Red Wings 4 — Canadian 3 (P) | The other specialists

History remembers, logically, the greatest athletes. Those for whom statues are erected, banners are hoisted, streets are renamed.

In team sports, however, the careers of the greatest would be nothing without the contribution of the workers behind the scenes. Those whose career will last less, who will score less often, who will earn less money.

Being a supporting actor, though, is an art. There are excellent third and fourth line players in the NHL. Defenders who play more than 1,000 games earning 15 points per year. If they don’t stand out for the fine mastery of the skills necessary to separate the exceptional from the peloton, they know how to make themselves indispensable.

At the height of the Canadian in 2022-2023, the “depth” players were precisely essential, Thursday evening, against the Detroit Red Wings. In a 4-3 overtime loss, Michael Pezzetta and Rafaël Harvey-Pinard scored their team’s goals. Alex Belzile has been an accomplice twice. It didn’t fall from the sky.

The quote of the evening, about them, goes without question to Derek Lalonde, head coach of the Wings. What did he know of these three players before the meeting? ” Nothing at all. »

“It illustrates well that in hockey, if you work and compete, you can be a very good player,” he said after the game. It was the best line on the ice for most of the night. Despite all the talent in both teams, when this line is the best, it shows what determination can do. »

Well, it’s not like there’s no talent on this unit. The positioning of Belzile and his way of using his stick, on the first goal of the CH, were not attributable to chance. Just like Harvey-Pinard’s second goal, scored after skilfully placing his back to his covering to maintain control of the puck, was not a waste goal. But as Lalonde explained, it was other qualities that served them well.

“I’m not sure they had a bad presence,” summed up their coach Martin St-Louis, who rewarded them with increased use. Already used on the penalty kill, Harvey-Pinard was sent into the fray on the power play, in overtime. He almost completed his hat trick. Pezzetta, for the second time in a week, hit a personal best clocking 13:43 on the ice.

“This line has been playing extremely well since they got together,” noted Jake Allen. It’s the only unit that played the whole game together, added the goalkeeper. It’s a good indicator of all the momentum they’ve created. They have been amazing. »

North South

Like every time success knocks on the door of the Habs this season, it must be taken with restraint. “A match does not make a career,” Harvey-Pinard wisely recalled.

However, where does this success come from? The case of Michael Pezzetta is undoubtedly the most interesting. Not only does the curly character have three points in his last three games, but he’s visible as he hasn’t been so far this season.

Let’s take a look at the forwards who have played the most five-on-five minutes alongside him this season: Jake Evans, Juraj Slafkovsky, Rem Pitlick, Joel Armia and Christian Dvorak. A little further down the list, we see that he spent almost 24 minutes with Jonathan Drouin and 18 min 40 s with Evgenii Dadonov.

What do all these players have in common? None has the profile of a “real” fourth line player. The squad that Martin St-Louis inherited this season forced him to change the so-called “energy” line practically every night and to insert players whose profile is much more compatible with a top 9.

In mid-November, at a time when Pezzetta hardly ever played, he said he wanted to refine his service offer. To “play games”, in short.

The number 55 is not penguin, do we understand. But it wasn’t with his silken hands that he made it to the NHL.

“It’s easier for him with guys who play north-south,” St-Louis agreed on Tuesday. They are on the same page, they play the same style. »

Over the past few days, the head coach has said he likes the “details” in Belzile’s game. He also talked about Harvey-Pinard’s “habits,” described as those of an NHL player. So many words that pay off in the CV of a fourth line player.

In the process of reconstruction in which the organization is engaged, it will be necessary, when the portrait becomes clearer, to wonder what identity we want to give to the different trios of attackers and duos of defenders. Across the league, there have been many examples of winning teams whose supporting forwards weren’t fine lace makers. At the Tampa Bay Lightning, in particular, Pierre-Édouard Bellemare and Pat Maroon have become true specialists.

By the time the Canadian gets back on the road to lasting success, perhaps his plumbers won’t be called Michael Pezzetta, Alex Belzile and Rafaël Harvey-Pinard. But, for now, they give a good idea of ​​the impact they can have. Even though we’ll probably never remove their number.

Up: Michael Pezzetta

Two points and peak of use of almost 14 minutes. A great reward for those who, despite limited talent, work hard every night.

Down: Rem Pitlick

It’s no secret that his presence on the top line is strictly attributable to circumstance. A very ordinary match cost him his place, in favor of Evgenii Dadonov.

In details

When Francis Charron calms things down

If NHL referees awarded loyalty points like hotel chains, Lucas Raymond would have demanded thousands. The Red Wings forward was indeed furious in the second period, after Mike Matheson hit him in the face with his stick with impunity. To add to it, the Habs took advantage of the pain of Raymond, who returned to the bench with a bloody face, to tie the game 2-2. Wings head coach Derek Lalonde, however, received a straight-forward explanation from referee Francis Charron, an explanation all the more important given that the play had occurred within the field of vision of at least one official. “There is a gray area with the high sticks, and Francis came to explain it clearly. He said: I don’t like the rule, but [Matheson] touched the puck, on his backhand, and reached [Raymond] in its subsequent impetus. It’s probably the right decision. Francis explained it clearly, so perfect, thank you, and that calmed our guys down. »

Dach’s funny evening

It’s hard to accuse Martin St-Louis, who has never fought in 1,241 NHL season and playoff games, of promoting fighting in hockey. Still, he was highly enthusiastic when asked to comment on Kirby Dach’s evening. The great number 77 indeed dropped the gloves at the start of the second period, against Andrew Copp. It was only the second time in 201 games that he had committed this infraction. “I loved it, dropped St-Louis. The only thing I didn’t like was that we had to play nine forwards for five minutes. But overall, I loved it. That said, Dach’s involvement in the game has been undeniable for a few games. Again Thursday, he did not hesitate to place himself in the shooting lines, notably blocking a powerful shot from Jordan Oesterle in the first period. In the middle of the match, his sublime pass allowed Rafaël Harvey-Pinard to score the first of his two goals. He was less convincing in the face-off circle (3 for 8), but with another 22-minute night in the body, Dach continues to flourish.

What bad luck?

Ville Husso’s miraculous saves late in the third period and in overtime helped the Wings win, but Moritz Seider deserves just as much, if not more, player of the game honours. The second-year defenseman had three assists in addition to spending 25 minutes on the ice. The sophomore jinx theme was popular when, in the 1^er January, the German had 12 points after 35 games, with a differential of -13. He piled up 12 points in 12 games and shows a zero differential. “He’s been our most valuable player for eight, nine or ten games,” Lalonde said. I was asked this morning a question about the bad luck of the second year. I don’t hear that question anymore with our local media, because people see how good he is on a daily basis. »