Canadiens pocket book: Texier assured, Guhle throwing it again, Kreider coming

BROSSARD, Que. — The distinction in Alexandre Texier this season has been hanging, although you’d by no means see it simply by wanting on the conventional numbers. 

Because although Texier has appeared extra productive than he’s ever been, he’s solely produced two objectives and 5 factors. That’s a 5 per cent dip within the manufacturing fee he posted by way of the primary 283 video games of his NHL profession. 

To know that Texier has solely produced the identical variety of objectives and factors by way of 14 video games as Jake Evans has produced over his final 5 is astounding contemplating how dominant he’s appeared thus far — and the way under-utilized Evans is offensively.

Astounding was NHL Edge Data and seeing that Texier has but to report a single velocity burst at or above the 21.92 m.p.h. he registered final season. We might’ve sworn the Frenchman was flying earlier than that fantasy was formally busted.

Not that anybody ought to care. Least of all Texier, who stated after Saturday’s sport that he’s in an incredible psychological and bodily state.

“I’m obviously confident,” Texier stated, although we didn’t want to listen to that assertion to know.

We didn’t want the numbers to point out us, both, as a result of that purpose Texier scored in Montreal’s 5-4 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins solely additional confirmed simply how assured he’s been because the puck dropped on the NHL season again on Sept. 29.

Texier might not have moved any sooner than he ever has to attain that one, however how assertively and decisively he moved to place himself in place to let his all-world ability take over was telling sufficient.

That’s been the 27-year-old’s focus this season.

“It’s just moving my feet,” Texier stated. “I’m feeling good about our line, the way we play, our role on the team, so that’s a bit different. But overall, it’s just moving my feet and creating room in the O-zone, offensively trying to be in the right spot. I don’t think I think too much about it; I think just moving is a big part of it. I’m moving my feet to get engaged. To create plays, play physical, it’s all about your feet, it starts with your feet.”

Texier has at all times used them to shake protection and lengthen offensive possession, and that function of his sport has appeared as robust as ever this season. 

But proper now, he’s utilizing his ft rather more to drive on the push as a substitute of pulling as much as search for passes, and that’s been probably the most noticeable change in his sport.

“For sure,” stated Texier. “I feel speaking with ‘Big Cat’ (Adam Nicholas), our ability man, it’s all about making the distinction. Be a distinction on the ice, and it’s type of that mindset I’m attempting to have each night time on the ice. 

“Consistency is (also) a big part I’m focusing on right now — every single game, try to play the same way. Obviously, it’s not going to be perfect every night. Some nights, you’re going to have a bad night. But try to have that focus.”

Texier has had it since Game 1, and a minimum of there’s some statistical assist to that, with the deeper numbers at five-on-five confirming why he ought to really feel nearly as good as he does. 

They present Texier has gained the shot-attempt and anticipated objectives battle greater than he has in any of his earlier NHL seasons. He’s close to 60 per cent within the first class and near 65 per cent within the second, and that’s regardless of beginning greater than 70 per cent of his shifts outdoors the offensive zone. 

The objectives and factors will come if Texier retains doing it. 

The encouraging half is he hasn’t relented but, which can also be totally different from what we’ve seen from him in different seasons.

That matter was broached with the 24-year-old defenceman by TVA’s Renaud Lavoie on Saturday morning, and it wasn’t a brand new one for Guhle, who’s been in comparison with the Man Mountain since he was drafted sixteenth total by the Canadiens in 2020.

Now, Lavoie wasn’t particularly evaluating Guhle to Weber on this case. He was speaking to Guhle about how Weber had masterful timing — on his hits, on his shot, on his first go — first as a lead-in to ask him about what impression Weber made on him throughout his first coaching camp, and second to counsel to Guhle he had apparently discovered his finest timing since making his season debut 4 video games late.

Guhle wholeheartedly agreed on that time and stated he was feeling higher about his sport than he ever has.

As we stood in on that dialog ready to speak to Guhle on one other topic, we began fascinated with probably the most revealing dialog we ever had with Weber, and the way it utilized to Guhle.

It was again in 2017 that Weber got here as shut as he ever did to speaking about himself.

“I was so happy for Drew Doughty when he won the Norris (in 2016),” Weber stated. “I think the game has so many great puck-movers and skaters, but he does it all. He’ll block a shot, throw a big hit, he can shoot it, start the rush. He does it all game after game.”

That was Weber’s profile from the primary day he stepped into the league in 2005 till the day he hobbled out of it in 2021.

Throughout that point, although, fewer and fewer defencemen had that profile.

And now, with the Quinn Hughes and Lane Hutsons of the world roving position-free seemingly greater than Bobby Orr even did, it’s turn out to be even rarer.

Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis was proper to say the primary motive it’s standing out as a lot proper now’s as a result of the participant is more healthy than he’s been in a very long time. 

Prior to this season, Guhle’s momentum in the direction of frequently exhibiting it was interrupted by harm. He was sidelined from 120 of the 328 video games he was eligible to play by one ailment or one other, and one other low season surgical procedure assured he wouldn’t buck the pattern by way of this marketing campaign. 

But the time Guhle missed in the beginning of the season was out of additional warning to make sure he was returning at 100 per cent from that adductor process, and he stated he’s grateful he made that call as a result of he’s been simply that in each sport he’s performed.

Not simply health-wise, but in addition versatility-wise.

“He’s able to play with a lot of pace, and his defensive pace is very obvious,” stated St. Louis. “When you have that kind of pace and anticipation, you can bring physicality, which he does. He separates the opponents from the puck, which now we get possession, and he’s able to get more touches than before because of what he’s able to do defensively. Our team touches it, he touches it, and his touches are good…”

They might by no means be adequate for Guhle to place up the Hall of Fame-worthy offence Weber produced. 

And the six-foot-three, 202-pounder might by no means have the ability to intimidate his opponents the way in which the six-foot-four, 230-pound Weber did.

But Guhle’s skating and ability, mixed with will and brawn, make him a menace at each ends of the ice. And all that, together with one different aspect, makes him a little bit of a throwback to Weber.

“They’re hard to find — these kinds of players that play that total game — and it’s not like he’s flashy in any way,” stated St. Louis. “He helps us keep going. He kills plays defensively, and we go on offence, and he’s able to play offence, too, at the blue line. He’s going to do it differently from Lane, but he’s still able to do his thing, whatever that is. He’s got a good shot, and he plays inside our principles offensively, too, so we’re able to continue.”

The coach concluded Guhle’s begin to the season has been “great.”

Guhle has two objectives and 4 factors and is averaging a career-high 22:49 per sport within the hardest defensive matchups night time in, night time out. He’s thrived in that function, significantly within the six video games minute-muncher Mike Matheson has missed, and his teammates are loving what they’re getting from him.

“He’s a stud back there,” stated Jake Evans. “He’s doing all the little things right. He’s extremely hard to play against, it looks like, against most of the (other) teams’ top players. For me, he looks like he’s just willing to do whatever it takes to win games. He has been showing up on the score sheet, but sometimes he won’t. But he has such a big impact for us.”

It’s been a sluggish burn for brand spanking new Canadiens ahead Chris Kreider, who entered Saturday’s sport with only one purpose and 4 assists by way of his first 13.

But Kreider went one and one towards Pittsburgh and may need lastly sparked his breakout.

Even if he hadn’t scored, he appeared extra snug in that sport than he has in another since he arrived in Montreal in September. 

That’s regular. This is all nonetheless comparatively new to Kreider, who talked about a few instances within the early going that he might really feel that half-second of pondering slowing him down a bit.

The 35-year-old knew it might take time for him to get it all the way down to a quarter-second earlier than eliminating it completely and simply with the ability to depend on the intuition that’s made him such a productive participant on this league, and so did St. Louis.

The coach stated it’s coming.

“Like everyone, it’s not linear, but it’s going in the right direction,” he stated. “A game like (Saturday’s) could perhaps relax the player a bit and help him gain confidence. If you get traded or come from another team, there’s always an adaptation to style of game, how you’re used, the rhythm in which you get on the ice. So, I’d say there’s nothing linear in that, but it’s going in the right direction.”