The Canadian’s season ended a long time ago, but this little Friday of training in Brossard still took place in a mixture of enthusiasm and optimism.
Because the players of the Canadian, who will welcome the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday evening at the Bell Center, believe that the future is so bright that they must wear sunglasses. Well no, no one said it like that, but basically, that’s kind of what it means, most likely.
“We’ve made great strides this season despite the injuries,” Martin St-Louis said Friday. We were able to get good samples about several players too, we have more information to plan our future. It’s encouraging… “
The Montreal coach also repeated that “our good is good”, which is all there is to say, and more. Understand by this that he, like the other members of the management, believe he has some of the players who will allow this club, one day, to spawn with the contenders in this league.
That day won’t be Saturday, of course, but that day will come. Maybe.
On this subject, several of the CH players have repeatedly praised the gentle method advocated by Martin St-Louis, who reserves his fiery looks for more difficult situations, for example following a difficult question, or following of a questionable decision by a referee.
Friday, it was Jonathan Drouin, yet left on the bench recently by St-Louis in Tampa, who wanted to throw flowers at his coach.
“I wish I had a coach like him maybe six years ago,” noted the Quebec forward. This is the trend today for coaches. He wants us to choose the right moments to make the right plays, he wants us to understand the context of the match. »
St-Louis grasps this new reality very well. We can no longer do things the way we used to do them in the past.
While waiting for better days, there will be a spring, then an abacus, then a repechage, then a summer. With a bit of luck, the Canadian could take advantage of exceptional circumstances during these events to look better next season. Everything is possible.
In any case, this is what Samuel Montembeault believes.
“I think we can already be optimistic about next season,” explained the Quebec goalkeeper. Already last summer, I thought the club management had done a great job in order to improve the team, and I trust that it will be the case this time too. So no, I’m not worried…”
Joel Armia trained with a regular jersey on Friday in Brossard, which suggests that he could return to play soon. On this subject, Martin St-Louis did not want to reveal anything about his formation on Friday afternoon, which will force Saturday’s opponents, the Carolina Hurricanes, to appear at the Bell Center on Saturday in a fog of confusion. Note also that Rafaël Harvey-Pinard and David Savard were not in training on Friday, the first for treatment reasons, the second for injury reasons.