Times are tough for the Canadian, who will be looking to avoid an eighth consecutive loss on Saturday night when the St. Louis Blues play in Montreal.
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This is the most difficult time for the Habs this season. It is also the first time Martin St-Louis has gone through such a phase as head coach in the National League. The Quebecer admits he’s learning a lot from the situation.
“You don’t just have to focus on where you are and why you got there. You also have to think about what you have to do to get out of there,” he said in a press conference on Friday.
Deprived of important elements
And to get out of this trough, CH will have to forego some of its good elements.
On Friday, the club confirmed Sean Monahan and Michael Matheson will be out for a further two weeks, while young defender Kaiden Guhle, who has had a strong first season so far, will be out for at least another eight weeks.
So the Canadian will have to grit his teeth to find the resources needed to get back on the road to victory. If the performances of the towering Connor Bedard at the World Junior Championships make the CH defeats more acceptable in the eyes of many supporters, a very long series of defeats could still leave its mark and it would be better to avoid the deepest of the troughs. .
Veteran Jake Allen, winner of December’s Molson Cup, will be in action in front of the Bleu Blanc Rouge cage against the Blues.
Things are going a little better for the St. Louis team, although the team is lagging behind in the race for the last two spots that will allow entry into the West playoffs. Coach Craig Berube’s side have won three of their last four games.
This will be the second duel between the two teams this season. On October 29, Christian Dvorak scored a hat-trick in just the third period in the Canadiens’ 7-4 win in St. Louis.
- The match will be broadcast on TVA Sports and on TVA Sports Direct at 19:00; The pregame starts at 6:00 p.m.