By the atmosphere in the dressing room, you wouldn’t know the Montreal Canadiens [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens] are mere hours away from playing a game in which they can eliminate the Buffalo Sabres [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/buffalo-sabres]. Not that they’re not taking it seriously, but there’s no nerves in the air. That might just be because coach Martin St-Louis has always preached short-term memory and that every day is just another day, just another game. Asked about the significance of the moment on Saturday morning, the coach explained: > Of course, the guys want to close the series tonight for sure, you know? Who > doesn’t? In your building? You know, I think if you spend so much time telling > them how important it is, you raise the level of stress. To me, it’s just > another game. Let’s go play, the nets will be there, in the same spot, the > blue line and the red, let’s go play. It’s about not getting caught up in the > “oh, I've got to rise to this occasion.” It’s about playing to your standards > with the details of the game; it’s going to be the same game. Let the rest > take care of itself. - Martin St-Louis on playing an important game Canadiens: Will Mr. Saturday Night Strike Again? [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/game-day/canadiens-will-mr-saturday-night-strike-again] Why The Canadiens Are Operating Like A Well-Oiled Machine [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/latest-news/why-the-canadiens-are-operating-like-a-well-oiled-machine] Opinion: Canadiens’ Hughes, Forgotten Jim Gregory GM Of The Year Award Finalist [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/latest-news/opinion-canadiens-hughes-forgotten-jim-gregory-gm-of-the-year-award-finalist] The players in the dressing room echoed the same message. Speaking to Jake Evans, who has become the Canadiens’ second-line center almost by default in this second-round series, I asked if he felt any pressure to produce offensively playing alongside Ivan Demidov, and he replied: > I truly don’t care about the numbers, but yeah, if I’m playing with them, I’d > like to create some stuff for them. So yeah, not about numbers, but creating > offense for sure. - Asked if he preferred the playing style in the first or the second round, he smiled and replied: > As long as you win…Is it hard to compare, right? They’re different styles in a > way, but they’ve both been quite challenging. - As for Phillip Danault, he spoke of the difference in the vibe around this team compared to the 2021 version: > It’s huge, first of all, the group is much younger, the dynamic, the system, > the staff, everything has changed. It’s still the same fans, though, although > it’s different from 2021 numbers-wise. The crowd is going to be even more > powerful, and it’s an honour to be able to play in the playoffs here, in > Montreal, for these fans and for this special team. - The veteran centerman also added he was glad the young Canadiens were getting a second kick at the can of a Game 6, where they can eliminate their opponent, just two weeks after the Tampa Bay Lightning survived a similar game in Montreal. Just like his coach, though, he emphasized the need to stay loose. When the puck drops on Game 6 in a few hours, the Canadiens shouldn’t be too nervous; the coaching staff did everything it could to ensure they aren’t. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Follow Karine on X @KarineHains [https://x.com/KarineHains] Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/karinehains.bsky.social] and Threads @karinehains [https://www.threads.net/@karinehains]. Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/] for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens. Join the discussion by signing up to the Canadiens' roundtable [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens] on The Hockey News. Subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free [https://thehockeynews.store/products/print-subscription]. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here [http://eepurl.com/i7OC4I].
