Working in a good mood, there’s nothing like it to move big projects forward. Like that of giving back its letters of nobility to a concession in love. This is precisely the atmosphere in which the Canadian trained on Thursday before leaving for Detroit.
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Martin St-Louis and his troops had something to smile about and have a light heart. The satisfaction of having defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs was still palpable just 12 hours after that first season-opening triumph since the 2017-18 campaign.
“A first victory is important. It allows you to feel good and to have confidence in what you are doing, ”launched defender Chris Wideman.
It’s nice to say the pre-season schedule doesn’t matter, but it’s clear the players had the 0-6-2 record in mind. Even if we were beaten back with the famous process, the longer the first win would have been delayed, the heavier the weight would have been on the shoulders of the Canadiens players.
“We still have a few injuries, but it was the first time that we had our real NHL team on the ice. This is something that we have not been able to do during the entire preparatory calendar, ”argued Wideman.
A few steps from his teammate, David Savard abounded in the same direction, recalling that the camp serves above all to ensure that all the players are on the same page.
“Yes, we lost all our games in the preparatory calendar, but it was used for teaching, correcting errors and making sure everything was in place for the start of the season. Yesterday [mercredi]precisely, we played a fairly complete match, ”supported the Maskoutain.
impressed by young people
Obviously, a match is far from making a season. Moreover, following the victory acquired in the inaugural game of 2017, the Canadian had suffered seven consecutive losses, including one in overtime.
“We got the result we wanted, but that doesn’t change what we’re doing today. When you win, the next day you have to get up and start over. It’s the same thing when you lose, ”compared the head coach of the Canadian.
“We remain focused on the way forward while maintaining a good level of enthusiasm. I think if we have that mentality, we will get more and more of the desired results,” continued St-Louis.
No question, therefore, of leaving in fear, even if the Habs surprised the powerful Leafs as a curtain raiser and even if, overall, the young defenders, Kaiden Guhle in the lead, did an excellent job.
“These guys are amazing. It was a lot of pressure last night [mercredi] ! They are so calm and confident with the puck. Their contribution was beneficial to the team. They seemed to grow in attendance after attendance,” Wideman said.
Three games in four nights
Now that they have understood what it was like to beat the Maple Leafs on Bell Center ice, CH rookies will have to tame the condensed sequences of two games in 24 hours and three games in four nights.
This is what they will experience with a visit this evening to Detroit, followed by a stop on Friday in Washington.
Simple games
If St-Louis thinks it will be self-evident for its young players, Savard believes that there may be an adjustment to be made.
“It’s part of learning. In the NHL, games are more intense and often one of the two clubs is rested. You have to know how to gauge your energies by making shorter shifts and making sure you recover well between matches. »
“And these are not games where you go on offense. These are games where you keep things simple,” he warned.
It will therefore be expected that the Canadian will play two parts of the road: simple and dull.
Martin St-Louis has confirmed that Jake Allen will face the Detroit Red Wings tonight. However, the plan is not determined for Saturday.