Wins, losses, points: These are the three pillars that the average person often looks at to evaluate the work of a team. To a certain extent this also applies to the players.
This is a mistake to avoid, especially for a team in the development and reconstruction phase. Martin St-Louis often tries to remind his flock of this.
Photo Martin Chevalier
“Sometimes we win games and the following matches are not particularly positive. Sometimes we lose, but the meetings are more positive. Even more than sometimes when we won,” explained the Canadian coach.
“If you only focus on the end result of a game and think everything is right or everything is bad, it is difficult to move forward, be consistent and improve,” he continued.
But to improve, you also need to know the points to correct. Saturday afternoon in St. Louis was all about execution and finishing. On Monday he spoke of a partially inconsistent alert level. This is where the idle times of a few minutes, which have been so costly for the Habs for some time now, arise.
“In life, when you know something is going to be difficult, you are more alert. During our first period we are very vigilant. “We play very good hockey,” St-Louis said. Then we tell ourselves it’s easier than we thought, and as a result we become less vigilant.”
And that's exactly where the opponent takes advantage of the Canadian, especially in the second third – in the game against the Devils in the third third.
“It's little moments here and there that cause us to lose games,” St-Louis said.
Small moments that are difficult to predict.
More fear than harm for Struble
Jayden Struble was back at work four days after leaving the third period of the game against the Penguins following a mysterious injury.
Getty Images via AFP
“I felt a pinch in my lower back,” explained the defender. When I collapsed. I said to myself, “This is it.” I couldn't move anymore. The next day I felt better,
Although Struble admitted that he found it a little difficult to return to the ice, we could see him back at his post tomorrow. In Brossard he formed a pair with Jordan Harris.
Additionally, St-Louis confirmed that Samuel Montembeault would start against the Coyotes.
Before training, Rafaël Harvey-Pinard jumped onto the auxiliary ice rink in a sports tracksuit. His skating seemed fluid. Remember, his name was placed on the injured list on February 11, the day after accidental contact with Joel Armia. It was his third leg injury this season.
Jake Evans missed training for treatment. On Saturday in Newark he had to leave the meeting for a few moments due to feeling unwell.