What a strange season for the Canadian! Only in the last week it comes:
- losing at home to the worst team in the NHL;
- to force an extension against a club undefeated since Christmas;
- to beat the favorites to win the Stanley Cup.
My brain is crackling.
On Friday, supporters demanded a fire sale. Oust Sean Monahan. Ouste Joel Armia. West Jordan Harris. West David Savard. Get out METAL! Everything you need to sink in the rankings and draft higher. Monday night, after the surprising victory against the Colorado Avalanche, the bandstand had to be taken down. Quick quick quick. What if the CH made a historic comeback? After all, he’s only six points away from a playoff spot. A 12-game winning streak happened so quickly…
The Canadian takes you on a roller coaster of emotions? Imagine being on the train – for real. Being Kent Hughes. Or Jeff Gorton. Or Geoff Molson. How are they experiencing this unusual season?
Geoff Molson gave us a glimpse on Tuesday in a rare public outing. The owner and president of the team was in Saint-Jérôme to inaugurate the 14e Bleu Blanc Bouge outdoor skating rink, built by the Canadiens Children’s Foundation. A few hours after the CH’s unexpected success against the Avalanche, Mr. Molson was in an excellent mood. He even commented on the possibility of participation in the playoffs, without daring to say the word Voldemort.
Inauguration of a Bleu Blanc Bouge ice rink in Saint-Jérôme
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PHOTO HUGO-SÉBASTIEN AUBERT, THE PRESS
It’s time to skate in Saint-Jérôme!
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PHOTO HUGO-SÉBASTIEN AUBERT, THE PRESS
Even Yay! put on the “skates”…
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HOTO HUGO-SÉBASTIEN AUBERT, THE PRESS
Pierre Boivin, chairman of the board of directors of the Canadiens Children’s Foundation, Marc Bourcier, mayor of Saint-Jérôme, and Geoff Molson, owner and president of the Canadiens
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PHOTO HUGO-SÉBASTIEN AUBERT, THE PRESS
Stéphan Lebeau, Yvan Cournoyer and Réjean Houle were also present for the occasion.
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” We never know. Everything is possible. We are not far from a place for wild cards [équipes repêchées]. It would take quite a performance in the second half of the season and more consistency. But we hope to win every night. If you manage to string together several victories in a row, you never know. »
Although with ifs, the REM would already be over. The reality is that the Canadian is struggling to string together victories. The last time the team won three games in a row was last February. It’s been almost a year. On the other hand, trios of defeats are frequent. There have actually been two since Christmas.
Hence the importance of improving consistency. It’s the new buzzword within the organization. Head coach Martin St-Louis used him last week after the loss to the San Jose Sharks. “We need to be more consistent. »
General manager Kent Hughes hammered it home several times during his mid-season review Monday. “We see progress. It’s not constant, but it’s natural with a young team. » Geoff Molson reinforced his lieutenants’ message.
“In terms of the development of our young players, we see that things are progressing. It’s progressing. It’s good news. Kent [Hughes] also talked about consistency. It’s an important word. We’re not there yet. To be a high-level team, it takes consistency in every match, whether on a numerical penalty, on a numerical superiority or at five on five. »
We are in development. I’m proud of the team’s performance, but consistency will help a lot in the future.
Geoff Molson
Does he soon intend to impose an obligation of result on his team?
Not much. At least, it doesn’t seem to be a priority.
“Everyone wants to speed up the process,” he explained. But you also have to be patient. Both are important. The important thing, for me, is that in defense, forward, in front of the goals, we see progress. In addition, we have young players in Laval who are knocking on the door. It’s good too. For us, it’s a process. We follow him. Everyone wants it to be faster, but we must not break our strategy to be faster.
—Are you in the camp of the patient or those in a hurry?
— This is the first time in the history of this team that we have completely rebuilt, and I want it to be done well. »
Geoff Molson has one asset: the loyalty of his fans. Even if the Canadian is at 25e rank in the general classification, the club continues to fill the largest arena in the league game after game.
Attendance per game in 2023-24
- Montreal Canadiens 21,091
- Edmonton Oilers 20,228
- Tampa Bay Lightning 19,092
- Chicago Blackhawks 18,954
- Toronto Maple Leafs 18,804
As I explained recently in our podcast Area exit, reconstruction remains a privilege of the rich. The Winnipeg Jets, with 13,000 spectators per game, could not afford to go under for five, six, seven years. The Ottawa Senators, who fell to 10,000 spectators in 2021-2022, had to step on the accelerator to catch up with the pack and sell tickets.
As long as the Bell Center remains full – and nothing suggests otherwise – Geoff Molson will have the luxury of choosing sides between those in a hurry and those of the patients.