The reunion of a “real” first trio for the Canadiens was supposed to be the main point of interest of this meeting. Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Sean Monahan were reunited on one unit in the 24th game of the season. Well, some will say.
The buzz died down after two periods, one of which was very bad. In the final third, Joel Armia replaced Monahan to the right of the other two. And the most surprising thing about this story is that it wasn’t surprising.
The “real” first line was going nowhere. And Armia offered the best version of himself on Saturday, the one that would make him a crowd favorite if he was able to show it on a regular basis. That didn’t prevent the Habs from losing 5-4 in overtime to the Detroit Red Wings, but it brought back to the fore an existential question to which we will probably never find an answer. Because it is with Joel Armia as with the perpetual virginity of Mary: it is a mystery.
That he found himself on the first trio on Saturday was no coincidence. He was the best striker at his club. It was one of those nights where the puck seemed to stick to his stick and he seemed impossible to destabilize around the opposing net.
However, the fact that he found himself in the American League at the end of training camp was not attributable to chance. Because he had been the club’s worst veteran in camp.
The organization wanted to embellish his dismissal by citing the injury that had slowed him down. But upon his first call-up, he was scratched from the lineup 5 times in 11 games before being sent back to the minors. Obviously, we didn’t like his game.
However, he has just scored two goals in his last three matches. “He’s making the most of his luck since he came back here,” Jake Allen said at the end of the evening. He’s an NHL player. Right now he’s contributing on all fronts, and I’m happy for him. »
The fact is that Armia’s biggest admirers are sitting next to him. In training, he leaves his teammates speechless. But fans who watch games on TV or at the Bell Center very often do not have access to this side of the attacker.
“That’s the player he is,” Mike Matheson said of the silent colossus’ performance. He has so much strength with the puck, he controls it so well… He’s super impressive. »
“People say he doesn’t care, or things like that, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. He wants to be good every night. He puts a lot on his shoulders. »
Everything is here. Armia has the talent and power to be a dangerous player. And Jake Allen is right: he’s an NHL player, not an American League player. But at 30, he no longer inspires hope in many people outside the locker room. It’s hard not to scratch your head at the moments when his genius is expressed.
We can still retain the positive where there is any. Armia agreed Saturday night that his shorthanded play could become a source of motivation. Because in this phase of the game, this season, he is downright dominant.
While the Canadian’s penalty kill sometimes resembles a leaky basket, the Finn was only on the ice for one opponent’s goal in about 25 minutes, the equivalent of 2.38 goals per 60 minutes. This statistic places him among the best in the league in this regard. He is well served by his great range and his sense of anticipation, and his presence particularly benefits Jake Evans, whose rate of shorthanded goals allowed is almost four times lower with Armia than without him.
“You have to find pride in everything you do,” said the big guy. And like scoring on a power play, managing to muzzle the opponent feels good. It gives you confidence. »
Ah, that famous confidence… Matheson, Nick Suzuki and Martin St-Louis have all said about it how difficult the “mental” aspect of the game can be to tame.
“He has the assets to contribute like [Saturday evening], summarized St-Louis. As a team, we chase consistency. The players also run after that. It’s a physical challenge, it’s also a mental challenge. »
It remains, again and again, Armia’s Achilles heel. He has no worse enemy than himself.
However, he will hardly find a better opportunity than the one presented to him today: that of playing on the main unit of his team. With Alex Newhook out for 10-12 weeks, the cycle of experimentation has started again among the forwards. No one will be surprised if Monahan gets his job back quickly. Armia can – and must – prove that he too can live up to this assignment.
During training camp, Martin St-Louis often repeated that the “options” were numerous within his top 6. Injuries limited them.
If it was just a question of talent, Joel Armia would be one of them. If he returns to the fourth line or, worse, to Laval, we will however know who will have to be held responsible.
It will be, yes, Joel Armia.
Starting from the fourth line, he obtained a promotion to the right of Christian Dvorak during the game. He played with enthusiasm and did not hesitate to take shots, which is not the norm in his case.
He and Ylönen crossed paths when Martin St-Louis reshuffled his lines. Gallagher, essentially invisible, found himself to the right of Mitchell Stephens. He was only allowed three appearances in the third period.
