“Bewitched, without calm and without rest ever. “Thus sang Daniel Bélanger on the piece Bewitched, published in 1992. These words lend themselves to the 2021-2022 season of the Canadiens.
Here is an 11e player took the path to the infirmary. The fate that bewitches the Canadian this season does not seem to want to give him a break.
Tuesday night, in addition to the heartbreaking loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning at the Bell Center, Christian Dvorak’s name was translated to the injured list. A stake in the lower body.
The center will take magnetic resonance imaging tests on Wednesday, but we can already rule out a comeback Thursday against the Chicago Blackhawks, according to head coach Dominique Ducharme.
On Wednesday in training, young Ryan Poehling replaced him in the middle of the second line, with Jake Evans and Artturi Lehkonen. This promotion, obviously helped by the staggering number of injuries for the Habs, is nevertheless a sign of the ascent that the team’s first choice took this year in 2017.
“It’s a good opportunity for me,” commented Poehling after practice on Wednesday in Brossard. Since coming here I have played well and created some scoring chances. ”
Poehling has 4 goals in 13 games with the Canadiens this season, in addition to his 6 points in 7 games with the Laval Rocket.
“It’s only a matter of time before my team-mates’ chances finally kick in, and it’s the same for me. I played with Jake and Lehky [mardi], and I thought we had done very well. We had several chances, but they did not come in. ”
Regardless, Poehling believes his mentality is not going to change.
When the coach sends you to the ice, you have to be ready. Whether it is within the second, the fourth trio or the first trio, it’s the same thing.
Ryan poehling
When asked about the idea of making the young prospects of the organization play as a priority during this miserable season, Dominique Ducharme himself noted the case of Poehling.
“It took him a long time in Laval, but there, we can see it, he is coming,” explains the head coach. He plays with confidence, he is able to have a good impact in the game. ”
He maintains that “every case is different” and that he “cannot skip any steps”.
“It’s seeing how the youngster is doing in the NHL,” said Ducharme. If he’s just trying to survive, that’s not ideal. ”
He also speaks of a “progression curve” for the hopes of the organization.
“Dominating at a lower level is good for a youngster, it increases confidence. He sees different situations, he plays in critical situations in a match. We have to weigh the pros and cons and see each young person, where he is. ”
Right winger Jesse Ylönen has been recalled from the Rocket to make up for Dvorak’s absence from the lineup. The Finn has scored 4 goals and 10 assists in 17 games for Laval this season.
PHOTO BERNARD BRAULT, PRESS ARCHIVES
Jesse Ylönen
Poehling had good words to say about him.
“Ylo is very good,” said the number 25. If you give him space and time on the ice, he will play a good game. It was exciting to see him this morning. If he manages to play his game, it will be very entertaining to watch. ”
A different “dynamic”
We were talking about a bad luck to ward off the Canadian earlier. Ducharme, however, sees other reasons for the number of injured.
“There is a part which is bad luck, for sure,” noted Ducharme. But there is a part that comes from preparing for the summer. ”
The Canadiens’ 2021 season ended on July 7. He was back on the ice for his training camp on September 23. Its head coach says it is “the shortest summer that the NHL has ever had”.
“It is certain that it has an effect on physical preparation during a summer to prepare for a season of 82 games. ”
He compares his team of the day to the one that made it to the Stanley Cup final.
“With the quality of the players who left, as individuals, it was already creating a new group. Add to that 10 guys who don’t play in that group. The dynamics change every day. ”
He might have a bit of backup in the next few days, however. Joel Armia skated on Wednesday, although he won’t be in Thursday’s game. Jeff Petry will also return to the ice on Thursday and could take part in the two-game road trip.
Trios and duos in training:
Forwards: Hoffman-Suzuki-Drouin
Lehkonen-Poehling-Evans
Perreault-Dauphin-Caufield
Pezzetta-Paquette-Ylönen
Defenders: Chiarot-Savard
Romanov-Wideman
Kulak-Clague
Shueneman
Goalkeeper: Jake Allen
Carey Price is progressing
Carey Price skated in full gear on Wednesday for the second time this week.
“He was training without equipment, now he is training with equipment,” said Dominique Ducharme on Wednesday. The next step for him will be to make movements in front of the net. Then it will be to receive shots. ”
“We won’t see Carey until Christmas,” he added. I don’t know when we’ll see him again in training. ”
An “incredible” plateau for Fleury
PHOTO DARRYL DYCK, ARCHIVES THE CANADIAN PRESS
Marc-André Fleury
Marc-André Fleury will come to Montreal on Thursday with the possibility of winning the 500e victory of his NHL career.
For an old rider like Jake Allen, this inevitable feat is “unbelievable”.
“He’ll reach it sooner rather than later, but we hope it won’t be tomorrow,” Allen joked in Brossard on Wednesday. I have the greatest respect for a guy like him, who has been able to play in this league for a long time and with consistency. Not many guys are able to do it. ”
Fleury is third among NHL goaltenders with 499 wins, behind Martin Brodeur (691) and Patrick Roy (551).
“Unless they expand the schedule to 100 games a year, I don’t think anyone will match Marty’s number,” added the Habs goalkeeper.