The court of the big ones

MISE À DAY

If the maples have started to sink, there are others that are starting to run out of juice. In sport, it is known, we win as a team and, also, we eat volleys as a team. We will not take into account the curious loss of 9 to 5 conceded Thursday in Florida. It was as if two children had dressed up as goalkeepers under the palm trees. 

After ten minutes of play, I said to myself: “If it continues like this, it will end 39 41. ” It came from everywhere. The situation has been corrected on one side, but not on the other. Had to see and hear Martin St-Louis' attitude and attempts to explain after the game. He pitied her because there was nothing to say. When you lose 7-3 after a period, you should have the right to forfeit and go to the hotel.

No, the real message of the week came Monday at the Bell Center so that the Colorado Avalanche quickly demonstrated what a really good hockey club is. 

AT SCHOOL

A real lesson in collective puck control. For supporters it was painful to see his team being dominated dramatically and in such an authoritarian way, but for those who love beautiful hockey, the demonstration was simply complete.

If ever, in his work of reconstruction , Martin St-Louis wants to give a good example of mastery, passing game, positioning, he should keep the video of the first half of this match where the Canadian did not direct 10 shots on the net while conceding nearly thirty. 

Result: 8 to 4 defeat. Yes, a good lesson for the young and even less young of the Montreal team, who have seen that there are still crusts to eat before going to play in the big leagues.  

From the Enclave

• Chris Tierney, Christian Dvorak and Josh Anderson played together in Juniors with London under Dale Hunter. Max Domi and Mitch Marner were also on this team in 2014.
• In Buffalo, you can seat 19,070 fans at the Key Bank Center, but the average at Sabers games is 15,122, or only 79.3% of the stands filled.
• The magnificent Dallaire golf club in Rouyn will celebrate its 50th anniversary next summer. In June, we will host the Quebec Mid-Amateur Championship. We'll celebrate, we promise.
• If you would like to organize a ball game next summer against the former Canadiens, go to the Canadiens website under the “community” tab.
• Who will draft Olivier Bonk , a tall and solid 18-year-old defender currently playing with Logan Mailloux in London? He is the son of the Czech Radek who played in Ottawa when his son was born. Dad also wore the Canadiens' colors for two campaigns.
• Do you remember? 100 years ago, Newsy Lalonde was traded for Aurèle Joliat. Supporters fumed. And, in front of his net, Georges Vézina refused the role of team captain.
• Seen on a South Florida golf course, Raymond Bourque with our former journalist and retired desk editor Mario Leclerc.
• Official Announcer of the Canadian at the Bell Centre, Michel Lacroix affirms that he does not have white hair, but rather antique blond. Ah good!
• Alexander Ovechkin has something to hold on to. Her mother, Tatyana, from the age of 16 until the age of 30, was one of the best basketball players in the world, winning two Olympic medals including one in Montreal in 1976. She will be 73 years old. tomorrow and she's still leading the national basketball program in Russia.
• It's now been 101 years since fighting has been allowed in the NHL with a 5 minute penalty.
• With a lower-body injury since January 14, Juraj Slafkovsky has returned home to Slovakia for good reason. He wants to finish high school. We'll see him again in October.
• A good reconstruction in the NHL is that of the Rangers who were 24th in the circuit 5 years ago. They are now 8th.
• Warning! Anthony Richard is at the end of his contract with the Canadiens and will be free as air next summer.
• In March 1991, Raymond Bourque alone led 19 shots in goal in a match against the Nordiques.
• Did you know Leylah Fernandez has an older sister, Bianca, who also plays tennis. 2 years older than Leylah, she is ranked approximately 700th in the world. Leylah is still ranked 38th in the world.
• This will be the 43rd edition of the Golf Trawl Tournament in Saint-Jean-de-Matha on June 21st. And as he has long endorsed the number 43 with the Canadian, the honorary president this year will be Patrice Brisebois.
• Oh yes ! Saint-Jean-de-Matha, one of the most beautiful courses in Quebec, has also had a makeover. We have just invested two and a half million in the pavilion, but also on the ground, where we redid six starts and made many improvements. Congratulations to the Salvas… Réal and Jonathan… father and son.
• Nine NHL teams are playing at more than 100% capacity in the stands. Obviously, among these, there is Arizona which can only accommodate a total of 4600 spectators. Don't jump. Neither Montreal nor Toronto are among the nine. The average in Montreal is 99.1% and in Toronto 99.5%. In Vegas, we play at 102.7% of full capacity.
• In the NHL, there are only three goaltenders left who are not six feet tall. Jaroslav Halak (Rangers), Alex Stalock (Chicago) and Juuse Saros (Nashville) who are all 5'11''.
• Former Canadiens defenseman Eric Weinrich is now responsible for player development with the New Jersey Devils.
• Jean Martineau, a graduate from Laval University, started as a public relations officer with the Nordiques in 1986. Today, 37 years later, he is vice-president of communications for the Colorado Avalanche. A monument.
• In the category of those who become better when they play in Montreal, there is Mike Matheson.