BROSSARD, Que. 鈥� As the Montreal Canadiens look for wins and progress, head coach Martin St. Louis is toughening his approach.
鈥淚f we're gonna transition as a team, I have to be in transition as well. It's a big part of this season for me,鈥� St. Louis said after practice Monday at CN Sports Complex. 鈥淲e're not at the same stage as two years ago, a year ago.鈥�
The rebuilding Canadiens entered the season with hopes of being 鈥渋n the mix鈥� for playoffs, but so far their quest to be in the post-season conversation for the first time in four years is off to a poor start.
Montreal (4-7-1) ranks last in the Atlantic Division and holds the second-worst goal-differential in the NHL at a minus-17. The Canadiens have also lost three straight 鈥� and seven of nine 鈥� with the Calgary Flames visiting town on Tuesday night.
When the Canadiens lost 6-3 to the Washington Capitals after a dismal third period last Thursday, St. Louis didn't mince words, repeatedly saying post-game that the team 鈥渢hrew up鈥� all over themselves.
The following day he bag-skated the players until they were hunched over and gasping for air 鈥� a first in St. Louis鈥檚 tenure. On Monday, the coach stopped a drill five minutes into practice before raising his voice with a few expletives when it wasn't being done to his liking.
And the players get it.
"We're at the stage of trying to win a lot of games, so the patience is a little bit thinner,鈥� Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki said of his head coach. 鈥淏ut I like that mentality. He's a really competitive guy, and I like that in a coach.
鈥淲e're not at the same skill level, and the players that we have now, it was not the same two years ago. I feel like we're a lot better and we should be performing better.鈥�
The Canadiens hired St. Louis, who had little professional coaching experience, amid a historically bad season for the franchise in February 2022.
The undrafted player who became a Hall of Famer quickly boosted the team鈥檚 morale and empowered the team鈥檚 young players 鈥� such as sharpshooter Cole Caufield 鈥� to help their development.
But now that the Canadiens have heightened expectations to win, the players can feel the coach鈥檚 shift in attitude.
鈥淲e're at the point now where there's more accountability, and obviously the team hasn't had many good results,鈥� defenceman Kaiden Guhle said. 鈥淵ou talk to any team that's won the Cup or won anything in any sport, there's accountability within a group always. That's something that we're trying to do with the group. I think Marty's trying to do that too."
The Canadiens lost 8-2 to the Seattle Kraken last Tuesday before Thursday鈥檚 demoralizing defeat to the Capitals.
Montreal rebounded with a better defensive showing on Saturday in Pittsburgh but struggled to create offence in a 3-1 loss to the Penguins, a team that is leaking goals this season.
Despite adopting a harder approach, St. Louis remained confident that his group could get back on track.
鈥淚 just got to stay the course with this transition and what we're doing right now,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e're learning to win 鈥� I'm not concerned, it's a little bit of a see-saw (between focusing on offence or defence), and we gotta find that right balance.
鈥淚 know we鈥檙e in a grind, but we have to embrace that grind. It鈥檚 not an easy league 鈥� It鈥檚 part of a season. You have to embrace the grind and get to work.鈥�
Winger Juraj Slafkovsky looked at the situation with a glass half-full, wondering if it鈥檚 a good thing for the Canadiens to face this type of adversity early in the season.
鈥淐ouple losses now in a row, so that makes us wake up,鈥� he said. 鈥淢arty always says we have to grow up faster. So yeah, we kind of have to grow up right now.
鈥淲e have 70 games left, there's lots of hockey to play. Each and every guy in this locker room has to be better, and I feel like if we all play our best, we'll get the wins we want. But right now we're just not there."
After Tuesday鈥檚 game against Calgary, the Canadiens head on a four-game road trip with stops in New Jersey, Toronto, Buffalo and Minnesota.
Caufield put the onus on the Canadiens鈥� players to turn the tide with a tough stretch ahead.
鈥淢arty gives us the best chance to win every night and we鈥檙e the ones that have to go execute that plan. It鈥檚 on us,鈥� he said. 鈥淛ust maturing as a group, holding ourselves accountable, pushing each other every day at practice.
鈥淭here鈥檚 no time to waste anymore.鈥�
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 4, 2024.
Daniel Rainbird, The Canadian Press
