The Canadian has still not won in three games since the arrival of Martin St-Louis behind the bench.
Posted at 1:15 p.m.
But let’s not kid ourselves: the scores don’t matter at this stage, the defeats even make it possible to consolidate the last place in the general classification and thus better position oneself in anticipation of the repechage, and there are several aspects to straighten out within of this adrift team.
We must especially dwell on the way the team has been playing since the hiring of St-Louis and in this regard, we notice several interesting things.
The CH were competitive in these three games and even dominated their opponents for significant portions of these meetings.
Collectively, the club plays with much more enthusiasm and passion. Players are more patient with the puck, the game in possession of it is therefore more effective.
Not only did Martin St-Louis’ first speech galvanize the players, but he is restoring a positive atmosphere in the completely demoralized and chaotic locker room before his arrival, inside sources confirm. We can easily guess it, after such a long period of failure.
We see the positive effect on young people, who feel supported and listened to, with a new voice in the room. This is probably the most important effect for the future.
Cole Caufield scored twice in those three games. He had only one goal to his name in the previous 30 games. He has been CH’s most threatening striker since Martin St-Louis took office. Caufield played over 18 minutes on Sunday, down from his season average of 15 minutes.
Another first-round pick, Ryan Poehling, seems to have found some new momentum as well. Poehling had an assist in each of the weekend’s two games and St. Louis praised him after Sunday’s game against Buffalo. The young man was the most used center after Nick Suzuki on Sunday, almost fifteen minutes, more than Jake Evans and Paul Byron.
In defence, Alexander Romanov may not have played his finest game on Sunday, but he’s been used profusely and he shows great confidence overall. He may not become the defender that some are hoping for, but will no doubt be an important piece nonetheless, both in terms of toughness and leadership, in the years to come.
The influence that the new coach already seems to have over the youngsters is good news for the future.
Kent Hughes repeated it: there is nothing more to hope for in the classification. Five points behind the Arizona Coyotes, and sixteen behind Seattle, they will undoubtedly finish among the two worst teams in the NHL, and most likely in last place.
On the other hand, it is important to establish a new culture, a new style of play, and to lay the foundations for this organization to be successful in the long term.
There are not only the three youngsters named above, but those who could be obtained in trades by the trade deadline, and those on the cusp of a career with the pros in the next few years. : Kaiden Guhle, Sean Farrell, Jan Mysak, Logan Mailloux, Jordan Harris, Joshua Roy and company, without forgetting the next first choice of CH, most likely in the top three.
The success of a career does not only reside in talent and goodwill, but also in coaching. A confident young player, supported, supported, understood, can accomplish great things. The opposite is also true, as we unfortunately often see. And there hasn’t been a role model for the Canadiens in a long time.
The sample is still very thin and we will have to be patient, but to see Martin St-Louis communicate with his young players on the bench since his hiring, the effect he can have on their performance, leaves us -to believe that the organization will finally enter modernity.
Interesting incentives for Jordan Harris
If he finally decides to sign a contract with the Canadian, defender Jordan Harris will find himself in familiar territory. Not only did Kent Hughes coach him in minor hockey, but his two sons, Riley and Jack, play with the 2018 third-round pick of the Northeastern Huskies. Here is now another actor familiar with the Harris clan at CH, Martin St-Louis, whose son Ryan is also a teammate of Jordan, Riley and Jack. Finding himself in an organization led by leaders who know him well could be an additional incentive for the young man.
The transfer of the Canadiens to a more offensive team, possibly with more mobile and creative defenders, unlike the defense built by Marc Bergevin, is another favorable incentive. This is a file to follow closely in the coming months!
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