There is a fine line between a team that hesitates and a team that plays with confidence. We saw these two facets in the Canadian this week.

• Also read: The Canadian is recovering, as is Kirby Dach

On Tuesday the team played hesitantly and it paid off dearly against the Rangers, and on Saturday against the Blues they showed more confidence in their game and walked away with the win.

“We played with confidence,” said Martin St-Louis at the start of his press conference. If you do your homework and study, you have a good chance of passing the exam. There were no passengers, we were difficult to cope with.

However, things could have gotten out of hand when the Blues came from behind in the second period and equalized with two goals in 2:29 minutes.

“Some people spoke on the bench to calm the situation. There is also this trust in the system. “We played good hockey in the first half and were convinced that we could win the game,” said Jake Evans, who again played an excellent game.

Swiss army knife

Evans is something of a Swiss Army knife for the Canadian, who plays very well at five-on-five and is even better when shorthanded.

“He can do everything, he blocks shots, he scores big goals, he always seems to make the right move that you can rely on in every situation.” Roof.

Evans scored the first goal and set the tone for the game. Martin St-Louis noted that his 28-year-old center had gotten off to a very good start to the season.

“He is always in the right place because he knows the rules of the game and the danger. It’s in the right places. If you do that, you get more touches and it boosts your confidence.”

Best in defense

The Canadian’s problems since the start of the season have mainly been in the defensive area and things went better against the Blues.

“I think there was less space and when there was there was quicker pressure,” analyzed St-Louis. We were able to break down more games. I feel like the way we played increased our chances of winning. We didn’t have a defensive rhythm against the Rangers.”

The team must now be able to repeat this performance on a regular basis.

“Martin talks about setting new standards and I think we set new standards tonight, especially on defense,” Jake Evans said. Growing as a team means moving on the next day, even if you travel.”

Roof relieved

Kirby Dach finished the game with a goal and an assist and this goal had a special note for him as it was his first since March 23, 2023.

“It’s been a long time since I scored a goal, it was good, but what’s even better is that we got two points as a team and played a complete game.

“There’s momentum when you see the puck go in. It’s like golf when you see your putt go into the cup.”

In collaboration with our partners