Little by little, the Canadian continues to progress. The signs are sometimes difficult to see, but even in a defeat like Saturday night’s, head coach Martin St-Louis saw elements that showed his team was improving.
The Montreal club lost 3-0 to the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday. It was his ninth straight loss against this team. Claude Julien is the last Habs head coach to celebrate a victory against the Hurricanes, on February 29, 2020.
Since then, there have been games closer than others, but in these nine consecutive losses, the Canadian has conceded 36 goals and scored only 10.
St-Louis took office on February 9, 2022 and saw its team lose seven times against the Hurricanes.
So he was encouraged to see his men go 0-0 at five-on-five in Saturday’s match. The Habs allowed power play, shorthanded and empty-net goals late in the game.
“It’s a very good team and it’s been playing like that for a long time,” St-Louis recalled after the game. This is an experienced team. All the players are on the same page – on faceoffs, on the penalty kill, on the power play. There aren’t many holes in their collective game. »
St-Louis did not want to go into details, but he admitted that certain tactical adjustments had paid off on Saturday.
“We were very organized to face their pressure,” he said. We let the puck do the work. It takes balance on the ice and complete commitment. It’s not just knowing where the puck ends up, but knowing where it’s going to be. »
In a way, the Hurricanes represent the kind of team the Canadian would like to become. Not necessarily because of his style of play, but rather in the strength of his identity.
“You can play in any structure, with any style, if the guys don’t believe in it or aren’t committed, it won’t work,” insisted veteran Brendan Gallagher. Since Rod [Brind’Amour] is their head coach, they develop a way of doing things, a collective style. The core is pretty much the same and they continue to be more comfortable in the way they play. »
“What they are doing is not a secret, but it is effective,” he added.
Thanks to their victory on Saturday against the Canadiens, the Hurricanes crossed the 100-point plateau for a third straight season. They are headed to a sixth straight playoff appearance since the appointment of Brind’Amour.
The process is longer for the Canadian, who opted for a reconstruction under the regime of Kent Hughes. Gallagher admitted that the veterans’ patience was being tested, as he recalled that the Canadiens’ last playoff game was the fifth in the 2021 Stanley Cup Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
However, Gallagher is aware of the Canadian’s progress and believes the group is doomed to a promising future.
“Ask people across the league and they will tell you we are tougher to play against this season compared to last,” Gallagher said. We are not yet at the level we want to be, but it is important to continue taking steps forward. »
“We don’t want to waste matches,” he continued. Yes, we are not fighting for a playoff spot, but these last few games are important. They represent opportunities to work on things that will help us next season. We have to be good professionals and continue to understand and integrate our structure, our way of playing. The goal is to become a team that others will talk about. »
The Canadian will resume training on Monday at the Bell Centre, after taking his traditional end-of-season team photo. It will then host the Florida Panthers on Tuesday evening.