The Canadian | Joel Armia and the “Finnish mentality”

At the end of the second period of the Canadian’s game in Dallas last Thursday, Joel Armia lost his stick while his club was defending in its zone.

Rather than positioning himself to block a shot, the Finn went on the attack. He first hit the disc bearer, Thomas Harley, who fell onto the band. Colin Blackwell then got a taste of his medicine. In a few seconds, the Habs were able to clear their territory and regain their rhythm.

A few hours before the match, his compatriot Miro Heiskanen had prophetic words about who will be his teammate at the 4 Nations Showdown next month.

“He can score goals, but first and foremost he’s a worker,” noted the star defender of the Stars, who worked alongside Armia at the World Championship in 2022. “It’s not pleasant to play against him. I can’t wait for him to be on our side…”

In recent weeks, the Canadian’s fourth line has received a lot of attention, and rightly so. Of the dozens of combinations that head coach Martin St-Louis has concocted over the past three years with his supporting forwards, this is probably the most effective and consistent.

Jake Evans has received his share of praise for his surprising goal haul, and Emil Heineman, with his speed, toughness and shooting, has been a nice surprise in his first full season in the NHL.

Armia goes more or less under the radar. Knowing how much he doesn’t seek the spotlight, he’s not the one who’s going to complain.

During a short discussion with The Presslast Thursday, there was talk of the underdog status that could be attached to both himself and his national team. Few observers see Finland winning the 4 Nations Confrontation, even if this country almost systematically performs well in international competitions. This seemed to amuse the big guy.

“It’s the Finnish mentality,” he said, smiling. No matter the situation or the opponent, you play your best and you do it as a team, as a group. »

Defense first

Even though he is the only representative of his country in his trio in Montreal, it is, he believes, the state of mind that best explains the success he shared with Heineman and Evans this season.

“I feel that in each match, we were able to play the same way,” he said. Against all opponents, at home and abroad. We were consistent in everything we did. And if all three of us were rewarded offensively, that confirms to us that we did the right things. »

Unfortunately, the “unfortunate” injury Heineman suffered forced the Evans-Armia duo to cope without him for a few weeks. Even before the Swede suffered a road accident as a pedestrian, the trio’s production had slowed down. It is not, in any case, as if the Montreal attack suddenly rested on the shoulders of Evans and Armia who, at 28 and 31 years old respectively, have never exceeded 30 points during a season. A new personal high is nevertheless within reach of the winger, who has already amassed 21 points in 46 games.

What is certain is that he has not lost his defensive splendor. He is one of the Canadian forwards who loses the fewest pucks to the opponent, and one of those who steals the most. After a difficult start to the campaign, he seems to have become impenetrable. Over the last 17 games, he has only been on the ice for three opponent goals at five-on-five.

Since the start of the season, he has also been CH’s most used attacker at the end of the match to protect the lead when the opponent has withdrawn their goalkeeper. And no goals were scored under his leadership.

“He protects the puck extremely well,” recalled defenseman David Savard about him.

He made an eloquent demonstration of it in Salt Lake City last week. At the end of the second period, due to a lack of options at the opposing blue line, he retreated to the neutral zone and, well served by his size and his big stick, he made fun of two opponents in the center of the ice. When Kaiden Guhle broke free on the left flank, he served him a perfect pass which allowed his team to move into opposing territory.

“When he’s confident, he’s almost impossible to stop,” Savard said. We see in training how difficult it is to separate him from the puck. And this year, the confidence is there. »

Trust

An athlete’s confidence level will inevitably impact their success, and that’s perhaps even more true for Armia.

Last season, he fell into a spiral of self-flagellation which seriously undermined his morale. However, with the help of the team’s mental trainer, he learned to better put his performances into perspective and finished the campaign strong.

This year, it’s obvious he’s in a more positive mental space, which hasn’t gone unnoticed by his coaches.

“It’s rare that you don’t see him in a match,” said Martin St-Louis after the game in Utah. The biggest difference for him over the last year is his consistency. I think he’s having fun on the ice. He knows he’s going to make mistakes from time to time, but he’s not so hard on himself anymore. »

Armia is also the first to say how much he plays with “confidence”, particularly because of his effectiveness on the penalty kill.

The Habs, in fact, experienced a striking improvement in this phase of the game, and Armia is one of the main architects. Among the 125 most used forwards short of a man in the NHL this season, he is in the top third in terms of shot attempts, shots on target and anticipated goals allowed by his team when he is on the ice. The most sought-after duo on the circuit, he and Evans even manage to venture into opposing territory almost every match.

“I can’t speak for the others, but I take a lot of pride in stopping the other team from scoring,” Armia said. It gives me confidence in the other facets of the match. »

Future

Given the victories that have accumulated recently at CH and the suddenly very real possibility of reaching the playoffs, the trade deadline and the fate of players at the end of their contract are less on the agenda.

Armia is however part of the group, with Evans, Savard and Christian Dvorak, players who will gain full autonomy next summer. At that point, he will have spent seven seasons in the tricolor uniform.

His 2024-2025 performances are strangely reminiscent of those of 2020-2021, which convinced general manager Marc Bergevin to grant him a four-year contract at an average of 3.4 million per season.

However, its next agreement will require inevitable reflection for management.

Even if Martin St-Louis insists on the fact that Armia “can move up” in the lineup, whether on one of the first two lines or on the power play, it is really in a supporting role that the Finn is best. …as was the case in 2020-2021, when the fourth line he completed with Eric Staal and Corey Perry was a playoff power.

The coaching staff seems to see the same thing: a glance at the specialized site PuckIQ indeed confirms that Heineman and Armia are the CH’s least requested regular attackers at five against five against so-called “elite” competition.

In this context, it is difficult to predict what awaits him. What we do know is that the main person concerned “absolutely” sees himself remaining in Montreal, where he and his wife have started a family.

Besides, he tries “not to think too much” about the future.

“We are playing very well at the moment, and I want to make the most of it,” he said. It’s fun going to the rink every day, being with the guys. It’s a very good group. So I want to experience these moments without thinking too much about what will happen. Or not happen. »

Wise words, no doubt. Which resolutely echo his “Finnish mentality”.