ANAHEIM, California — Martin St. Louis caught everyone’s attention, but especially ours, with his 5-on-6 drill against the Montreal Canadiens during Monday’s practice in San Jose.
Over the course of four years or so, we’ve seen scenes like this unfold countless times, but mostly behind the glass window that separates the media from the Canadiens.
There is little benefit to sitting in the stands in a bowl much smaller than the one that surrounds the SAP Center in Brossard, Que., where the Canadiens practice. Sound is easily distorted by reflections off the walls, so that only the screaming and cheering on the ice are somewhat discernible. Therefore, the warmer, quieter refuge of a media-designated seating area is usually the preferred choice.
But seats in the big empty bowl at SAP Center were at a premium to hear everything we wanted to hear on a Monday morning. And what we heard was every word of an interesting conversation between St. Louis and his players.
What made the story interesting was not so much what was said but how it was said and reacted as much as when and where to apply pressure defensively in these situations.
A loose puck hit the side boards and caught two defenders between deciding whether to rush or step back, before an attacking player picked it up, fed it into the point and watched the puck get shot and tipped into the net. At that point, St. Louis paused in practice and asked the players which of the two defensemen should have hit the puck to kill the play.
Nick Suzuki didn’t raise his hand. He answered bluntly without hesitation.
St. Louis noticed Suzuki’s reaction and asked the group to ask questions.
Both players asked for clarification on the various reads that might be needed depending on the situation, and the coach provided this.
And he continued to eliminate even more gray areas that have led the Canadiens to 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting since the start of the season.
The training lasted about 10 minutes, but everyone participated and it was very productive.
“We’re in a situation where we’re expected to be 5-on-6 at the end of the game, so we’ve got to work on that,” St. Louis said afterward. “And it’s not just at the end of the game. Sometimes we get a penalty and take the goalkeeper out in the middle of the game and it’s 5-on-6. The way you defend shouldn’t be any different than the way you defend at the end of the game, but I think it’s important for everyone to feel comfortable in those situations. So that’s what we did today.”
“It requires discussion. Some people learn by doing, some learn through whiteboards or videos, and some learn more through conversation, so try to pick all the boxes.”
Not all coaches act collaboratively, but who would argue against St. Louis’ approach?
If the Canadiens have consistently put one foot in front of the other since beginning this rebuild, it’s largely because of the way he’s developed them. And that development was greatly facilitated by his communication skills.
Of course, St. Louis was hired to provide inspiration. He led the growth with undeniable passion as he went from drafted, unsigned and unwanted to a Hall of Famer.
But his weakness turned out to be his greatest strength, jumping from the bench of his son’s tiny team to one of the NHL’s most prestigious benches without much coaching experience. Because St. Louis immediately understood that the methodology he used with much younger players was what was best for this new generation of NHL players.
“I like talking back and forth,” St. Louis said prior to Tuesday’s game against the Sharks. “I think they are able to absorb more when they engage in these discussions. I’ve always said it’s not a dictator and it’s not a monologue. There’s a conversation, there’s a conversation, and I think it encourages more attentive engagement and learning because people know I ask a lot of questions.”
“As a player, you definitely don’t want to go overboard,” he said. “But I think it helps the communication between the player and the coach when he asks us for clarification. I think it’s good to have open communication because someone might comment on something the coach didn’t think of and vice versa.”
Not only is St. Louis very well supported by the coaching staff, but they also have Director of Player Development Adam Nicholas who is busy producing an endless catalog of videos for the players to access even when he is not working with them on all aspects of their game on the ice.
Last December, we asked St. Louis about the synergy between him and Nicholas.
“We can’t help these people develop (alone), so we bounce back and forth on a lot of things to try to steer us both toward accelerating the development of our group,” says St. Petersburg. Louis said. “It’s not just one person. Of course Adam plays a big part, but we all help each other. I think that was our mandate when we got here and we’re just trying to check those boxes every day. The way we practice, the feedback they get, the coaching, the videos, he’s a big part of that, and I think it’s his passion for the game.
“I feel like I’ve found someone who is very close to my passion, and we’re having a lot of fun doing what we do. And while I don’t think we all have the answers, we’re leading each other toward the answers, and I feel like that’s accelerated the development of our young group.”
But executives have looked much closer at decisions like the ones they face within 24 hours of the NHL trade deadline.
On Monday, hours before witnessing the scene at the SAP Center, we sat down with Canadiens president of hockey operations Jeff Gorton and general manager Kent Hughes and St. Andrews. St. Louis Blues general manager Doug Armstrong has given reasons why he should pay the high price he set for the Robert Thomas centre.
We’ve made the case that the 26-year-old is a solid bet to solidify the middle of the Canadiens’ lineup. Especially as an established point-per-game player on a cap-friendly contract that only expires in 2031, I suggested it might be worth it to accept sacrificing some “maybes” to do it.
But if Gorton and Hughes prefer to bet on top prospects Michael Hage and Alexander Zharovsky (among others) reaching their full potential, that likely has a lot to do with the natural aptitude that both players (and other top prospects in the system) possess and the environment that St. Louis, the coaching staff, and Nicholas have created for them to develop.
You can’t help but realize how healthy it is. This is not simply because of how St. Louis, his assistants, and Nicholas raised it.
Athletes often say there’s something special about this group, and it’s evident in the close relationships between some of the most fiercely competitive players on the ice.
Jayden Struble and Arber Xhekaj are as close as can be and have been fighting each other for a permanent spot in the lineup for two seasons. Zachary Bolduc and Alexandre Texier have formed a similar bond despite both fighting for bottom six minutes.
There seems to never be any animosity between them.
“I think we all share a common goal of competing and winning a Stanley Cup and trying to win as many games as possible,” Lane Hutson said. “Obviously I think everyone wants to play, but it’s always nice to see players who aren’t there supporting the players that are playing.”
“It’s hard to describe the culture. It’s a feeling. And I feel like I mentioned it early on when I first came in. We talked about it, we worked on it, and I feel like we’ve reached a point where the culture has come to life,” he said. “And I think everyone who’s added to the group feels something. Whether it’s camaraderie, a selfless act, whatever it is, there’s a feeling among our group that they enjoy coming to the rink every day.”
It starts with the people at the top and filters down.
“We have really good human beings.” St. Louis said. “If you have good people, you can create this kind of environment. You can try to create this kind of environment, but if you don’t have good people, it will be really difficult.”
For the first time since Game 18 of the season, Juraj Slafkovsky left the line with Ivan Demidov and Oliver Kapanen to reunite with Suzuki and Cole Caufield for Friday’s game in Anaheim.
“I was really surprised this morning,” Slafkovsky said, welcoming the change after three games since the Olympics after Demidov and Kapanen failed to get the results they wanted.
His play has reached a new level that leads both rookies, and hopefully the confidence he’s gained from it will make Montreal’s top line a lot more dangerous than it has been at any point this season.
“A lot has changed,” Slafkovsky said. “I’ve grown a lot as a player, and I feel like I’m more comfortable holding the puck and skating on the ice, and I feel like that’s only going to help me playing with these guys.”
Alex Neuhoek had six goals and six assists in the first 17 games alongside Demidov and Kapanen, but suffered a fractured ankle.
Newhook has performed well since returning three games ago, quickly moving into the top six with two goals in Monday’s 7-5 loss to the Sharks.
This is exactly what the 25-year-old was aiming for.
“Like I said, I’m not coming back to take it easy, that’s for sure,” Newhook said. “I know where my game is, I know what impact I can have on this team, and I really want to jump in and make a comeback. That’s been my mindset, so I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”
Kirby Dach practiced on Newhook’s old line with Jake Evans and Bolduc, while Phillip Danault remained with Brendan Gallagher and Josh Anderson.
St. Louis did not confirm whether any changes will be made to Friday’s game, but he said he wants the Canadiens to play with much more “jam” to restore pride damaged by dropping points in two of their last three games.
