Canadiens’ win over Lightning reveals how far they’ve come this season

TAMPA BAY, Fla. — All the substances have come collectively for the Montreal Canadiens on the proper time.

With the playoffs lastly in view and an look in all of them however secured, the Atlantic Division is up for grabs with solely eight video games remaining.

For a lot of this season, the Canadiens wanted a dependable goaltender, and two have now emerged. Up till not too long ago, it felt like they bled two nice scoring probabilities for each one they created, however they’ve buckled down defensively to vary that. Their penalty kill, which mis-clicked for months, has instantly fallen into place. And whereas locking down leads appeared unimaginable for stretch, they’ve mixed all these enhancements to buck that pattern convincingly.

The end result? A season-high six consecutive wins, all earned in regulation.

This final one—a 4-1 win secured by two empty-net objectives towards arguably the toughest staff within the Eastern Conference to maintain at bay—was “probably the biggest win of the season,” in line with captain Nick Suzuki.

He labelled it so as a result of Canadiens proximity to the Lightning within the standings—they’re now solely two factors behind—and to the Buffalo Sabres, who’re 4 factors up having performed another sport.

Of course, the 10-point hole opened on bubble groups Ottawa, Detroit and Philadelphia by beating this formidable Lightning staff and preserving the NHL’s hottest scorer, Nikita Kucherov, off the board within the course of additionally spoke to how massive of a win this was for the Canadiens.

“When 86 is on the ice, it’s never easy,” stated Jakub Dobes, who made 18 saves earlier than pushing apart a Brandon Hagel breakaway to protect the Canadiens’ 2-1 lead with one second left within the center body.

Dobes then made one other 17 within the third as a result of the Lightning have been relentless.

From Dobes to Suzuki, and from Kaiden Guhle to Joe Veleno, who began the season because the 13^th ahead, bought relegated to fifteen^th at one level, and now is likely to be unimaginable to take away from the lineup as soon as Kirby Dach and Alex Texier return to well being.

“I think he’s been a great player for us this year in terms of giving us some depth, especially defensively,” stated Martin St. Louis of Veleno. “He’s a guy I trust on the ice… Whenever he comes in, he understands the way we want to play, he respects the rules that we play in defensively and stuff, and he’s a good skater. He can get on the forecheck, he can bring some physicality because of his skating. He’s been really good for us.”

Veleno, and everybody else.

That’s what you could win video games presently of 12 months, and it’s undoubtedly what you could beat the Lightning.

“This is a team that has had a lot of success,” stated St. Louis, who was as soon as a celebrity participant in Tampa. “I feel like when I took the job (in February of 2022), I looked at that team, their path, and how they did it. It’s something that we were trying to get to, and I feel over the last few years we’ve gotten closer… And when you do that, there’s a bigger responsibility now: it’s to not get satisfied with it just because you win, but sticking to that process that we’re trying to bring each and every day. You need that process against teams like that because you can do everything right against a team like that and still lose the game. So I’m just proud of the intention we had today.”

You may see it within the bodily implication, which was epitomized by Guhle, who might have misplaced accomplice Alex Carrier to an upper-body harm earlier than the sport however didn’t lose the swagger he’s been taking part in with by way of this profitable streak.

The 24-year-old defenceman talked about his early-season struggles, linking them to chasing offence fairly than leaning into his defensive id, and referenced a mentality change that’s introduced out precisely what the Canadiens have wanted from him by way of this significant stretch.

“Just being an in-your-face prick type of player,” Guhle stated. “My sport is being laborious to play towards and being in your face and never giving the opposite staff’s gamers time and house. Offence will come, and I’ve discovered since I began doing that, I’m taking part in so much higher.”

Whatever psychological reset Dobes went by way of has introduced him up a number of ranges from the place he was by way of early December.

Since then, the Czech netminder has been a wall, discovering higher stability in his crease—and together with his feelings.

“I’m still a rookie, so every time I learn something it’s part of the process,” Dobes stated after being tagged again into post-game media availability following an eight-day timeout from these duties. “I know I’m going to make mistakes and I’m going to learn every week, almost every day, so I’m just used to it. Just trying to work on my craft, that’s really it.”

When Dobes was profitable earlier within the season, it was whereas permitting 4, 5 objectives per outing.

He was named the NHL’s first star of the week Monday after stopping 100 of 104 photographs in wins over Carolina (x2) and Columbus, and he was impenetrable Tuesday towards the Lightning.

“I feel like he looks in the zone right now,” stated St. Louis.

“I see a very confident guy right now who’s playing with some swagger. He looks big in the net,” he added.

You may say the identical of Jacob Fowler, who’s received three of 4 begins since being recalled from the Laval Rocket within the second week of March.

In entrance of each goaltenders, the Canadiens stars have shone vibrant.

On this night time, Juraj Slafkovsky made dominant performs to proceed his outstanding season. The six-foot-three winger, who turned 22 Monday, notched his 15^th power-play aim and 29^th tuck of the season 12:25 into the primary, after which he charged down the ice within the 13^th minute of the second to present Cole Caufield one of many best of the 47 objectives he’s scored by way of 74 video games.

The particular person performances from each gamers and Suzuki, whose empty netter counted as his 27^th aim and 92^nd level of the marketing campaign, have pushed the Canadiens to a different degree.

But it’s actually concerning the collective and what it’s undertaking when it issues most; the way in which it’s going through its issues head-on and discovering methods to appropriate them.

“I feel the guys are having the right intentions in trying to reach our objectives in terms of what you have to do on the ice,” stated St. Louis.

It’s making ready the Canadiens for what comes subsequent, with two video games remaining on this street journey and 6 others to play earlier than the actual enjoyable begins.