It’s not complicated: the Montreal Canadiens are dragging their feet as if they were waiting for someone to tell them that the season has really started.
The defeats pile up, and in each match, a spark seems to be missing, a player ready to shake up the entire team.
At this point, what they need is Luke Tuch, a power player who could come from Laval to show what it means to play with intensity and conviction.
Let’s look at the facts.
What do we do in Montreal when we no longer know how to revive the front line? We place Josh Anderson next to Suzuki and Caufield, hoping that this time it will work.
It has almost become a tradition!
We saw the “move” again yesterday.
Two periods later, we returned with Dach on the first line…
We’re talking about this same Anderson, who we tried and retried at the top of the lineup, without ever succeeding in making him the spark plug we hoped for.
How many times have we tried this desperate gamble?
The reality is that the team lacks raw energy.
She needs a player who will get his hands dirty, who will force the opponent to take note of every presence on the ice.
And that’s exactly what Luke Tuch is ready for.
With the Rocket, he imposes himself, he does not hesitate to distribute contacts and play intensely.
No spectacle, no superfluous finesse.
This guy takes to the ice with a mission: to shake up the opponent and show that no check is too much.
Here are the highlights of the last match for those who need to refresh their memory on what we call a difficult evening:
In each match, CH continues to display the same shortcomings: little finishing, few hits and a lack of aggressiveness in the opposing zone.
With a team going in circles, it’s time to try something new.
Tuch stands out with Laval not for his skillful passing, but for his physical impact.
He enters the corners, disturbs the opponent and reminds opposing defenders that no sequence will be simple.
The Canadian doesn’t have a player like him, period.
In every match, we see players who hesitate to finish their checks, who prefer beautiful plays to profitable games.
Tuch has no such doubts. He enters the ice with the determination of a player who wants to make a difference.
With a team like CH which is struggling so much, this is what is needed to get out of this spiral of defeats and remind everyone of the importance of each match.
The statistics speak for themselves: with an average of two hits per game and continued physical involvement, Tuch shows that he is ready for the next step.
Imagine it on a Saturday night at the Bell Centre, after a series of defeats that wore out everyone’s patience. It would be the equivalent of a boost for the team.
The other players would see it coming, and would understand that if they don’t want to be surpassed by a determined young man, they will have to raise their level of play.
The current series of defeats is a wake-up call.
So, Martin St-Louis, what are you waiting for?
No need to dream of a perfect line or a spectacle – simply a player who hustles and who recalls the very essence of hockey.
CH needs a player who approaches each match as if it were the last, who considers a defeat unacceptable.
Luke Tuch could be that spark.
A team is inspired by players like him – those who are not afraid to go into battle, even when everything goes wrong.
Amen …
