Jack Todd: Credit score Martin St. Louis for the Canadiens’ resiliency

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Fall behind, 3-1. Rally and tie the sport. Take a penalty late within the third interval that spills over into time beyond regulation.

Kill the penalty with varied heroics, a few of which can depart a bruise. Win the sport in time beyond regulation or a shootout.

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Rinse and repeat.

As hockey methods go, the Canadiens’ method could depart a wee one thing to be desired. As of this writing, the workforce is in Las Vegas, a city the place it could be unwise to gamble on a two-goal deficit towards the defending Stanley Cup champions.

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It might’t probably go on. The Canadiens have 11 factors in eight video games, which places them on monitor for one thing north of 110 factors on the season. It gained’t occur. Not with Kirby Dach out for the season, not with forwards Josh Anderson and Juraj Slafkovsky with a single help apiece after eight video games, not with the striped shirts raining penalties each time the Habs take the ice.

Nonetheless, it’s enjoyable whereas it lasts. It is a remarkably resilient workforce, particularly for one loaded with younger gamers. A lot of the credit score has to go to move coach Martin St. Louis.

Keep in mind the heady spring of 1971, when Al MacNeil gained a Stanley Cup and was all however ridden out of city on a rail for his troubles?

Even hockey’s final prize ensures nothing with Montreal’s demanding followers — however for those who took a ballot right this moment, I’m virtually sure you’d discover that St. Louis was the preferred Habs coach within the lengthy and wonderful historical past of the bleu-blanc-rouge. Dick Irvin Sr., Toe Blake and Scotty Bowman had been revered however by no means liked, partly as a result of they weren’t francophone.

St. Louis is liked — by the gamers, by the media, by the followers. He’s that rarest creature on this planet {of professional} sports activities, the celebrity participant who’s nicely on his method to changing into a wonderful coach, a feat that eluded all-time greats from Ted Williams to Wayne Gretzky.

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It’s exhausting to think about anybody else who might persuade a workforce that they’ll come again from a two-goal deficit, kill penalties that spilled into time beyond regulation — and nonetheless win two video games in a row.

St. Louis is even humorous. When somebody requested after the house opener whether or not it is perhaps good that his membership was getting so many probabilities to follow the penalty kill, St. Louis mentioned with a rueful grin, “I’m OK with engaged on it in follow.”

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What does it take? I used to be on the Bell Centre for 2 of the extra tense moments in Canadiens historical past — the horrific accidents to forwards Trent McCleary and Donald Audette.

On Jan. 29, 2000, McCleary hurled himself in entrance of a shot that shattered his larynx and got here inside seconds of dying — so shut that had the damage occurred on the far finish of the ice from medical consideration, he may not have made it.

On Dec. 1, 2001, it was Donald Audette who virtually misplaced his arm and his life after having the tendons in his arm severed by a skate blade. The medical effort was once more heroic, and Audette made it again for the playoffs.

Former Pittsburgh Penguins participant Adam Johnson wasn’t so lucky. He misplaced his life this weekend after a skate blade minimize his throat.

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The hockey world was left in shock after Johnson’s demise. It shouldn’t have taken this however there have been calls from all sides to make neck guards necessary at each stage of hockey, the NHL included.

NHL gamers Clint Malarchuk and Richard Zednik each survived after having their throats minimize however they had been lucky — two years in the past, nothing modified after 16-year-old Teddy Balkind died from an identical damage whereas taking part in for a high-school workforce in Connecticut.

This time, you’ll hope, the gamers gained’t be intractable. This was a daunting, tragic incident — one which obtained everybody’s consideration. It requires greater than ideas and prayers.

Every thing’s Jake: Jake Allen must be the early season MVP for the Canadiens, with nods to each Mike Matheson and Sean Monahan. He has stolen every of the three video games he has gained, which is greater than you possibly can ask of a goalie who began the season as goaltender 1B in Montreal’s three-man rotation.

However Allen can be 33 years previous on a membership the place the common age is Hasn’t Began to Shave, so he doesn’t determine within the long-term plans.

International’s Brian Wilde has provide you with an excellent commerce suggestion, which implies it gained’t occur as a result of it makes an excessive amount of sense: deal Allen to the improved however goalie-starved Buffalo Sabres. Brian didn’t level this out, so I’ll: Allen might workforce up with Buffalo’s greatest sports activities celebrity for a memorable advert marketing campaign: “Comply with the Allen Brothers, Jake and Josh, to Crusty’s Cadillac right this moment!”

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Heroes: Adam Johnson, Austin Mack, Marc-Antoine Dequoy, Maggie Mac Neil, Fay De Fazio Ebert, Travis Dermott, Dusty Baker, Sean Monahan, Jake Allen, Cole Caufield, Mike Matheson &&&& final however not least, Martin St. Louis.

Zeros: The NHL, Bet99, FanDuel, DraftKings, Wayne Gretzky, Jim Harbaugh, Deion Sanders, James Harden, Mike Babcock, Claude Brochu, David Samson &&&& final however not least, Jeffrey Loria.

Now and perpetually.

jacktodd46@yahoo.com

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