“We’re in a good situation, but we have to take advantage of it,” receiver Eugene Lewis said of Montreal’s upcoming schedule.
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The Alouettes are about to embark on the longest regular-season homestand in team history, playing four straight games at Molson Stadium over the next six weeks.
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It gives the 3-6 team an excellent opportunity to make a run, gain momentum, and improve their fortunes in the Eastern Division.
“There are a lot of things that look favorable,” general manager and interim head coach Danny Maciocia said Friday. “Other teams can see (other things) favorable in his eyes. The fact that it is favorable does not mean that it will be a fact. You still have to go out there and execute.”
Having just become the first team this season to defeat Winnipeg, the Als will be looking for a second straight win on Saturday afternoon. (16:00, TSN3, RDS, TSN Radio-690) at home against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, who share second place with Montreal but have already beaten the Als once.
The Als are 1-2 at the McGill University venue this season after going 3-4 there in 2021. And this team hasn’t produced a winning streak since capturing four straight games last October.
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Part of the blame could lie with the fact that the Als practice outside of Olympic Stadium and only venture to the university facility for home games. To that end, they practiced once this week at Molson Stadium and Maciocia said they will do so every week.
“It’s critical that we play well in our own backyard,” he said.
Having floundered in the first half of the schedule but very much alive in the division, the Als have suggested they are now throwing a nine-game season. Not only will six play at home, but seven of the nine will be against division rivals, including three against last-place Ottawa.
“To me, this is as good as a nine-game season,” Maciocia said. “Now the question is, who is going to take advantage?”
Heading into Friday night games, the Als’ next opponents have a combined record of 17-25. Aside from two games against (4-4) Toronto, Montreal plays just one team, BC, with a winning record.
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“We’re in a good situation, but we have to take advantage of it,” receiver Eugene Lewis said. “Basically we’ve been to every game. Those of us who did not win, did not find a way to finish at the end. Good teams find a way to finish.”
While it’s hard to predict how many wins it will take to make the playoffs, and only two teams from the division are likely to qualify, Lewis maintains a 10-8 record that remains realistic.
“My goal is to get at least 10 wins a season,” said Lewis, who leads all receivers with 750 yards. “It puts you in a very good situation and it’s a good idea to have double-digit wins. Just find a way to get in and if you warm up at the right time, anything is possible.”
The Ticats are the only team in the CFL yet to win away from home and have struggled after reaching the last two Gray Cup games. His roster is exhausted, with cornerbacks Ciante Evans and Jumal Rolle injured. Linebacker Simoni Lawrence was just added to the six-game disabled list and, while quarterback Dane Evans (shoulder) has been activated, former Alouette Matthew Shiltz is expected to start.
His defensive line, however, remains intact. The forward four sacked Als quarterback Trevor Harris five times on July 28.
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