The Canadian players have been repeating for a few days that they want to end the season in force. They will quickly have to move from words to deeds.
The Montreal hockey club has lost its last three games. After the first two losses, head coach Martin St-Louis noticed a lack of execution. The Habs were then downgraded by the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday. “It was a very disappointing game, especially considering the fact that we were at home,” forward Brendan Gallagher said on Monday. Yes, we were playing against a good team, but we weren’t good. We had problems at all levels. »
“We are better than what we showed on the ice. I hope it won’t happen again,” he added.
Gallagher again insisted that the Canadian had to end the season on the right foot in order to have peace of mind for the summer. To win, players will need to revert to the good habits that have allowed them to be competitive in most games this season. “The last game was frustrating,” admitted defender Joel Edmundson. When we play good hockey, we show consistency in our game. We support each other well from one end of the ice to the other. That’s all we have to do in the last games. »
“We may not always win, but we have to take advantage of every game to continue building our identity. We don’t want any more step backs like the last game. »
Gallagher also spoke about the culture at the Canadiens and that it would not be acceptable to simply throw away the last games of the regular schedule. “Every day we show up at the arena is an opportunity to learn and improve for next season,” he said.
“These last five games are important for us, but also for the fans, who pay top dollar to come see us,” added Gallagher.
To cast a favourable light on yourself
While St. Louis said after Saturday’s game that most of its evaluations were over, these last games will still represent opportunities for some players to show off again.
Sean Farrell has only three games of NHL experience and can still use the next five games to gain confidence for the next camp. A veteran like Chris Tierney probably has hopes of catching the eye of an NHL team watcher. And St. Louis has confirmed that Cayden Primeau will face the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday.
Primeau had a decent game despite losing 3-2 to the Philadelphia Flyers last Tuesday. The 23-year-old American was making his first NHL start since Feb. of the last few weeks. He probably hopes to convince the management of the Canadiens that he is ready for a full-time position in the NHL next fall.
His teammates will have to give him a hand by playing better than in recent games, otherwise he will have a hard time looking good and he could also find the summer long.
“Every game is a learning opportunity, especially when the squad is young like ours,” insisted Edmundson. We still have five games to prepare for the future. It may seem short, but it’s important to be able to leave for the summer with a bit of optimism. Then you never know what’s going to happen next season. »