In all transparency, we thought of doing the chronology of CH’s mishaps before changing our mind. The weather is rainy, spring is long gone, bad news is pouring in all over the world: honestly, who really needs to replay with raw wounds and count all the known misfortunes of this group in anxiety?

A similar exercise by the end of 2021 has something to undermine the morale of the most optimistic. So let’s focus, sometimes unconventionally, on the rays of sunlight that quietly penetrate the gray of this organization, despite the black clouds in the shape of the goalkeeper still piling up on the horizon.

The Canadian broke records for mediocrity. He didn’t concede 300 goals in a season (317 this year). He has not lost more than 40 games in regulation time (49). He only once suffered from a lesser numerical advantage (13.3% efficiency in 2018-2019 versus 13.7% in 2021-2022). He hasn’t had a regular nine straight losses in over 80 years.

Since the labor dispute in 2004-2005, five teams have reached the sad plateau of 50 defeats in 60 minutes. CH almost joined them. His .335 save percentage is at 511th in 516th seasons in that 17 years. The Habs allowed the first goal 52 times. He has given up five or more goals in a match 31 times.

You were promised good news, you said? Yes, that’s okay, but we need to paint the big picture first. This allows us to remember that, in such a failure, they cannot be very good or very numerous.

Still here.

The repechage

The obvious. The Canadian who is guaranteed to finish the season in 32nd and final place in the league, he assumes a 25.5% chance of getting the very first choice of the 2022 auction, 18.8% of choosing the second place and 55.7% to draft third, its the worst possible. ranking.

He has been picked three times higher over the past fifty years with, we might say, mixed success. Doug Wickenheiser (1st – 1980), Alex Galchenyuk (3rd – 2012) and Jesperi Kotkaniemi (3rd – 2018) were (not so) lucky. This is a great opportunity to recover. The problem is this: the scouts are united, there is no generational talent on the lot, no Connor Bedard (best hope for 2023) to be seen.

A recruiter consulted recently said, if I have the first choice, for sure I try to back down. And our man to add that if he was Forced to hide it, I’m not taking Shane Wright.

It’s hard to observe, but it’s just an opinion after all.

However, Kent Hughes will have 14 options in Montreal in July, including two first -round picks and a particularly high one. He will have beautiful cards in hand, it remains to be seen how he can beat them.

Development

Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield got off to a rocky start this year, as did the other team. Suzuki’s inability to make a name for themselves and work in fights over the past two years has been troubling, but the young center has eventually managed to manage nearly half of his points (29 out of 61) against opponents. rinks.

He scored 20 goals and 60 points for the first time in his career, despite posting a cold defensive ratio of -29, sadly normal for the most used forward on a team that gave up 98 nets (!!! ) which is more than he recorded.

Under St-Louis, Caufield was the most productive: 22 goals and 35 points in 37 games. We’re talking a total of 48 goals and 78 points prorated for an entire season.

Jordan Harris recalled Friday that the coach makes it a point of honor to remind his youngsters that they will make three, four, five errors per game. That you don’t have to worry about it, that you have to play instinctively and let your intelligence speak for itself. A speech not deaf to Caufield. Also included are other CH dependent children.

All that is left is to bet on their progress.

The Jeff Petry Saga

It’s not very positive, but it’s romantic. Or not, depending on the conclusion.

This is a love story. A good honest and deep relationship. Then, as sometimes happens, small Canadian flaws began to annoy Jeff Petry and vice versa, so that the relationship got out of hand and a divorce seemed inevitable.

However, there has been little glimmer of hope in recent weeks. Petry regained his luster. The irritants that prompted him to return his family to his native Michigan gradually disappeared and he began to wonder if the conclusion was inevitable.

General manager Kent Hughes has reaffirmed that he will replace Petry this summer if given the chance, a request made on the player’s clan base.

Sanitary restrictions have fallen. Petry has reunited with partner Joel Edmundson and has 11 points in the last 11 games of the year.

For my family, the decision to send them home was very difficult. My husband and I love this city. We have loved it for eight years. We are well settled for my children at school. It was hard for my family and him to go and visit the restrictions, he explains. You’ve seen the videos of my kids, pretty intense with us. We need help. We don’t have. Schools are closing, there are many uncertainties in incarceration, that has guided the decision.

” I will take the time to go home, reflect on this person, talk to my family. I don’t want to close the door and automatically say this is the last time I’ve been here. “

At the risk of repeating ourselves, the best solution is probably for both sides to renew their vows. If Petry becomes an offensive defender again and plays up to this contract, he still weighs 6.25 million in payroll for the next three seasons.

But Kent Hughes seems to have made his bed in this case. If he exchanges it, he eases his accounting worries, and that in itself is not bad news.

The battle on defense

Jordan Harris. Kaiden Guhlé. Justin Barron. Mattias Norlinder.

Many, the applicants, will be seeking full-time jobs in the NHL next September.

Harris and Barron were great during their short stay. For rare times in recent years, without necessarily the appearance of a large star, the potential behind offers an interesting picture. It remains necessary to surround them.

If Petry is exchanged before the summer, we will look for another defender. This will be our goal. Our priority is to put our young people in a good environment so that they can develop well. We will not come to camp with three rookies (in defense) in formation. We won’t risk thatargued with Hughes on Saturday in the end -of -season review.

It’s promising, but you need to know how to take your time.

enthusiasm

This point is a bit more esoteric, but hey, need what it takes in this time of suffering.

You’ll feel the enthusiasm, not just from the fans (similarly weird when your team last finished), from the players. It was celebrated after the last game of the season, perhaps to say hello to Carey Price for the last time, who may still need to hang up her leggings in the coming months.

Players always evoke camaraderie, good understanding of group members. We seem to believe in Martin St-Louis who, they say, provides little space for offensive creativity and asks his flock to let their instincts speak more.

Clearly, we will see if this good unity can withstand the first inevitable pitfalls of the next campaign. Meanwhile, they have faith in the future. And that’s all that’s left of them now: hope.

Bonuses

Are you ready for the little bonus? Safe? Here it is.

This season is finally over.