The Canadian was dazed and dazed in the fight against the Golden Knights and Bruins and was brought back to earth. He understood that he still had a few crusts to eat before he could compete night after night against the best teams on the circuit.
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Yes, it must have hurt. Mike Matheson called it a slap in the face. But at the same time, should we be surprised? The latest news was that the Canadian was identified as a team in development. In the prediction game, no one saw that they had qualified for the playoffs before the start of the season.
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The most optimistic predicted they would finish sixth in the Atlantic Division. The most realistic is seventh or eighth place. However, this is exactly where the Habs are right now.
As for his performance since the start of the season, we can be a little worried. Indeed, especially since the beginning of November, when the Canadian won just two of his nine games – two overtime victories.
Find standards
At this point last year, Martin St-Louis’ side had accumulated 19 points after 18 games. Three more than his current total. Additionally, the Canadian won just two games in regular time, the lowest total on the circuit.
With Sunday off, the Habs will practice early Monday morning before flying to California, where they will continue their five-game streak on opponent ice. The games against the Ducks, Sharks and Kings will be followed by a visit to Columbus.
Of this quartet of opponents, three are certainly within reach of the Montrealers. However, to defeat them, they must present themselves in a better light. And also show more stability.
“This is a crucial point. One night we can show a high level and then our game drops a lot,” said Jake Allen after the 5-2 loss in Boston.
“I don’t expect us to be perfect, but I do expect us to meet our standards. “We know where they are, we have to find them,” the guard continued.
Slowly and generously
It must be said that Allen had just been bombarded with 44 shots. When the locker room doors opened, there was still a lot of hair in his forelock and his leggings still smelled of burnt rubber.
It was the second time in a row and the fourth time since the start of the season that the Canadian allowed the opponent more than 40 shots. A generosity that can be partially corrected by being less passive in the defensive zone and more aggressive in puck recovery.
“We were slow on the puck most of the game,” said Nick Suzuki, summing up this thought in a single sentence. Normally we are much more specific in our search for them.”
Working the right way and finding the set pieces is something like this: winning battles for the puck, recovering free pucks, winning position battles, closing the blue line, cutting off the passing lines and limiting the opponent’s reaction time.
In short: “It will be difficult to play against him.”