https:\/\/twitter.com\/scottmatla\/status\/1626408172704481283<\/p>\n
No one, including St-Louis, expects the Canadiens to give the Hurricanes<\/a> a run for their money on the scoresheet, but for a team struggling to find an identity in the early stages of their rebuild, the lackadaisical approach to the start of the third period was simply unacceptable.<\/p>\n \u201cThe third period was difficult,\u201d he said. \u201cThey scored three goals in three minutes, that was pretty much the game. You can\u2019t make any mistakes against them. They take advantage of any bad decision, both collectively, as a team, and from certain individuals that can make great players. Listen, they\u2019re a very good team.\u201d<\/p>\n The game served as a perfect example of the mix of talent and work ethic necessary to push a team to the next level.<\/p>\n And while St-Louis received an honest effort from players who spent the majority of the season playing for the Laval Rocket in the AHL, the same could not be said regarding many of the veteran players in the lineup who are looking to extend their NHL careers beyond their current contracts.<\/p>\n The juxtaposition in the work rate of various players wasn\u2019t the only wildly contrasting element of the game.<\/p>\n In a way, the loss served as a barometer for St-Louis\u2019 team.<\/p>\n A healthy reminder of where the team currently is, where it needs to be, and the long road in between.<\/p>\n \u201cYou could tell we have a lot of growing to do. Teams like that give us a glimpse of where we need to be.\u201d<\/p>\n St-Louis\u2019 post-game media availability lasted a little over two minutes, one of his shortest availabilities of the season, but the message was clear.<\/p>\n Regardless of the opponent, there\u2019s no room for passengers on this team.<\/p>\n At the very least, he expects a sincere effort every night.<\/p>\n \t\t \t\tMarc has been covering the Habs for over a decade. He previously worked for Journal Metro, The Athletic, The … More about Marc Dumont<\/a><\/p>\n \t ![\"avatar\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1769119992_854_07ba55ead0c73509df880c421e3023e5ac7c7d9f55b4c9b9a5aeeb184bcdf689.png\")
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