(Los Angeles) After the quarter of the season, the Canadian finds himself in 22nd place in the overall National League standings as of November 26, and this is probably a situation that reflects the reality of this team quite well.
This trip, which began in California but which will end far from the palm trees, in Columbus, on Wednesday, served to remind the hockey world that the Montreal club is exactly what it is in the standings and exactly, almost. , at the rank that we could have predicted for him at the start of the season.
Besides, this journey began with a one-goal victory in Anaheim, another one-goal victory (and in a shootout) against the worst club in the NHL on Friday night in San Jose and, finally, there had this 4-0 thaw on Saturday in Los Angeles, against one of the leading clubs on this circuit.
Predictable? Without a doubt.
“There were long moments where we were stuck in our zone, and when we finally got out, we were burned,” summarized Mike Matheson after Saturday’s defeat. We were just trying to survive…”
This last sentence probably sums up where the Canadian finds himself at the moment: in survival mode.
Everyone is aware of Josh Anderson’s offensive drought, still looking for his first goal this season, but he is not the only one staggering among this team’s attackers.
With six goals, Cole Caufield is on pace for a season of around 25 goals, which is respectable, certainly, but far from the enthusiastic predictions of September, when the 50-goal mark was often mentioned in his case.
No one expected a 50-goal season from Christian Dvorak, but with just one goal to his name, the veteran forward is disappointing. We can of course talk about patience when it comes to Juraj Slafkovsky, but a two-goal haul is undoubtedly well below expectations. Nick Suzuki is coming back from a 26-goal season, but he only has six goals on his record this season, and none in his last seven games.
Despite everything, there was something like optimism in the Canadian locker room on Saturday in Los Angeles, as we left the arena.
“We’re 2-1 since the start of this trip, and that’s something positive at the moment,” goalie Jake Allen said at the time. We can still give ourselves a chance to go with the last game on the road [in Columbus on Wednesday against the Blue Jackets] before returning home afterwards. »
While waiting to know if some injured people will return, while waiting to know if the Edmonton Oilers will end up picking up the phone to call management in Brossard one of these days, the Canadian still has 12 games before the Christmas break. Why bring up this break here, at this moment, when the club has its head in the palm trees? Because usually, it’s upon returning from this break that this team gives an indication of what’s to come for the rest of the season… and, in turn, an indication of what it might do when it comes, later , the trade deadline.
Until then, the Canadian will try to hang on, as clubs undergoing reconstruction must do.