When will they win? | The Press

(Ottawa) The goaltenders shine. Move forward three spaces.

The attackers do not produce. Move back four squares.

The power play unlocks. Move forward five spaces.

The numerical inferiority is collapsing. Go back six squares.

Thus unfolds the training camp of the Canadian. The club is stuck in a big game of snakes and ladders, in which it is unable to progress. Immediately up, immediately down. Result: a fourth defeat in four preparatory games. This one 5-4, in overtime, against the Ottawa Senators.

But hey, there was still some positive in this setback. The Canadian begins to unblock in attack. He has just scored six goals in four periods and a dust. He also improves to 5 against 5. It was about time. This is the aspect that worried me the most since the beginning of the camp.

Yes, the Habs are still in deficit. Get used to it. It is likely to continue, even after the highly anticipated returns of Nick Suzuki and Josh Anderson. But at least the needle is moving.

“I liked our 5v5 game, [mais] I would like us to have a greater volume of shots,” said head coach Martin St-Louis after the game.

“I would like us to be more ready to send a puck to the net. Not always looking for the perfect game. I experienced it with the young teams I coached in minor hockey. It’s kind of our fault. If you look at our practices, they are all small passes, with people on the move. You have to find the balance. »

Verification made: since the beginning of the preparatory calendar, the Canadian is behind 119-89 in terms of shots on target. Mike Hoffman was particularly disappointing on Saturday, without a single shot on target, even though he was the team’s most employed forward (17 minutes). In fact, he barely touched the puck all night.

Other players, on the other hand, have raised their level of play. This is the case of Jake Evans, author of two goals at even strength on Saturday evening. One of those goals came in a 2v0 initiated by his line partner, Rem Pitlick.

These two are on the rink. They haven’t lost any of their bond from last season (+8 together under Martin St-Louis). “They are two different players, who complement each other well,” explained St-Louis. They are workers. Jake will push and go to the net. It gives a little bit of space to Pitlick to make his plays. »

Pitlick also praised Evans. “What I value the most in a teammate is that he first thinks about passing. Or that he is a good passer. Jake, that’s it. I faced him in college. He was at Notre Dame. Me in Minnesota. We all knew when Jake was on the other team he was going to make some great plays. »

The Canadian’s attack cannot rely solely on Nick Suzuki’s trio and the power play. So much the better if plumbers, like Evans and Pitlick, also contribute to the score.

Now, what works less well?

The numerical inferiority, certainly. The Canadian’s special teams, short of a man, are nothing special. In the second period, Kaiden Guhle received a penalty for holding. He stayed in the penalty box… six seconds. Late in the third period, Michael Matheson was penalized for sending the puck over the bay window. He didn’t have time to cool off either. Eight seconds later, he found his teammates.

The Canadiens have now allowed six shorthanded goals in just four preseason games. He will have to find the solution to extricate himself from this pool of snakes, to find the way to victories.