The season for the Montreal Canadiens is going to hell. With 18 lousy classification points, dreaming of the playoffs would be utopian. How, then, can we keep motivation with 48 more games to play?
The question was not put directly to Jake Allen, but over the press briefing he gave to his first training since December 19, the goalkeeper offered some rather interesting answers on the subject.
“We all know our position in the standings. You have to be realistic, he said. You have to look at yourself in the mirror and figure out what you want to accomplish from now on. We have to bring back certain habits. ”
Despite the fact that he has lost several soldiers in combat due to injury or due to COVID, the Habs have offered several ups and downs since the start of the campaign.
“Where we are, it’s unacceptable. Often, we found a way to shoot ourselves in the foot, ”admitted Allen who, following a setback in St. Louis on December 12, had called on his teammates to provide a better effort.
“We have 48 games left, that’s enough to build something good, especially with the young people we have in place. he continued. We must build a winning culture, regardless of victories and defeats. We have to get out of the positive of this season that we can transpose to the next one. During the last playoffs, we lived in this culture. We let her go. We must find it. ”
Learning the hard way
The problem is that this winning culture has crumbled with the disguised retirement of Shea Weber, the absence of Carey Price, the injury of Joel Edmundson who is slow to heal and the transaction that sent Phillip Danault to Los Angeles.
Nonetheless, Allen is convinced that she is not far deep in the hearts of her teammates.
“We still have a lot of pride in wearing this sweater. Yes, we have lost veterans, but there are a lot of good people here, ”said the New Brunswicker.
Unmistakably, this long list of absences, to which we can also add the name of Paul Byron, has forced some young players in the organization to age a little faster.
This is the case of Nick Suzuki who, at 22, was given one of the roles of assistant to the captain. Moreover, he said that the failure of the first 33 games served him a hell of a lesson.
“Never in my career, whether in minor hockey or at the junior level, have I found myself in a similar situation. Losing like we have done since the start of the campaign is crap. It’s learning the hard way. How we end the season will reveal the character that lives in the players on this team. ”
Farewell ahead
Suzuki is likely to have another telltale clue in the next two weeks. Due to provincial restrictions that would force him to play his home games behind closed doors, the Canadian will play his next seven games on opposing rinks.
Between now and the next game scheduled at the Bell Center, on January 27, the name of the Habs next general manager should be known.
Jeff Gorton and the lucky winner will undoubtedly assess the troops. If the situation does not recover on the ice, Jonathan Drouin fears several changes will occur.
“It’s hard to know that if things keep going badly, there will be exchanges. It’s hard to see players leave, especially when they’re big chunks of your team. But in the situation we find ourselves in, that is to be expected. “
Even if things were to get back to normal, we can expect transactions. Sooner or later, aspiring teams for top honors, looking for depth in certain positions, will come knocking on the Canadian’s door.
Some players may never set foot at the Bell Center once more in the blue-white-red uniform.
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