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Martin St-Louis says winning is not his priority right now

MONTREAL, QC - FEBRUARY 10: Montreal Canadiens interim head coach Martin St-Louis addresses the media on February 10, 2022, at Bell Sports Complex in Brossard, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire)

Canadiens fans are angry today after yesterday’s loss to the Washington Capitals.

On the whole, it’s not because the Habs lost that grumbling is taking hold in town.

It’s because the club got thrashed yet again. Losing games happens… But losing games like this shouldn’t happen often, and it hasn’t for a few weeks now.

Nick Suzuki is the first to say it: lately, the Habs haven’t been good enough.

The team won’t win if it continues to play like this… But according to Martin St-Louis, it’s not so bad if the defeats keep piling up.

Why not?

Because, in the coach’s eyes, the priority right now is not to win.

He said in a press briefing after today’s practice that his priority is rather to “change habits”:

Since the golf tournament, managers and players have been saying they want to be in the mix at the end of the season.

That said, how can you be in the mix if your priority isn’t winning games?

Martin St-Louis’ words are understandable in the sense that, at the moment, nothing is working for the Canadiens.

Last weekend’s two wins put things back on track for a few days… And the chain came off again this week against the Seattle Kraken.

But even if there are aspects to be corrected, the coach’s mentality has to be different. If the club takes to the ice night after night to “change habits” without even worrying about the result, the Habs will never be able to move forward in the rebuilding process.

Being used to losing games is never a good thing…

There’s a big gray cloud hanging over the Canadiens right now, and Martin St-Louis isn’t doing anything to calm things down.

You can’t say that the goal isn’t to win games when six weeks ago, everyone was saying at the golf tournament that the goal was to be in the race until the end…

It doesn’t look good, at least. And it looks a little crazy.

Overtime

– The Bruins need to get back on their feet.

– Well done!

– So much the better.

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Nick Suzuki: “We haven’t been good enough for a few weeks”.

Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images

I tried to tell you two months ago: the Habs don’t have a good team on hand.

Do I think the Habs will ever be good? Yes. I think the elements are there. But I also think it’s too early to talk about the Canadiens as a #InTheMix playoff club.

And without saying that Nick Suzuki says the same thing, it’s clear that he’s (obviously) not happy with his group.

We haven’t been good enough lately. – Nick Suzuki

Understandably, the Habs captain said this after the club’s punishing practice. Martin St-Louis decided to get his boys skating en masse this noon, on the Washington side.

He knows his club is good, but he hasn’t seen this in a few weeks.

The problem? The season’s already been underway for a few weeks. If the club hasn’t been good enough for a few weeks, it’s because the club hasn’t been good enough since the start of the season.

That’s why Tankathon jokes are back.

Since the start of the season, the Canadiens are on a 67-point pace. That’s down from 76 last season. What progress, you ask?

67 points is one more than the Blue Jackets of 2023-2024. That season went badly in Ohio – and Pascal Vincent can tell you all about it, I imagine.

Overtime

– The coach isn’t happy.

– Yes.

– Reminder: I’m worried about Tony.

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Christian Dvorak’s “punishment” for being useless? Have some 5-on-3 ice time!

WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 31: Dylan McIlrath #52 of the Washington Capitals battles for the puck against Christian Dvorak #28 of the Montreal Canadiens during a game at Capital One Arena on October 31, 2024 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by John McCreary/NHLI via Getty Images)

It’s November 1st. That means it’s already Christmas in the stores.

But before we turn the page on Halloween, let’s remember that last night, the Canadiens gave up two points to the Capitals as if they were, well, Halloween candy.

And Martin St-Louis’ men didn’t need to dress up to look like a bad team.

In the 6-3 loss, which prompted the coach to say that the club had puked on itself in a press conference, the Canadiens really looked like a disorganized club on the ice.

Again, you might say.

There are several possible explanations for this poor performance. But the first player to be singled out is Christian Dvorak. Once again, you may ask…

First question: why is he only capable of making beautiful passes… to his opponents?

Second question: why, after the game, does everyone act like he played an uneventful game when he collects performances that are very, very… embarrassing?

No one is grilled about Dvorak after the game.

Third question: why does he get five-on-three playing time? Just when everyone’s wondering what the coach is waiting for to send him a message, the center gets quality minutes on the powerplay.

Let’s not give them to Jake Evans or Emil Heineman, eh?

It’s completely illogical for Martin St-Louis to tolerate such performances from Dvorak – and many other players. But if he’s not punished, how can Dvorak know he’s in the wrong?

But don’t think I’m picking on him. After all, there are positives: Martin St-Louis is cutting back on his playing time (he was the least-used forward with 10 minutes and 12 seconds), the player is winning his face-offs… and he’s capable of making some great passes. #Oups

This club needs a shake-up, and giving Dvorak or Joel Armia, for example, powerplay time isn’t going to get it done, we agree. Agreed?

The club is all crooked, and it’s clear that simply stirring the pot won’t be enough. At the very least, we’re going to have to call up some people from Laval, where the start of the season is going much better. It’s now or never to try and be #InTheMix… for those who still believe in it.

Anthony Marcotte raised several names that could make a difference, and it’s not just Joshua Roy and Alex Barré-Boulet who could be options. A Luke Tuch, for example, could change the identity of the fourth line.

Actually, I stand corrected: he could bring an identity to the fourth line. You can’t change something that doesn’t exist, after all… and right now, the fourth line isn’t doing anything at all.

Will it be like this all year? I don’t think so… but the question arises.

After all, the same problems keep recurring from game to game, and I have a feeling that the things I say the day after a game keep coming back.

1. Cayden Primeau let in six goals on 34 shots. But hey: that’s better than the eight goals allowed against the Kraken on Tuesday and the seven against the Rangers last week.

The Habs have given up 26 goals in their last five games. That’s not good: it’s about one goal every 12 minutes.

Are the goalies to blame? No. But could the goalies give more to save their defenders’ butts once in a while?

Jakub Dobes picked the wrong time to get hurt. Am I exaggerating? A little, but…

2. On a positive note: Cole Caufield scored his 10th goal in 11 games. Nick Suzuki collected two points, including a goal, for a total of 13 points this season. Lane Hutson, who is clearly on his opponents’ game plan, picked up two assists.

Brendan Gallagher found the back of the net again.

3. Six shots in the first. Six shots in the second. Four shots in the third. Do Martin St-Louis’ men really think that 16 shots are enough to win a hockey match?

The Capitals took 34 shots – 13 in the second and 14 in the third. And surprise: it was in these periods that they scored six times.

4. You won’t believe this, but I forgot something in the positive category: Josh Anderson showing leadership by fighting Tom Wilson.

And he even won!

5. We could go on for a while, but let’s end on this: Jayden Struble and Justin Barron only played a little over 10 minutes. The coach doesn’t trust them enough.

But at the same time, he must be wondering who to replace them with.

Overtime

The Canadiens take on the Penguins tomorrow. In the meantime, at noon on Friday, there’s a practice on the menu in Washington. Will it be an intense practice?

Will Martin St-Louis be shuffling his cards?

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“At least three teams are keeping a close eye on Jake Evans”

MONTREAL, QC - APRIL 16: Montreal Canadiens center Jake Evans (71) plays the puck during the Detroit Red Wings versus the Montreal Canadiens game on April 16, 2024, at Bell Centre in Montreal, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Jake Evans has been on fire since the start of the season. I don’t know what he’s been putting into his Froot Loops, but…

On the power play, he’s reliable. When you need a guy to abort a play or get the offense going again, he’s there. He always seems to be in the right place on the ice.

The line he forms with Josh Anderson and Brendan Gallagher is very stable for the Habs right now. What’s more, Evans is increasingly confident in his shot, which is a good thing.

Evans is currently doing a job that Owen Beck or any other prospect on the club can’t do without several years of experience in the Bettman circuit. He’s very useful.

From a personal point of view, Evans has also chosen the right time to blossom, as he will be a free agent in just a few months. He’s in a position to sign an attractive contract.

The question, of course, is whether the contract will be signed in Montreal or elsewhere.

Evans wants to stay in town, but I wonder how far the Habs had planned for Evans to progress. Will the long-term budget pay Evans what he’s worth now? Good question.

If the Canadiens continue to lose and Evans continues to play like this, perhaps the Habs will decide that his best value lies elsewhere. I really don’t think the club is there yet, but the theory can be raised.

And should the Habs decide to make a move, Marco D’Amico of Responsible Gambler claims that several teams (at least three) are keeping an eye on the Montreal Canadiens’ center forward.

NHL insider D’Amico has heard that the Canadiens are in no hurry to trade Evans. Fair enough.

Evans, who has five points so far this campaign, earns $1.7 million a year for a few more months. For an aspiring club, that’s a very easy contract to absorb.

But at a certain point, you have to wonder whether trading Jake Evans would allow the Canadiens to get the reinforcements they need elsewhere. That would be one way of being creative.

Because to simply trade the Ontarian for a pick, I really don’t think that would be productive for a club that wants to get off the bottom. It wouldn’t be productive in my eyes, at the very least.

Overtime

– He’ll have to do it a lot.

– Interesting.

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“We threw up on ourselves”: Martin St-Louis furious after the Washington game

The Canadiens didn’t play a good game  in Washington. My colleague Michaël Petit has put together a summary of the game, for those who didn’t have the “chance” to see the duel.

We’ll have plenty of time to talk about it tomorrow, but it’s worth noting that Martin St-Louis, after the game, finally looked annoyed with his team’s performance. Finally!

He repeatedly used the expression “throwing up on ourselves” to express that the guys had shot themselves in the foot.

And it’s not as if he said it just once. To illustrate just how bad the five-on-three went, he also said that “when you throw up on yourself, you have to score” afterwards.

And to illustrate that the group is fragile?

Of course we have a fragile group, but we do it to ourselves.

We’re sticking our fingers down our own throats. It’s not food poisoning. – Martin St-Louis

He ended his first minute (of about three) of press briefing by mentioning that if anyone watches the game, he’ll be able to pinpoint what was wrong with the Habs tonight.

Definitely worth a listen.

This is the time when the coach looks the angriest this season. Usually, he keeps his cool (for better or worse) in front of the cameras. But tonight, we felt the passion.

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William Nylander unhappy with his playing time

NEWARK, NJ - APRIL 09: William Nylander #88 of the Toronto Maple Leafs waits for a face off during the third period of the game against the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center on April 9, 2024 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Rich Graessle/NHLI via Getty Images)

As we all know, the Toronto Maple Leafs have several star players (or even superstars) in their line-up, and this can cause dissatisfaction when it comes to playing time.

Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner are seen as the team’s two offensive leaders, but let’s not forget William Nylander, who has frequently filled in on the first line.

And he always did well.

He even scored a personal-high 98 points last year, and his performances earned him an eight-year, $11.5 million per season contract.

However, he recently mentioned that he’s not happy with the playing time Craig Berube is giving him.

That’s what we learn in this episode of Insider Trading, when Chris Johnston mentions the news.

When a star player publicly reveals his dissatisfaction with his playing time, it makes people react.

Honestly, Nylander deserves more playing time.

He came very close to reaching the famous 100-point plateau and is capable of killing penalties too, as he has done in recent years.

Recently, Nylander has been dropped to the second wave on the powerplay, as well as not being used on the powerplay under the new head coach.

He has proven that he belongs among the NHL’s elite, and has benefited greatly from every appearance with Auston Matthews and performing even better.

I understand that the Leafs aren’t going to put all their eggs in one basket, but Nylander deserves his place on the first line just as much, if not more.

At the very least, he MUST be on the first wave of the AN.

Berube will have to find a way to remedy the situation quickly, or else it could affect the chemistry in the dressing room.

If it goes on like this, the Leafs may even be forced to trade him, which could be good for both sides.

Nylander would get more playing time, and the Leafs would “get rid” of a big (and deserved) contract to meet the club’s greater needs.

Interestingly, at the time of writing, Nylander and the Leafs are playing the Seattle Kraken, and the Leafs’ main man has scored two goals in the second period.

Anything to convince his coach to play him more.

Overtime

– Impossible.

– Wow.

– Things aren’t going well for Jeremy Swayman and the Boston Bruins

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Mike Babcock (also) asked his staff to rank the effort of the players in front of them

A coach under pressure

That Mike Babcock.

I have a feeling we’ll be hearing about his antics for years to come.

Recently, on October 15 to be precise, Nazem Kadri released his book “Dreamer: My Life On the Edge”.

The book contains many interesting anecdotes, including the famous incident involving Babcock and Mitch Marner.

For those who don’t remember, Babcock had asked Marner in his first season to rank all the players from hardest-working to laziest.

Nonsense.

This incident is mentioned in Kadri’s book, but the former Toronto Maple Leafs player recounts a similar anecdote.

This time, it involved the coaching staff.

We have the chance to read this excerpt thanks to this guy.

At the end of the tweet, we see the beginning of the new story and we can see the rest in this other post on Twitter/X, below.

To recap, Babcock had asked his coaching staff to rank the effort of all players using a color-coded system.

Green for good, yellow for average and red for poor effort.

Babcock’s stories never cease to impress me (and not in a good way).

Initially, Kadri assumed that this story was not going to be revealed, but the coach decided to talk about each note in front of the whole team.

The main point was to embarrass the players and obviously, this caused some altercations between players and staff.

Definitely, Babcock likes to stir up trouble, and we’ve come to understand this over the years.

Overtime

– Read more.

– Gallagher and Slafkovsky had a great time.

– James Hagens, one of the best prospects in the 2025 crop, always wanted to be like Patrick Kane. [ResponsibleGambler]

– The Montreal Canadiens alumnus gets his Sunday hands out on Thursday.

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What should the Habs do with Oliver Kapanen?

OTTAWA, ON - OCTOBER 05: Montreal Canadiens Center Oliver Kapanen (91) battles Ottawa Senators Center Josh Norris (9) on a face-off during second period National Hockey League preseason action between the Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators on October 5, 2024, at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, ON, Canada. (Photo by Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Tonight, Oliver Kapanen will be used on the 4th line alongside Joel Armia and Christian Dvorak.

He was on the club’s second unit at yesterday’s practice, but Martin St-Louis’ plans have since changed.

Having said that, it looks like the Finn is starting to smell like hot soup…

In fact, Rafaël Harvey-Pinard accompanied the team to Washington and practiced this morning wearing a non-contact shirt.

And when he’s able to play, there’s one guy in the line-up who’ll have to bail out to make room for HP in the official 23-man roster.

And here, it’s easy to think of Kapanen because he’s the most logical candidate.

After all, Emil Heineman seems to have overtaken him in the pecking order because tonight, the big forward will be employed on the first line with Suzuki and Caufield. And the advantage for Heineman is that he can be sent to Laval without having to go through the waivers.

Barring a major surprise, Dvorak, Armia, Anderson and Gallagher won’t be sent back to the AHL… And the same can be said of Pezzetta, because he can be useful in the lineup if need be.

And let’s not forget Patrik Laine, who will be back at some point.

Could the Canadiens decide to send Kapanen back to Europe if he can’t be traded to Laval(for the time being)?

Patrik Bexell floated the idea on Twitter:

There are two ways of looking at this.

On the face of it, if Kapanen isn’t able to play much and ends up on the bridge most of the time, he won’t improve.

He’ll gain experience by traveling and practicing with the guys, which is good… But ultimately, at his age, he has to play to progress.

On the other hand, in Europe, he would have the opportunity to play a huge role in a good hockey league.

He was used as the center of his team’s first line in Timra before he left for the Canadiens’ practice camp, and he’d probably find himself back in that position when he returned to Sweden. That said, does he still have things to learn there? To hear Olli Jokinen, who is the team’s head coach there, the answer is no…

Ultimately, the Canadiens have a big decision to make.

By sending him to Europe, Kent Hughes and his associates won’t have 100% control over his development, unlike if they keep him in North America… But speaking of his development, the Habs also need to put him in a situation where he’ll be able to progress.

It’s a real headache.

Overtime

– I give him a big hug!

– Him, for example… Hehe.

– Sick.

– With good reason.

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We’re quick on the draw to criticize Dach’s performance in the middle.

MONTREAL, CANADA - MARCH 21: Kirby Dach #77 of the Montreal Canadiens celebrates after a goal during the first period of the NHL regular season game between the Montreal Canadiens and the Tampa Bay Lightning at the Bell Centre on March 21, 2023 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Francois Lacasse/NHLI via Getty Images)

This morning, La Presse published an article by Alexandre Pratt.

In it, the journalist compares the careers of Jonathan Drouin and Kirby Dach. And it’s true that there are similarities between the two players.

Dach and Drouin were selected 3rd overall in their respective drafts, they were dominant in junior, they were traded by their original teams while still very young… But above all, we’re talking about two center players who were moved to the wing for similar reasons: they’re not good in the face-off circle.

Reading Alexandre Pratt’s article, we realize that the journalist has a point. The two cases are very similar, especially in light of the fact that it’s been harder for Dach since the start of the season.

Alexandre Pratt even goes so far as to say this in his article:

Dach is one of the NHL’s worst players in the face-off circle. Not just this season. It’s been that way since his arrival in the league, and in this respect, he shows no signs of progress. – Alexandre Pratt

Again, he’s right, and the comparison with Drouin is a good one, because he too was awful at center when he first arrived in Montreal.

And at the time, it was also said that Drouin wasn’t progressing.

On the other hand, it leads me to say this: we knew it was going to be tough for Kirby Dach after his major injury last season.

We know we have to give him time, because it could be a long time before we see him at 100%.

That said, it seems that since he’s been placed alongside Suzuki and Caufield and is performing better on the ice, we’re already starting to think about the idea of seeing him converted to a winger.

I think we’re getting ahead of ourselves, especially since Dach has only played 70 games since arriving in Montreal (many of them on the wing of the first line).

It’s true that Dach isn’t the best in the face-off circle.

No one can argue with that, because the numbers don’t lie: he’s only won 35.3% of his face-offs since the start of his career, which is (really) not ideal.

But Kirby Dach is also known as a big, skillful player who can create space for his teammates. He’s got great vision, a big reach for his size, excellent puck handling and a good passer.

These are the qualities you want in a center forward.

And here’s the good news: you can work on your face-offs. The rest… a little less so.

In the end – in my humble opinion – you have to give him a chance, because the sample has been too small up to now.

Seeing him perform on the wing is interesting, but the Canadiens’ plan is to play him at center in the future, and that won’t change after just a few games.

Overtime

– He’s having a good time.

– Meh…

– Don Waddell won Halloween!

– Things are starting to move in the MLB.

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Recalling Luke Tuch to create an electroshock?

MONTREAL, QC - SEPTEMBER 14: Look on Montreal Canadiens left wing Luke Tuch (88) during the Toronto Maple Leafs versus the Montreal Canadiens preseason prospect showdown game on September 14, 2024, at Bell Centre in Montreal, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

After last week’s 7-2 loss to the Rangers, the Canadiens bounced back nicely.

It won both its games last weekend against the Blues and Flyers.

But on Tuesday, two days ago, the club completely collapsed against the Seattle Kraken (8-2). And here’s a phrase that comes up a lot: “the players need to put in more effort on the ice”.

Jake Evans and Brendan Gallagher are the only ones who show up every night. They do well in their respective roles and set an example.

But what does it take to send a message to the rest of the group?

Anthony Marcotte answered that question today on BPM Sports. And his suggestion is simple: the Habs need to recall Luke Tuch to create something.

Anthony Marcotte explains his point by saying that since the start of the season, Luke Tuch has been playing the right way.

He deserves a call-up in his eyes because he has the mold to help the Canadiens right now.

I find this interesting because you don’t necessarily think of Tuch when you think of players who could be recalled by the Habs.

He has no NHL experience, unlike guys like Barré-Boulet, Roy, Gignac or Condotta… But Tuch is a different player than those guys: he hits, he’s (very) physical and he’s also capable of producing offensively.

Still, he’s collected four points in seven games with Laval since the start of the season, which is no mean feat for a player in his first year in the pros.

I like Anthony Marcotte’s idea, especially if we see the Canadiens pulling out all the stops tonight.

You need guys who want to be there, and if you give a young guy like Tuch a chance to shine, the effort will definitely be there because he’ll want to prove himself and because that’s his style of play.

Stay tuned.

Overtime

– Logical.

– Major surgery for Curtis Lazar.

– He’s one of a kind.

– Yeah. It’s flat, but it’s all the same.

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