(Boston) It’s often said that knockout tournaments, where a loss means the show’s end, favor the underdog. According to this theory, it would be easier to cause surprise in the NFL than in hockey or basketball, where they are playoffs 4 of 7.
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This is a bit of what happened, on a reduced scale, on Sunday night in Boston. For about 45 minutes, the formation of the Canadian, who stood with paperclips and duct tape, held out against the Bruins. Bruins who, already on paper, are superior to the CH, and who in addition, have only one injured, Trent Frederic. Trent who? That’s it.
So it was 2-2 after 45 minutes. Fifteen minutes later, it was 5-2 Boston, the final mark.
The result will not surprise anyone. In the absence of Mike Hoffman, Jake Allen, Jonathan Drouin, Cédric Paquette, Mathieu Perreault, Joel Edmundson and Carey Price, the depth of the team is put to the test. Of the 19 players who played, there were two claimed on waivers in recent weeks (Samuel Montembeault and Adam Brooks) and three who are currently in Laval with a healthy formation (Michael Pezzetta, Alex Belzile and Ryan Poehling). Ah yes, Artturi Lehkonen is not 100%, because his presence was still uncertain at 5 p.m.
The result is that players in uniform for the CH totaled $ 49.3 million in wages. The players on the sidelines are worth 32.175 million below the salary cap, a figure that does not include Shea Weber’s salary!
Frustration and disappointment
Obviously, no athlete will want to use such excuses to explain a loss.
“That’s no excuse,” retorted an angry Jeff Petry after the game. The 20 players in uniform have to work hard. We are paid to play and show what we have in the stomach. When there are injuries, it’s up to others to take over. “
PHOTO PAUL RUTHERFORD, USA TODAY SPORTS
Tomas Nosek (92) and Tyler Toffoli (73)
Montembeault, he is one of those players who have the right to a chance to show off in the absence of veterans. With Price and Allen healthy, the Quebecer would either be in Laval or on another team struggling with injuries in front of the net.
But the young man blamed himself after the match. He had been bombarded in the first two periods, before being the victim of bad jumps on the second and third bases. Then, Charlie Coyle beat him on a game he would like to see again.
“The fourth goal is frustrating. It’s been two games in a row that I place myself in reverse VH on my post and that I am being beaten over the shoulder. I will have to work on it so that it does not happen again ”, railed the guard.
PHOTO WINSLOW TOWNSON, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Charlie Coyle after his second goal of the game
Ducharme, he could have mentioned the injuries to defend his team. Not that he should do it once in the locker room, but he doesn’t have to keep the same rhetoric in front of the cameras and in front of his players. But the head coach refused to use the excuses.
“The guys coming back were at camp with us. In Laval, we work in the same way. It’s just that as a team, in terms of decision-making and execution, especially in the second half … There are games coming back in our zone, we spend more time in our zone and we is tired, the defenders do not have time to change. “
While waiting for the return of some important elements, the Canadian will therefore remain a fragile team. On the other hand, there are great opportunities to be seized for less established players.
Montembeault had his chance this weekend, but Ducharme expressed the wish to give Cayden Primeau a start. Poehling was promoted to the third line. Pezzetta got his first two points in the NHL this weekend: an assist on Saturday, a goal on Sunday. A goal scored even if the excellent Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak were on the ice at the same time as him.
And in an entirely different measure, Nick Suzuki is inundated with responsibility. On Sunday, he played more than 20 minutes for a fifth straight game.
Obviously, these defeats and these learning experiences would be easier to accept, to put into perspective, if the team had acquired a cushion at the start of the season, like last year. But these players see the standings like the rest of us, and they see the hole the team is stuck in.
In details
It falls like flies
After Jake Allen on Saturday, the Canadian lost another soldier on Sunday: Mike Hoffman, injured upper body. Not to mention that Jonathan Drouin had not yet recovered from the headaches that have afflicted him since he suffered a puck in the face on November 2. Hoffman’s absence resulted in Ryan Poehling getting a promotion from the center of the fourth line to the left wing of a line with two veterans, Christian Dvorak and Brendan Gallagher. The change of assignment was astonishing, because Poehling formed an effective trio with Michael Pezzetta and Alex Belzile. But Ducharme had hinted as soon as Poehling arrived earlier this week that the situation could change quickly. The sample is limited, but Poehling has done well in his new assignment. As for Drouin, Dominique Ducharme said he was hopeful to see him again in training on Tuesday. He added that Drouin had the green light to play, but it was all about comfort.
Try the home run …
Jakub Zboril’s place on the Bruins’ blue line is still precarious. The Bruins’ first-round pick in 2015 (one of three, in fact) played his third game of the season on Sunday, thanks to good old Mike Reilly, left out by his coach. And like many youngsters who want to make a name for themselves, Zboril was there for the home run, in the form of a hard-hitting attempt to check Josh Anderson. He missed his shot, allowing CH to settle in and moments later, during that same presence, Michael Pezzetta scored his first NHL goal.
Efficient despite everything
Eternal optimists will note that Patrice Bergeron, who was 1er in the pre-game NHL for faceoff efficiency (64%) won only a third of their face-offs on Sunday. He lost all four face-offs against Nick Suzuki, while Christian Dvorak beat him four times on seven occasions. Let us add that the formidable trio of Bergeron, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak did not score on equal terms. That didn’t stop the three cronies from showing how dangerous they are at all times. First, they caused three penalties to the Canadian, and they obtained many chances to score, including a 2 on 0 from Marchand Pastrnak, an attack repelled by Montembeault.
They said
It’s boring, but there’s nothing we can do about it. Jeff made the right play on this. What are the chances of this happening again? I made the stop, the defender always sends that around. Charlie [Coyle] was in the right place at the right time, he got the puck on the helmet. It’s frustrating, but it’s still just 3-2 at the time and we had plenty of time.
Samuel Montembeault, on the Bruins’ third goal
We are taught to play that way. If there is a return, it should not be cleared towards the center of the ice, but well in the corners. It hit his visor and the puck fell into the net.
Jeff Petry, on the same streak
He was solid, especially in the second half, when it was harder for us. He made solid saves to keep the lead.
Dominique Ducharme, about Montembeault
When you give a fourth power play, it’s a team that makes you pay. We did a good job on their first three power-play, a good job against their first line as well, but they took advantage of their last chance.
Dominique ducharme
I knew I had hit the puck. At first, I thought he had made a good stop. But I saw that the puck ended up coming in. The guys were looking at me. At that moment, I thought to myself that I had just scored. […] I have often practiced redirecting pucks. I’m just happy to have scored my first. This unfortunately happens in a losing cause.
Michael pezzetta
Rising
Christian Dvorak
PHOTO WINSLOW TOWNSON, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Derek Forbort and Christian Dvorak
He’s been a lot more visible than in the last few games, besides getting a chance to score by making fun of Derek Forbort. He also won 60% of his faceoffs.
Falling
Nick suzuki
PHOTO PAUL SANCYA, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Nick Suzuki (14) and Moritz Seider (53)
After a successful stay at home, he had a quieter weekend abroad. It must be said that with all the injured, his trio clearly becomes the priority for the best opposing defensive elements.
The number of the match
566
Author of his first NHL goal, Michael Pezzetta became the 566e player to score a goal for the Canadian. In fact, you’ll find 565 in the NHL databases, because the purpose of 566e player, José Théodore, appears in another list.