(Los Angeles) After the quarter of the season, the Canadian finds himself at 22e rank in the overall National League standings as of November 26, and it’s probably a situation that reflects the reality of this team quite well.
This trip, which began in California but which will end far from the palm trees, in Columbus, on Wednesday, served to remind the hockey world that the Montreal club is exactly what it is in the standings and exactly, almost. , at the rank that we could have predicted for him at the start of the season.
Moreover, this journey began with a one-goal victory in Anaheim, another one-goal victory (and in a shootout) against the worst club in the NHL on Friday night in San Jose and, finally, there had this 4-0 rout on Saturday in Los Angeles, against one of the leading clubs on this circuit.
Predictable? Without a doubt.
“There were long moments where we were stuck in our zone, and when we finally got out, we were burned,” summarized Mike Matheson after Saturday’s defeat. We were just trying to survive…”
This last sentence undoubtedly sums up where the Canadian finds himself at the moment: in survival mode.
Firstly because there are three injured defenders at the moment, which puts pressure on those who are there and who are trying to keep up as best they can at the blue line. And then, because there are still some attackers who are certainly not producing at the expected rate.
Everyone is aware of Josh Anderson’s offensive drought, still looking for his first goal this season, but he is not the only one staggering among this team’s attackers.
PHOTO GARY A. VASQUEZ, USA TODAY SPORTS VIA REUTERS CON
Josh Anderson is still looking for his first goal this season.
With six goals, Cole Caufield is at the pace of a season of around 25 goals, which is respectable, certainly, but which is far from the enthusiastic predictions of September, when the 50 goal mark was often mentioned in his case.
No one expected a 50-goal season from Christian Dvorak, but with just one goal on his record, the veteran striker disappoints. We can of course talk about patience when it comes to Juraj Slafkovsky, but a two-goal haul is undoubtedly well below expectations. Nick Suzuki is coming back from a 26-goal season, but he only has six goals on his record this season, and none in his last seven games.
Despite everything, there was something like optimism in the Canadian locker room on Saturday in Los Angeles, as they left the arena.
“We’re 2-1 since the start of this trip, and that’s something positive at the moment,” goalie Jake Allen said at the time. We can still give ourselves a chance with the last game on the road [à Columbus mercredi contre les Blue Jackets] before returning home afterwards. »
While waiting to know if some injured people will return, while waiting to know if the Edmonton Oilers will end up picking up the phone to call management in Brossard one of these days, the Canadian still has 12 games before the Christmas break. Why bring up this break here, at this moment, when the club has its head in the palm trees? Because usually, it’s upon returning from this break that this team gives an indication of what’s to come for the rest of the season… and, in turn, an indication of what it might do when it comes, later , the trade deadline.
Until then, the Canadian will try to hang on, as clubs undergoing reconstruction must do.