Martin St. Louis Transforms NHL's Youngest Roster into Mature Contenders
As Martin St. Louis approaches his fourth anniversary as head coach of the Montreal Canadiens, the former NHL star has accomplished something remarkable: he has the youngest team in the league playing what he calls "a mature game." This transformation has become particularly evident as the Canadiens enter the Olympic break riding a golden run of success.
Defining Success Through Maturity and Detail
Ahead of their January 27th game against the Vegas Golden Knights at the Bell Centre, St. Louis was asked by TSN's Kenzie Lalonde what he wanted from his team with five games remaining before the Olympic break. After a thoughtful pause, the coach responded with characteristic clarity.
"I would say I don't necessarily need anything," St. Louis explained. "But I want us to try to be the best version of ourselves. I think we're far enough along in the season that we should not lack any details in any departments. So for me, I want to see us play a mature game, put us in a position to win games, and it would be nice to get some results while doing that."
The coach emphasized that this approach doesn't guarantee victory, but creates optimal conditions for success. "I like that if we play a mature game, and the way we know we can play with the details, I think we're going to put ourselves in a good spot to get results," he added.
Delivering Results on the Ice
St. Louis got exactly what he wanted from his young squad. The Canadiens concluded their pre-break schedule with an impressive 5-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday night, capping a 4-0-1 record in their final five games. This strong finish positioned Montreal second in the Atlantic Division with a 32-17-8 record, including an impressive 16-6-7 mark on the road.
The coach's passionate post-game celebration in the locker room revealed his genuine pride in his team's accomplishment. "We finished 4-0-1 last five? That's the way to finish, boys!" St. Louis exclaimed to his players. "You know what, for me, I tip my hat. A great job of doing the things and buying in as a group and being a pack. I'm proud to be your coach!"
From Doubted Rookie Coach to Respected Leader
Monday will mark four years since St. Louis was named head coach, a surprising move given his limited coaching experience at the time. Before joining the Canadiens, he had been coaching his three sons in the Mid-Fairfield Youth Hockey Association in Connecticut.
During his introductory press conference, St. Louis addressed skepticism about his qualifications with characteristic determination. "People are entitled to their opinion," he stated. "All that stuff that people want to doubt or talk and say and comment, to me it's all noise. It's always been noise. I've always been a guy that blocked the noise and gets after it, and that's what I intend to do."
The coach, who went undrafted before building a Hall of Fame playing career, made a simple promise: "Give me a chance and I'll show you what I can do." Four years later, he has delivered on that promise spectacularly.
Key Contributors to Montreal's Success
Several factors have contributed to the Canadiens' impressive performance:
- Exceptional Goaltending: Samuel Montembeault stopped 36 of 37 shots against the Jets for a .973 save percentage, following Jakub Dobes' 3-0-1 record in the previous four games with a combined .912 save percentage.
- Veteran Leadership: The line of Phillip Danault between Josh Anderson and Brendan Gallagher contributed significantly against Winnipeg, with Anderson and Gallagher each recording a goal and two assists, while Danault added an empty-net goal.
- Youthful Energy: Cole Caufield presented Anderson with the wolf head hat as player of the game, symbolizing the team's competitive spirit.
Captain Nick Suzuki summarized the team's current strength: "It's great when both goalies are going like that." Anderson echoed this sentiment, noting "It was nice to get rewarded tonight. I thought we've been playing some pretty good hockey lately as a line, getting on the forecheck and trying to create energy for our group."
Looking Ahead to the Olympic Break and Beyond
Four Canadiens will represent their countries in the Olympics: Suzuki (Canada), Juraj Slafkovsky (Slovakia), Oliver Kapanen (Finland), and Alexandre Texier (France). The remainder of the team will enjoy a well-deserved break until practices resume on February 17th at the CN Sports Complex in Brossard.
Montembeault expressed enthusiasm for the upcoming break: "It's going to be great just to disconnect from hockey a little bit, not think about anything else. Just go somewhere, have fun, and I'm going with my family, too, so it's going to be fun for all of us just to get together."
Defenseman Lane Hutson, who will watch his younger brother Cole play for Boston University in the Beanpot Tournament, looks forward to the challenging final stretch: "The good news is we got a lot to work on and we're still finding ways to win. So it's encouraging, for sure." The Canadiens will play 25 games in 48 days following the break, beginning with a February 24th matchup against the New York Islanders at the Bell Centre.
As St. Louis approaches his coaching milestone, he has transformed doubt into belief, youth into maturity, and potential into results. His Canadiens enter the Olympic break not just as a young team with promise, but as legitimate contenders playing what their coach describes as "a mature game."
