Hockey

The Canadiens players spoke to each other in the whites of their eyes before winning yesterday’s game
Vincent Larue
The Canadiens players spoke to each other in the whites of their eyes before winning yesterday’s game
Credit: X

The Montreal Canadiens had not been at their best for the past ten days. The club was going through a rough patch, unable to string together convincing games, and a number of shaky performances were beginning to take their toll on morale.

But last night, against the Maple Leafs, the Habs reminded us that they're capable of regrouping when the situation really calls for it. This victory didn't come out of nowhere. It was rooted in a frank and necessary team meeting held the day before the game, as mentioned in the article by RDS.ca journalist Alexis Bélanger-Champagne.

This kind of meeting is never pleasant. The players know it. It's a time for exposing shortcomings, pointing out what's no longer working, and shaking up the entire dressing room. But this is precisely what the Canadiens needed to do. Management and leaders demanded more: more commitment, more communication, more consistency. No detours. No excuses.

Mike Matheson summed it up best. He confirmed the importance of this internal discussion:

“We had a meeting that wasn't fun, but sometimes it takes something like that to change things” – Mike Matheson

And things did change. Montreal took on Toronto with an energy not seen in a while. The forecheck was sustained, the restarts were sharper and the team worked as a unit. The Habs played simple, but fair. It wasn't flamboyant, but it was effective and responsible.

Each line seemed animated by the same mission: to suffocate the Leafs by reducing their time and space. The defensemen managed the neutral zone better, the forwards forced turnovers, and the transition was better executed. Above all, the defensive structure was better executed by all the players on the ice, which had caused so many problems in recent games.

This win doesn't erase the bad streak, but it could mark an important tipping point. There often comes a time in a season when a group refocuses and redefines its standards. For the Canadiens, this could well be that moment.

What happens next will depend on their ability to reproduce this level of commitment. The schedule will not be forgiving, but if the Habs maintain this cohesion and intensity, this meeting – not the one against the Leafs, but the one in the dressing room – may well be referred to as the real start of the turnaround.


overtime

– Alexandre Texier's contract is officially terminated.

– Not the start we wanted for the Montreal Victory.

– Nice powerplay passing game for the Buffalo Sabres.

– Andrei Svechnikov reaches the 500-game NHL plateau today.

– Daniel Brière receives an honorary doctorate from UQO.

– Alexander Romanov needs a shoulder surgery and will be out for 5 to 6 months.

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