It wasn't easy for Martin St-Louis, but the writing was on the wall, and he decided to scratch Brendan Gallagher for Saturday night's game.
While there has been plenty of talk this week about the possibility of seeing veteran alternate captain Brendan Gallagher be a healthy scratch with everyone being healthy, it wasn’t an easy decision to make for Montreal Canadiens coach Martin St-Louis.
The bench boss praised the veteran’s professionalism and added that it might have been harder for the coach to decide than for Gallagher himself to handle it. Despite not playing tonight, Gallagher was first on the ice for the morning skate, before even Lane Hutson and Ivan Demidov, leading by example as always.
Make no mistake, Gallagher still brings a lot to this team, and that’s not just on the ice, but off the ice as well. He’s always been the poster boy for dedication, and that’s huge to the team culture. Speaking to the media after the morning skate, St-Louis added that by sitting tonight, Gallagher would be fresh for tomorrow’s game, confirming that he’s only skipping a turn. Before he was even asked who would come out tomorrow to make way for him, the coach said tonight’s game would probably steer him in the right direction.
Obviously, the players were also asked about the decision, and while they didn’t exactly look pleased to talk about it, which is normal, they all praised the veteran for what he’s always done on and off the ice. When Jake Evans was told Gallagher would be back in tomorrow, he said that we should expect to see a lot from him then because he’s such a competitor.
By sitting tonight, it now becomes impossible for Gallagher to reach the 1000-game mark during his current contract with the Canadiens, which expires at the end of next season. That and the leadership he brings must have been part of why it was so hard for St-Louis to make that move. The young coach added that nothing prepared him for that.
Whatever happens going forward, nobody should be allowed to forget that Gallagher has stuck with the Canadiens through thick and thin and that he has 484 points in 898 games for this franchise, which he so often led into battle.
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