The Montreal Canadiens’ losing skid is now at four games as the glory of a strong start turns into the frustration of not being able to sustain it. The positive in Monday’s game was a great comeback. The negative was a 4-3 shootout loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets.
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Head coach Martin St. Louis decided to break up his first line for the first time this season, and it reaped rewards — not necessarily to the perfect advantage of Monday night, but to the advantage of the long-run development of two important young players.
Young players will always defer early in their careers. It’s a natural human reaction to look to experience to lead the way. Oftentimes, it’s to the detriment of the young player’s development. They will not shoot when they should. They will not hold on to the puck freely when they have a chance. They simply feel that the veteran should lead the way.
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From the very first shift, it was clear that Juraj Slafkovsky and Ivan Demidov stopped deferring when they were with each other. They didn’t question their actions. With Oliver Kapanen, the three youngsters seemed free.
Slafkovsky turned in probably the best moments of his career on the Canadiens’ first goal. He held on to the puck through the attacking zone. He didn’t feel nervous to push it to someone else meekly. He confidently used his body to keep possession. Slafkovsky even did a 360 turn to win more space for himself before making an excellent pass. His play was first-overall-pick worthy.
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On the same goal, Demidov was also making moves and taking time and space. It appeared he, too, felt a lot more relaxed with his decision-making. He was winning space on a lot of shifts.
Kapanen completed the line doing what he does, and that’s scoring goals. He found a soft spot in the slot and just stood there for a while before Mike Matheson passed it to him for his seventh of the season.
It would have been expected that Zach Bolduc moving on to the first line was going to be the revelation on the night, but they were fairly quiet. Instead, it was Slafkovsky and Demidov shining that was the important development.
For the long-term success of these two players, hope that it is a long leash that they are on to keep this going. In this still young stage of the rebuild, the development of young players discovering what they can achieve is just as important as wins right now.
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4:46
Call of the Wilde: Habs face second loss this week
Let them build this chemistry. Let them build their games. When they feel this free in their spirit with each other, let them cook.
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Another young player who dominated was Lane Hutson. He got a goal and an assist, but beyond that, when he was on the ice, he took over the game. The shot attempts when Hutson was on the ice were 34-8 in favour of the Canadiens in regulation time.
It was Hutson who tied it late with the goalie pulled with a well-placed wrist shot. Slafkovsky ran the screen on the play. They were the best two Canadiens all game, so it was appropriate that they were instrumental in taking it to overtime.
Montreal dominated the overtime, with Hutson owning the ice when he was on it. Demidov had the best chance, but he didn’t get his one-timer upstairs enough. All in all, though, the Canadiens showed great heart to make a two-goal comeback in the third period.
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The Canadiens are the youngest team in the NHL, with an average age of only 25.2 years. That means there are going to be highs and lows more pronounced than on veteran teams. There’s only one way to learn that this is a long grind, and that’s to be in it. You have to play the games to know how to handle the games as they just keep coming for six full months.
Look at some of the key players on this club. From Demidov to Kapanen, they can’t believe every two nights they are back at it, trying to bring the same energy they just brought. None of this is easy, learning how not to wear down.
Add that the Canadiens have lost Patrik Laine, Kaiden Guhle, Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook to injury. It’s a lot of talent missing at the top of the roster. The replacements are a steep drop in quality.
“Win the middle, win the game” has been a mantra here for a long time. An already challenged middle looking for a second-line centre through a trade, with these injuries, is now Suzuki, Kapanen, Jake Evans and Joe Veleno. That’s definitely not every player in their proper seat.
A team must also get saves. Both goalies during this difficult run are hanging save percentages in the .800s. When save percentages are that poor, a club has to score six goals to win. No one is asking for Carey Price here, but the Canadiens goalies have to get in the neighbourhood of .900, or the offence has to do too much.
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Jakub Dobes was deep in his net for the first Columbus goal, though he received no help from Noah Dobson, backing up and allowing a free lane to Zach Werenski. Whether someone wants to hang it on the goalie or the defence around him, it was three goals allowed on 23 shots for an .869. It’s extremely difficult to win with an .869.
There are growing pains right now. When it’s over, and they get their players healthy, they will be stronger for it.
It could be a challenging two months. It doesn’t mean the rebuild is troubled. It means the rebuild doesn’t yet have depth.
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It’s difficult not to be negative. It’s easy to look at the recent past and think that it’s falling apart again. It’s easy to watch the losses of the week, and the injuries pile up, and think that it’s never going to get better.
It would be a mistake to let negativity impact mood too much.
Look beyond the horizon to see one of the best rebuilds in NHL history. The NHL’s fastest rebuild is the Toronto Maple Leafs in terms of hitting rock bottom and then getting back to the playoffs. Right behind that Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner-induced historic rebuild is the Canadiens rebuild.
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No amount of two- or three-month-long injuries is going to change that fact. Montreal’s rebuild is still right on course. The hockey gods may have cross-checked the next two to three months into the boards, but after that, it’s still all systems go.
Newhook, Guhle, Dach and Laine will all return. The goaltending will improve because .850 never stays that bad either. Great players are coming in Alexander Zharovsky, Michael Hage, Jacob Fowler and David Reinbacher.
Money is also available with GM Kent Hughes handling his contracts perfectly to move into the unrestricted free agent market when the timing is right. Also, the youngest team in the league has a massive number of players who will still improve their games as they build their experience.
Nothing happened in the last 10 days that will crush this rebuild. In fact, that it is obvious that the team is too small overall when they face Dallas, Boston or Los Angeles is actually a godsend. Might as well learn now that more size is needed, if it wasn’t obvious enough in the playoffs last year when the Capitals pushed Montreal around.
Patience is required if the next two months go south. If the injuries mean they fight to make the playoffs, instead of fighting to take first place, it still doesn’t change the excitement that tomorrow has in front of it.
Seasons have highs and lows. As long as management keeps its eyes on the prize, there’s nothing insurmountable that has just happened.
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Take the long view because it’s still beautiful over the horizon. Two months of strife doesn’t change the power of this rebuild.
Brian Wilde, a Montreal-based sports writer, brings you Call of the Wilde on globalnews.ca after each Canadiens game.
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Call of the Wilde: Habs off to thrilling start
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