Published today at 7:00 p.m.
Updated today at 7:00 p.m.
Since the arrival of Patrik Laine at the beginning of December, the Canadian flame has been rekindled and enthusiasm has returned among the players, which leads me to believe that the club will participate in the next series.
Emotion is back in the ranks of the training and when this is the case, the level of play of the group is raised. The atmosphere and team spirit are very good. This is the perfect recipe for achieving the objectives set by the players and management. All the elements are therefore in place for CH to finally return to the playoffs. Let’s just hope he avoids injuries and bad luck like the one experienced by Emil Heineman.
Good teams always find a way to win, even when they aren’t having their best night. We had proof of this on Tuesday when we saw the Habs bounce back after a bad first period, marked by indiscipline and a 14-3 domination of Utah HC in terms of shots. Fortunately, Samuel Montembeault was exceptional. He made 3-4 big saves and he was so exceptional that he allowed his teammates to regain their legs and their fighting spirit. At the start of the campaign, we did not see this, the CH getting bogged down to undergo some severe corrections.
Moreover, the goalkeeper remains the centerpiece among the players. If your man in front of the net is average, your chances of winning will be modest. But if he excels, as we are currently seeing with the Canadian, the chances are much stronger. And let’s not forget Jakub Dobes. His presence allows CH to bet on the best duo of goalkeepers among all the clubs in the race for the series. Dobes gave the players confidence; If Cayden Primeau had played the three games that the Czech won, I am not at all sure that Montreal would have won them. And without these six points in the standings, CH would be far from a place in the playoffs.
Now, after the game in Dallas on Thursday, the Canadian will often play at the Bell Center and it will be up to him to take advantage of a cheerful crowd to add valuable points to his record. But for the moment, we must give credit to the hockey players and coaches for this change of direction.
Hutson will win the Calder
Obviously, Lane Hutson’s name gets thrown around a lot these days, and with good reason. He impresses me to no end and I see him pocketing the Calder Trophy at the end of the season. His selection in the second round of the draft constitutes a real daylight robbery! We already knew his offensive potential and his above-average hockey intelligence quotient. However, some had doubts about its ability to counter rival attacks because of its small size.
However, Hutson dispelled the doubts. Martin St-Louis and Stéphane Robidas do not hesitate to use it against the best opposing players. He is a defender capable of playing in the team’s top 4. He always competes and puts himself in good position on the ice. He is able to fall back, not to mention he relies on a good stick. Combined with his intelligence, this helps him break up enemy games. And let’s also point out that he is an easy athlete to manage. He remains humble despite his success and constantly wants to learn.
