Habs News: Montreal Canadiens, Philip Danault, Eric Staal, Alex Belzile, Marc Bergevin, Dominique Ducharme

ROCKET SPORTS MEDIA | LAVAL, QC. — The Canadiens week started with a feel-good story. For a second consecutive match, Cole Caufield handed his team a 3-2 victory by scoring the overtime clincher against the Maple Leafs.

“Cole might be small in stature, but he likes big moments. We’ve seen that since the start. He has an excellent shot. He’s been a very good addition to our team,” Philip Danault said.

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#Habs Cole Caufield scores OT winning goal again vs #Leafs

Assists: Petry, Suzuki@AllHabs @RocketSports #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/IoObaC2TiW

— Chris G (@ChrisHabs360) May 4, 2021

On Wednesday, the Senators snapped the Habs’ three-game winning streak by handing them a 5-1 loss in Ottawa. “We were flat from the start to the finish of the game and we just couldn’t find our energy and get up to that level,” Josh Anderson said.

The following night, the Maple Leafs took a 4-0 lead through 20 minutes, and went on to an easy 5-2 win against the Canadiens. “You’ve got to fail to succeed in this League, especially as a goalie. It’s just a bump in the road for [Primeau],” Jake Allen said after coming into relief of Cayden Primeau in the first intermission.

On Saturday, Montreal took a 2-0 lead before allowing three unanswered goals as Toronto is victorious 3-2.

“I don’t think we managed the puck as well in the second period. We’ve got to do a good job of getting pucks behind their defensemen. They want to stay up and have tight gaps, and we’ve got to get pucks behind them and play in their zone. I don’t think we did a good enough job of ending plays quickly enough in our zone and then transitioning that into pucks in their end,” John Merrill evaluated.

Playoff Preview

The Canadiens first round opponent will likely be against the Maple Leafs. Toronto is headed into the postseason with confidence, having won seven of their last 10 games. On the other hand, Montreal has lost three consecutive games with a chance to clinch a playoff spot.

“I hope it means nothing. It shouldn’t when you get to the playoffs. Everything’s all new. It’s zeros across the board for every player, every person, every team. Whether that’s the matchup for us or not, our mindset is going to be about winning the series starting with Game 1. We’re not going to worry about that,” Eric Staal replied when asked about the significance on the team’s struggles versus their potential first round opponents. Toronto won seven of the 10 confrontations this year versus Montreal.

“I have confidence in our team. We have players who’ll be coming back soon,” Dominique Ducharme said following Saturday’s game. This week’s two-game series versus Edmonton may not have an impact in the standings, but can help boost Montreal’s confidence headed into the playoffs.

“I think we’ve got to have better starts,” Merrill answered when asked about improvements needed. Montreal opened the scoring only once in their last seven matches. “We’ve got to put together a complete game and get a win. That’s where your confidence starts to build. You build confidence when you win games and string wins together. Then, you can feel good.”

Danault Absence

Ducharme announced on Saturday that Philip Danault is sidelined with a concussion that occurred on Thursday night. No timeline was provided for his return.

“We have to replace him collectively, especially since we’re on the road. He’s an important player in many different situations, especially on faceoffs. We have to perform well in that area. Everyone must elevate their game a notch,” the coach said.

Danault has been the team’s leader in most statistical faceoff categories. He has the highest overall (52.5%), even strength (55.1%), offensive zone (62.7%), and defensive zone (47.4%) faceoff success rates.

On Saturday, Eric Staal struggled tremendously at the blue dot winning only two of 13 draws. It appears to be a one-off scenario, as he had won 61.7 percent of the faceoffs in the previous six matches.

Suzuki won half of all the draws he took, but lost 71 percent of the faceoffs against Auston Matthews. In the previous nine matches this season, Danault won 61 percent of the 82 faceoffs against Matthews.

Bergevin Discussions

Sportsnet’s Elliote Friedman reported that Geoff Molson and Marc Bergevin have begun discussions on a potential contract extension. Bergevin’s current deal expires at the end of the 2021-22 season, therefore the owner will likely make a decision on the general’s manager future with the organization at the latest prior to the start of next season.

The fact that there’s a discussion being had by both parties, virtually eliminates any chance that Bergevin is relieved of his duties at the end of the season. There will either be an extension or a mutual decision to part ways.

In my opinion, Bergevin’s acquisitions that he made ahead of the 2020-21 season will be sufficient for the owner to make an offer to retain his services. Tyler Toffoli, Josh Anderson, Joel Edmundson, Jake Allen, and Corey Perry have all made a significant contribution.

The in-season roster management was questionable, but I don’t think it will be enough for Molson to head in a new direction. Considering the organization’s bilingual requirement for the role, there’s a limited pool of options to hire an experienced replacement. Unless Bergevin decides to leave the organization, I doubt that the owner would hire a second consecutive inexperienced general manager.

Belzile Season Debut

Alex Belzile made his season debut in Toronto on Saturday, slotting into the roster spot that was left vacant by Philip Danault. Belzile played to the right of Artturi Lehkonen, and Jake Evans on the fourth line.

“He played playoff games with us last year. He knows what to expect. He’s a guy who plays the right way and brings a lot of energy. He’s a real hockey player,” the coach explained the decision. In last year’s post season, Belzile recorded one assist in six games.

On his second shift, Belzile obtained an assist on Brett Kulak’s goal that gave Montreal a 1-0 lead. “I felt good, I know that things can change quickly in the hockey world. I was ready all year long, I know my strengths, so I tried to keep things simple and be intense. When I do that, I bring something to the team,” Belzile evaluated his performance.

The Riviere-du-Loup native finished the night with 8:29 of ice time, one shot on goal, and minus-1. If none of the injured players are ready to play on Monday, Belzile should dress again for Monday’s game.

“He’s a competitor, he’s really strong in detail that brings good habits on the ice, and makes good decisions with the puck,” Rocket coach Joel Bouchard said on Sunday about Belzile. In 14 games with Laval, Belzile scored three goals, and added five assists.

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By Chris G., Senior Writer
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