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I’m currently worried about the Canadiens’ young players
Maxime Truman
I’m currently worried about the Canadiens’ young players
Credit: Playoff fever is easing off in Montreal this lunchtime. It’s as if everyone has recovered from the virus simultaneously. All thanks to a vaccine from the capital of the United States… The Montrealers trail 0 – 2 and now face the challenge of winning four out of five games against the top team in the […]
Playoff fever is easing off in Montreal this lunchtime. It’s as if everyone has recovered from the virus simultaneously. All thanks to a vaccine from the capital of the United States…

The Montrealers trail 0 – 2 and now face the challenge of winning four out of five games against the top team in the East (overall). Good luck!

When you listen to Cole Caufield, Martin St-Louis and Juraj Slafkovsky talk, you get the impression that no one has a real solution for bouncing back. It’s hard to be confident as a fan when the guys don’t seem to be confident themselves..

Do the guys still believe in themselves?

Yet, in reality, the CH has only lost by one goal (scored against a goalie) in the first two games. If Jake Evans puts it in Logan Thompson’s empty net, it could be 1-1 in the series..

If the Habs commit one less turnover on Monday, it could be 1-1 too..

I’m asking myself – and I’m asking you – this lunchtime: is the Habs that close to the Caps? Are they that close to being a really good playoff team?

Or are they just lucky to have been able to count on Samuel Montembeault to keep them in the game when they weren’t playing their hearts out in the opening seconds of every game?

I think the answer lies somewhere in between.

The fact that the youngsters were the ones who took you to the playoffs this year gave us hope for the rebuilding of Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes..

But the fact that these same youngsters are struggling against the Capitals right now is cause for concern. The team’s best forwards right now are the veterans: Josh Anderson, Christian Dvorak and Patrik Laine Brendan Gallagher (and the captain, of course). It’s not a random act of desperation that Dvorak and Gallagher were on the ice at the end of yesterday’s game..

Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky (despite his imposing size) and Ivan Demidov probably find it hard to go fast and hard in North America in the playoffs. At the blue line, Lane Hutson has started doing what defensemen are told not to do in Midget AAA: don’t go into the corner for fear of getting hit.

At least the kids are learning, say the eternal optimists…

No, the Habs don’t seem so downgraded when you look at the big picture, on the surface, but when you dig a little deeper, what encouraged us during the regular season can discourage us today: several veterans are dragging the team down right now… and we’re not talking about veterans you have to rely on to lead your rebuild. #NotCategoryA

Yes, Sidney Crosby Josh Anderson is playing great field hockey right now… but it’s Cole Caufield, Ivan Demidov and Juraj Slafkovsky I want to see be great to believe in the future of this group of players. Not Josh Anderson!

I hope Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes realize that their group needs size, grit and toughness. Even if, at the end of the day, they leave the guy who best fits their criteria in the stands. #Xhekaj

Jeff Gorton lost his job in New York because he underestimated the physical aspect of ice hockey (especially in the spring). I guess – at least, I hope – he’s learned and will be grafting some toughness to his group over the summer..

Mike Matheson said last night that field hockey players who don’t like getting hit are in the wrong business. Clearly, there are a few in the Montreal dressing room who are going to have to take a look in the mirror, even if Matheson wasn’t directly targeting them..

I would add this to Matheson’s comments: it would be fun to have players who like to – and are able to – hit the opposition with conviction. Because that’s part of the job too..

Josh Anderson handed out six body checks last night. The second-most on the Habs? A host of players with three. And Jayden Struble has NONE !


in a row

– Max Pacioretty nears a comeback.

– Hard blow to Philly.

– Logical.

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