A rising value…

The Canadian will leave Vancouver with one defeat, another, but that’s not what we will remember from this trip to the lands of Bryan Adams.

Richard Labbe
The Press

What we will remember from this 5-3 loss to the Canucks is that Artturi Lehkonen had 2 goals and an assist in this game. That’s 6 goals and 2 assists in his last five games, which, we’ll admit, isn’t bad at all.

That’s good, because this Lehkonen match took place while the Canadian staff was in town. It’s not very complicated, they were all here. We want to believe that Vancouver’s charms are no longer a secret, from its mountains to its parks and its restaurants, but we can assume that Messrs. Gorton, Hughes and company did not all come to Vancouver just to go shopping. cycling in Stanley Park, an activity that we highly recommend.

With all this, we take this opportunity to remind you that the deadline for exchanges is March 21…

“It’s not the first time that my name has circulated in transaction rumors,” commented Lehkonen at the end of the evening. I know this reality, but it’s something out of my control, and I can’t help it. I will continue to play well and also try to help the team win games…”

The Finnish striker can’t help it, indeed, but what he can do, on the other hand, is to continue to drive up his market value. It’s good for the Canadian, it’s good for him.

“I’m not really going to try not to think about the trade rumors…I don’t have to act that way. I know how it works, I’ve been in Montreal for six years now, I know the rules of the game! »

Before thinking that the management of the Canadian is on the verge of exchanging half of the club, it must be understood that the new management that is in place believes that the overall picture is not that bad.

Wednesday’s game is a good example: the Canadian lost, yes, but he was not downgraded. “We gave ourselves a chance,” explained Martin St-Louis.

The coach also took the opportunity to talk about Lehkonen, sometimes the target of easy jokes in our city where everyone knows that more than Scotty Bowman and Toe Blake combined.

Take a look at what he had to say about number 62: “When you look at championship teams, you usually find guys like him in their roster. He’s the kind of player that coaches like to have with their team. »

Lehkonen is one of those tough decisions that will have to be made over the next few days.

It’s easy to identify those who have to leave for contractual reasons (hello Ben Chiarot), it’s easy to identify those who have to leave because it’s starting to do well (hello Jeff Petry), but it will be less easy to exchange players who appeal to the new coach. Players who are obviously very useful in the eyes of the coach. Like Artturi Lehkonen.

Besides, if you have to read a little between the lines, we understand that Martin St-Louis is also a fan of “it’s not that bad”. Because there are encouraging signs in this team, there is a bit of light, and there are players who have taken advantage of the last few weeks to make a name for themselves.

Like Samuel Montembeault, very solid yesterday with 28 saves, who is also beginning to find that the future may not be so gray.

“We conclude this trip (started in Ottawa) with three wins in five games, and I think that says a lot about us, added the goaltender. The four teams we just faced in the West could all make the playoffs. We beat Calgary, the team of the hour in the league. We played well in Edmonton. I’m not worried about what’s next…”

In details

Byron back

After being injured following a check by Mattias Samuelsson during the Buffalo Sabers’ visit to the Bell Center on February 23, Paul Byron was back against the Canucks on Wednesday night in Vancouver. Byron, who had already missed the Canadiens’ first 43 games this season due to hip surgery, was therefore employed for 9 minutes and 14 seconds of playing time, the player least often employed by Martin St-Louis. Wednesday night in Vancouver. In the end, he did not collect a point or a shot on goal while skating on the fourth line, completed by Ryan Poehling and Joel Armia. In addition to Byron, Jake Evans was also back in the lineup, while Michael Pezzetta and Mathieu Perreault were left out.

Shea Weber back…well, almost

Well yes, Shea Weber is back with the Canadian! Finally, back, but not in his hockey uniform, just his everyday uniform. The captain attended the Canadiens’ practice on Wednesday morning in Vancouver, and he greeted members of the media, while refusing interview requests. Martin St-Louis was very happy to see him at the arena. “He has always been a professional, answered the coach of the Canadian. He had a very good career, and I was able to play with him a bit with Team Canada. He was a guy who was fun to have on your side, but not so fun when you had to play against him! As for the possibility of seeing Weber again one day with the Canadiens, for example in a role of adviser or assistant, St-Louis did not want to get wet, preferring to recall that this kind of decision is not up to him.

Canucks missteps

The Canucks had a good game on the ice, but they had a slightly tougher night off the ice. First, the singer of the national anthem, whose name we will keep silent, was not able to sing a single word of French during her interpretation of the national anthem. Then the Bryan Adams impersonator, in charge of between-period entertainment, started the Summer of ’69 classic by skewing like it shouldn’t be allowed. And to finish it off, two “comedians” attempted a sketch during the second intermission, with one of the “comedians” trying to play a character of a Quebec supporter who has trouble speaking English, all with an accent for the least insulting. We even heard boos at the end.

Rising

Artturi Lehkonen

A big two-goal game from him, and a value that continues to rise as March 21 approaches.

Falling

Jeff Petry

A terrible turnaround that led to the Canucks’ third goal, and a spectator role on the fourth goal.

The number

5

Artturi Lehkonen has collected at least one point in each of his last five games, including 6 goals.

They said

Artturi Lehkonen

“I feel that I always had chances to score. Sometimes it doesn’t fit, but here it does. I try to find the open spaces on the ice and Jake (Evans) made some really good plays. »

Samuel Montembeault

“They are fighting for a playoff spot. We knew they would come out strong, they played a good game, they were intense, they created chances to score and they didn’t give us a lot of space. »

Rem Pitlick

“Martin (St-Louis) has that fire in him, he’s smart and he tells it like it is. He is positive, he shows us video. He is a good teacher. Overturning garbage cans in the locker room, there’s a time for that. He shows us things instead of yelling at us. »

Martin St Louis

“If you look at the trip as a whole, it’s a good trip. For me too, and for all our staff… we were able to spend time together, get to know each other. That’s a lot of good stuff in my opinion. »