The first game of 2022 was the only game for the Montreal Canadiens until January 12 in Boston, and that’s a good thing because Montreal can’t even freeze an entire lineup right now.
The Canadiens were in Florida on New Year’s Day, where they lost to the talented Panthers 5-2.
Wilde Horses
It’s weird to say, but it’s actually more enjoyable to see these out-of-the-box kids test their hearts. I don’t mean to suggest that injured veterans can’t do better, they clearly can do better, however veterans will only bide their time during games like these, during seasons like this, and that’s not exactly inspiring to watch.
It’s nicer to watch Cam Hillis get the first NHL game of his career, to see how he fares.
It’s nicer to see Kale Clague have plenty of minutes to see if he can translate this opportunity into a regular NHL post next season.
It is more enjoyable to see Michael Pezzetta fight anyone who tries to intimidate him, proving that it is also about the fight in the dog, not just the dog in the fight.
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Jesse Ylonen is getting his feet wet at the NHL level as well, and while it may seem like he’s not doing much, he’s a player who is subtly starting to get comfortable with games at this level of opposition.
Ryan Poehling also looks better this year than he did last year, and he may have a secured spot next season to finally become an NHL regular.
Cole Caufield has not scored in 13 and everyone can get the impression that he is not learning. However, if Caufield has too many minutes, he is learning. For example, your escape in second period occurred because you are learning to read the play well. Caufield is still 20 years old; time is on your side. Valuable lessons are given each shift. It is still preferred that Caufield dominate in the AHL in a normal world rather than fight in the NHL, but these are not normal times in world history. The key is ice time and you’re getting it.
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At one point in the first period, it was Hillis with a beautiful plate to Pezzetta and he attempted a move between the legs to beat Sergei Bobrovsky. That was a wonderful moment for the two of them to wear a CH with pride. Imagine if that creative movement led you to a goal.
What’s up with David Savard’s leadership these days? He came to camp overweight and was off to a slow start, but now he’s not one bit like the player who started the season in Montreal. Instead, he is a player who can find himself in a second or third pair on a good team and contribute well. Put Savard in matchups he can handle and it won’t be a problem like it was in October. The Savard seen on January 1, 2022 doesn’t look like a terrible signing like it did last October.
Add Jonathan Drouin to the positives list – he scored in the first period. Drouin’s celebration after his 1-1 scoreline tells you without a doubt that he wants to contribute and has not put in his effort this season. It is still in it with pride. It’s hard for veterans to stay engaged in this type of season, and Drouin is showing that he is committed. That must be taken into account.
Nick Suzuki will face the best centers in hockey this season, and that’s valuable learning. You’re also learning to play 25 minutes a game, which may not be a positive, but when you hit 18 minutes again, those games will feel positively refreshing. Suzuki scored his seventh goal of the season on a rebound with a wide net after Ylonen’s shot for his first NHL point.
Samuel Montembeault is also beginning to relax on the NHL level with all of these contests. He faced 36 shots in two periods allowing just three, probably earning a spot somewhere in the organization next year.
Wild goats
In no way will these Canadians be criticized here. They started the competition with 11 forwards and five defenders, then lost Cedric Paquette and Pezzetta for a short time, still competing bravely against one of the best teams in the league that had a full line-up.
It was a solid effort. Everyone can keep their heads up.
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Wilde’s Letters
The big question that everyone has these days is how can you play these games? Where is the competitive equity in all of this? The answer is that there are none.
The Canadiens were without 16 players in this game due to COVID-19 protocols.
Alexander Romanov and Jake Allen were added to the list on Saturday morning. With Brendan Gallagher’s lower body injury, the club iced a lineup with 11 forwards and five defenders against the Florida Panthers. The Canadiens have 48 players signed into the organization with 24 of them out due to injury or COVID. This is probably the highest number of contract players unavailable for a game in NHL history.
That’s why the betting line had the Panthers at -690 for the game. They had just beaten Tampa 9-3 in their last game. They had a full lineup, and anyone could see that this was an AHL vs. NHL game.
Still, they played. Why?
First of all, the league doesn’t care much about the actual outcome of the game or the competitive integrity of the game. They are concerned about money, and the Habs’ game on vacation in Florida is one of the best draws of the season for a Panthers franchise that doesn’t have too many fans.
Second, and this is not considered enough, if the Canadiens were shouting from the rooftops about the difficulty of freezing a team and remaining competitive, the resulting embarrassment for the league would cause a postponement. However, the Canadiens are not crying fiercely because they are not in a playoff race. They’re in a race for the first draft pick and a weak lineup, in that way, it serves its purpose.
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If the Canadiens were sixth in the east and frozen an AHL lineup for three weeks that could potentially knock them out of the playoffs, everyone’s uproar would be heard on the moon. Instead, mostly silence.
This is a perfect storm of COVID-19 cases, but it is also a perfect storm for Montreal hockey fans and Montreal homeowners who don’t need to worry much about the losses piling up.
Instead, the consensus complaint that is being dealt with from Montreal’s point of view shows us how much money is involved. After the game against Florida, the Canadiens will be free until January 12 when they play in Boston. Home dates for most of this month have already been postponed.
The reason is that the financial bloodbath that Canadians would face is far more important than the results of the games. And that’s the right decision. It is not fair that one nation’s governments allow full capacity while another nation does not allow anyone in the building. Canadian owners cannot compete; nor should they be asked to do so.
More games than have already been made in Canada will be postponed until fans can return. COVID has surely taught us all that the real product is not the health of people in schools or on NHL ice surfaces; it’s about keeping the economy going.
And that’s not just pointing the finger at the NHL. It is the same all over the world.
Brian Wilde, a Montreal-based sports writer, brings you Call of the Wilde on globalnews.ca after every Canadiens game.
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