The metamorphosis and the youth turn of the Canadiens may have been started several months ago, it is really a few hours before the opening game of the 2022-2023 season that we understand that a page of history has really been shot at the CH.
Just steps from the Maple Leafs locker room on Wednesday morning, Mitch Marner analyzed his first opponents of the season and eternal rivals this way.
“Their team is starving because the majority of the players are young and want to prove something. For us, the important thing will be to be ready to compete.”
This, let’s be frank, is the perfect description that we would throw out if we wanted to analyze a team in reconstruction. That’s good, because that’s exactly what the Habs are, in this 113th year of club history.
But be careful. “Reconstruction” does not mean “easy prey”.
Moreover, Marner and his talented teammate Auston Matthews distributed the flowers in a very generous way when they were questioned regarding certain young skaters from the CH.
“Slafkovsky is a big guy who moves very well for a guy of his size,” first launched the No. 16 Leafs.
Photo credit: Martin Chevalier / JdeM
“He also has a very heavy shot and can spot his teammates. I am convinced that he will have a great career in the NHL.
Matthews, for his part, praised Cole Caufield.
“He is very good. I really like the way he plays. He is a very intelligent player with an excellent shot. He manages to find shooting angles in several ways. He is a very pleasant guy to watch play. You’ll have to keep an eye on him, because he doesn’t need a lot of space to release.”
A notable absentee
Even if the not very encouraging news regarding Carey Price has been pouring in for quite a while, it is still special to see the CH preparing to start a season without great hopes of being able to count on its popular goalkeeper along the way.
At this time last year, we were wondering when No. 31 would return to the game. Today, we are simply wondering “if” the goalkeeper will ever return to action.
Asked regarding Price’s delicate situation, Mitch Marner offered an answer that showed very well his respect for his opponent of the last six years.
“I’ve watched Carey play for a long time, whether it’s at the World Cup, the Olympics or even the Junior World Championship. He has always been special to watch. He knew he might make his opponents’ night difficult. He’s quite a competitor. Obviously, hockey misses Carey. But life and family must come before hockey. The most important thing is to take care of yourself and to be respectful and present for the people you love.
The pressure of having to win… now
The history of the Maple Leafs is well documented. The team, despite more often than not above-average talent, hasn’t made it past the first round of playoffs since 2004.
Unsurprisingly considering the importance of hockey for a market like Toronto’s, the fans, who haven’t been very spoiled in recent years, have a very short fuse. And we can say without too much risk of being wrong that the management will not leave 35 other chances to the hockey staff, in the event of another failure next spring.
Knowing all that, how is Toronto head coach Sheldon Keefe approaching this new season?
“We often talk regarding the importance of not seeing too far,” the pilot replied first.
“Expectations are nothing new in Toronto. Players are used to dealing with that. Tonight we focus on the Montreal Canadiens. We want to start off on the right foot. This is the first step. But I have confidence in my team.”
Photo credit: AFP
For his part, Mitch Marner, honest, admitted that expectations and pressure might sometimes be issues with which it was sometimes perilous to juggle. But he said he found several ways to clear his mind over the years.
“I have several good people around me. Friends, family. I am very lucky to have these people in my life. They don’t see me as a hockey player, but rather as a relative. I try to do my things and prepare myself as best as I can. Before each season, I make sure I’m at my best physically, but also mentally. I also remind myself that you should never look too far, but that you should not constantly go back to the past either.
Tonight, starting at 7 p.m., two clubs from across the world will face off on the ice at the Bell Centre.
In the red corner, an organization just beginning its journey towards a hopefully bright future. In the blue corner, a club as talented as possible for whom the margin of error is practically non-existent.
Whose victory? The answer in a few hours.
