Michel Cormier on Monday. In fact, MacKinnon was not targeting Cormier, but his opponent Tomas Nosek, who had just hit him on the hand with a stick during the face-off. MacKinnon seems either to have missed his shot or to have taken the wrong leg , since the referee’s pants, like the Bruins player’s socks, are the same color. Regardless, MacKinnon has reached the linesman and he will need a good argument to get away with it.
Do not miss !
1- John Tortorella was not enough, Guillaume Lefrançois introduces us to his brother, Jim! Is there also a Joe?
2- The New York Islanders have a new amphitheater and Simon-Olivier Lorange describes it to you!
3-The Canadian flouted the Leafs on Monday night and Richard Labbé gives you his impressions, with a quote from the coach in support. the fun is back !