MONTREAL – It doesn’t happen often, but it’s never boring when David Savard scores a goal.
On December 28, once morest the Tampa Bay Lightning, Savard had intercepted an out of bounds attempt at the opposing blue line, had foiled none other than Victor Hedman by bringing the puck on his backhand then had beaten goalkeeper Maxime Lagacé with a sharp shot. His goal gave the Canadiens, then devastated by COVID-19, a lead late in the third period once morest the defending Stanley Cup champions.
Savard got his hands out last Monday once morest the Boston Bruins. After trading with Alexander Romanov on the blue line, he left his position to offer himself a passing option, received the puck near the crease and challenged three opponents before beating Jeremy Swayman with an astonishing shot from the reverse.
Saturday, once morest the Leafs, the bearded veteran redid his number. While Cole Caufield was closely watched in net, Savard surprised William Nylander by racing towards the blue paint to combine with Laurent Dauphin who had read his trick well. Dominated until then, the Canadian came back to life.
“He’s not the most fluid on his skates, but he knows how to get to the right places at the right times and his offensive skills are surprising,” noted Jake Allen following the CH victory. It was part of his arsenal when we played each other in the QMJHL and often the guys who have it never really lose it. »
“Since he came back and got into our game concepts, he’s got the offense that I didn’t think he had,” coach Martin St-Louis said in the same vein. The world tells me that junior, he always had offense in his game. When you arrive in the National League, sometimes you have to get into a role. But the way we play, I think you see that guy has a bit of offense in his game. »
Savard has three shots on goal in two of his three games since returning from an ankle injury that sidelined him for more than two months. It had only happened four times in his first 42 games of the season. Maybe he actually lets himself go, the good David, noting that the Kulak, Chiarot and Petry are no longer there since his return to the game.
The assist he added to his record on Saturday – he cleared the front of his net with a violent spin to send Paul Byron and Christian Dvorak to take advantage of an empty goal – will always be more representative of the identity that he forged during the 13 years following his 77-point season with the Moncton Wildcats. That of a defender primarily concerned with work in his territory, devoted to the collective cause and generous in the effort. That of the guy who was on the ice for 4 min 28 seconds of the 4 min 52 seconds his team defended short of a man once morest the Leafs.
But he also seems to find his account in what his new coach asks, whose teachings he is just beginning to put into practice following a long convalescence.
“I think Marty is similar to [John Tortorella], who was his coach for a long time, explained Savard, who himself was coached for six years by Tortorella with the Columbus Blue Jackets. I had just spoken to Torts when Marty arrived. Basically, it’s a bit similar, you have to be aggressive everywhere. The way his system works fits well with the way I’ve played in the past few years, so it was easy to adapt. »
St. Louis and general manager Kent Hughes have both been quoted since their respective hires regarding their willingness to rely on a fast team. This is not a criterion that Savard had to meet when the previous administration offered him a four-year contract last summer, but he nevertheless sees himself fitting into the new identity of CH.
“It’s not just the skating that will make you play quickly on the ice and I think I will adapt a little to the system of play, he pleaded. We’ll see where it goes and if they decide to keep me for my contract. Of course I hope to stay here, I’m good here. We had a difficult start to the season, but we can see that this team has talent. We are capable of being competitive once morest any team and I want to be part of it. »
Two promising defensemen, Justin Barron and Jordan Harris, arrived in the organization this week. Another, Kaiden Guhle, will join them next year. These youngsters are destined to take Savard’s job in the not so distant future. But in the buffer period necessary for any good transition, the latter might be the ideal mentor.
“You have to have veterans,” St-Louis said Saturday. You have young people coming, they have to be supervised by good veterans. That’s it, Savvy. »
