The Canadian | Do less, do better

(Nashville) Of two evils, we must choose the lesser, they say. This is a bit of the reflection that Martin St-Louis is giving in light of his team’s last two matches.

Twice, at Sunrise and in Tampa, the Canadian saw the opponent tie the score in the third period on shorthanded goals. These were the 10^e and the 11^e time this season that the Habs gave in by playing with an extra man. That’s an NHL high, by the way.

Regardless, it is much easier to correct the errors that led to these goals than to build a numerical advantage worthy of the name, recalled St-Louis, Monday afternoon, following training from his club in Nashville.

“These are painful lessons,” he admitted. “Sometimes you have to absorb that as a coach. »

In case it wasn’t clear, looking “that way” is a compliment. Since the start of 2024, and even more so since the mid-season threshold was crossed, the five-man attack has looked great. Things have cooled off a bit recently in terms of goals scored, but the quality of execution displayed by the first wave has nothing to do with that of the fall. The emergence of Juraj Slafkovsky, in particular, now gives Nick Suzuki and Mike Matheson several options in possession of the puck.

We therefore understand why the recent errors do not deprive St-Louis of sleep.

He proposed a similar reasoning in relation to the difficulties of his troop in the second period, the bane of the Habs since the start of the season, even more so recently. Over the last eight games, the second period has cost 15 goals, almost two per game (1.88). This is a marked increase from the flow rate of the previous 53 games (1.19).

“We don’t take this lightly,” assured the Quebecer. [Mais] excluding the game against Arizona, we have played damn good first periods for seven to nine games. […] I’d rather be in that position, have a really good first and force the other team to respond. Now it’s up to us to learn from these moments. »

Lessons

There are indeed lessons to be learned. Because in the last six games, the Canadian escaped, only in the second period, six goals ahead.

As St-Louis discussed, several times we witnessed a complete imbalance after the first intermission. Whipped by a false start, the opponent comes back with energy and adjusts the shot, in particular by simplifying a tactical plan which did not work from the start.

Conversely, the CH has made a specialty of breaking heads. The new mantra second: do less, but do better. Without being “stubborn”, insists the head coach.

“In the first period, we play more simply, we establish our game plan, and that’s when we dominate the most,” noted David Savard. We have to keep this mentality and send pucks deep [en zone adverse] if we don’t have an option. […] The best teams in the league often play very simply in the neutral zone. The Florida Panthers are very strong on the forecheck: they don’t always have control of the puck when they pass the blue line, but they are a dominant team nonetheless. We can take an example from them. »

The second period is also that of long change. We have often seen Montreal defenders trapped on the ice, unable to retreat to their team’s bench, precisely because the Habs players were struggling to get rid of the disc once they passed the red line.

With 10 seasons and more than 600 games under his belt, Pearson speaks with knowledge. Over the past decade, he has seen transition play gain importance in team structure. The space between the two blue lines has become a real battlefield, where each turnaround, especially in the second period, can take on proportions.

“The game is moving really fast,” confirms Mike Matheson. It’s not easy to weigh all the options, we don’t have time. Maybe we need to change our mentality a little. » In other words: opt for the simplest, most profitable play, even if it means temporarily giving up control of the puck.

That being said, the long change “affects all the teams” nuance Jake Allen. “It’s not like we’re the only ones in this situation!” »

Through their learning of the inner workings of the NHL, his young teammates must “understand the momentum” of the game, he believes. “We can say, ‘OK, let’s keep things simple for the next five minutes.’ Or, use commercial breaks to regroup and move on. You have to read each situation carefully. »

“It will never be perfect,” warned Mike Matheson. But it’s important to work on it. »

Because the second period, as far as we know, is not set to disappear any time soon.

Savard crosses his fingers

Days and even minutes continue to pass before the trade deadline. The players most likely to change addresses, at the Habs, essentially said the same thing: the situation is out of their control, so they don’t want to get lost in speculation. Tanner Pearson said he tries not to think about it too much; Jake Allen, who seems to have had enough of the questions on this subject, said he was looking forward to Saturday; and David Savard flatly stated that he was crossing his fingers not to change his address. “It’s part of the business,” admitted Martin St-Louis. This is the flat side of the game, because we are all humans. As a player, I have always loved my teammates, and as a coach, I love my players. It makes it hard when you lose a guy. »

Allen vs. Predators

Speaking of Allen, he’s the one who will face the Nashville Predators on Tuesday night in the country city. The 33-year-old veteran has lost his last five starts. Will it be his last in the tricolor jersey? Maybe, maybe not. We will also know in the morning if Jayden Struble will be able to return to the game, he who missed the last four games due to a “lower body” injury. Johnathan Kovacevic, who seemed inconvenienced at the end of Saturday’s match in Tampa, participated in Monday’s full training, just like Struble, and also like Rafael Harvey-Pinard, who is however not ready to return to the game.