Marc Dumont
Montreal Canadiens head coach Martin St-Louis met with the media on Monday morning, to discuss the Eastern Conference Final versus the Carolina Hurricanes.
The series is currently tied 1-1, with Game 3 set for Monday night.
The first thing St-Louis mentioned was Montreal’s need for more physicality, a situation that generally depends on the score. If a team is carrying the puck more often than their opponents, they’re bound to get hit with more frequency. Unfortunately for the Habs, not only did Carolina have the edge in momentum on Saturday, they also outhit the Canadiens 46-16, a considerable margin.
“In our zone,” explained St-Louis. “The first touches, we have to bring physicality. It’s part of it. We have to do a better job there, no doubt. “
The discussion shifted to Montreal’s starts, which have been chaotic to say the least.
“It’s not ideal,” he said. “But I rather lose early, than lose at the end.”
Montreal Canadiens Starts
In the first-round series versus the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Canadiens scored first on five occasions, emerging with a win four times.
In the second-round series versus the Buffalo Sabres, the Habs only scored the first goal twice.
And they’re yet to score the first goal in the series versus the Carolina Hurricanes.
In other words, they’re giving their opponents a significant advantage in every game, an indication that the level of competition has increased, while also suggesting the preparation could be improved. The latter falls within the responsibilities of the coaching staff.
There’s no doubt Montreal tends to be at its best when facing adversity, but it’s also fair to say few other teams have to deal with adversity as often as the Habs. Starting the game on the right foot would allow the Canadiens to set the tone, instead of reacting, giving them quite the advantage against a team such as the Hurricanes.
Of course, that’s much easier said than done.
“It’s convincing them over time by showing examples,” said St-Louis. “Playing the game that’s in front of you, it’s not the same thing all the time. Sometimes it’s a defensive shift, sometimes it’s an offensive shift. There are so many different situations. You want to raise the percentages for the team to win? You have to play the game that’s in front of you.”
Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final between the Montreal Canadiens and the Carolina Hurricanes is scheduled for Monday, May 25, at 8 pm ET.
