BUFFALO — The Montreal Canadiens had seven power-play chances in Game 4. Lindy Ruff thought it was a bit much.
“I think they’re going down easy,” the Buffalo Sabres coach told reporters on Wednesday.
“You gotta be careful with your sticks. You know if they have a chance to make the play worse than it is, they’re going to. It’s playoff hockey. Every team in this league does it.”
But not every coach turns it into a big talking point on the off day of an intense playoff series.
On Wednesday, Martin St. Louis did bite briefly when asked about Ruff’s comment.
“Was he talking about his team, too?” the Montreal Canadiens coach quipped.
But St. Louis has generally seemed reluctant to engage in gamesmanship through the media in this year’s playoffs.
“I feel like if I’m relying on the refs for me to win a series I’m spending my energy in the wrong place,” he explained on Thursday.
Buffalo scored on two of their four power-play chances during Tuesday’s win, which evened the second-round series at two games apiece.
The Canadiens players who spoke with the media at the team’s hotel on Thursday morning shrugged off Ruff’s claim of embellishment. In fact, Josh Anderson suggested Montreal could have had more power plays in Game 4.
“I thought there was a lot of high sticks in the game,” Anderson said. “You know, to be honest, they missed a couple. But the refs are doing the best they can. Sometimes it’s hard to see with everything that’s going on there. So, I think for us it’s just staying disciplined and going out there and playing our game.”
The Canadiens have had 20 power plays in the series versus 16 for the Sabres.
“You know, I think the refs have done a good job both ways,” said Habs winger Alexandre Texier.
Kaiden Guhle leads all Canadiens players with nine drawn calls in the playoffs. Ruff did not like the cross-checking penalty the defenceman drew on Tage Thompson on Tuesday.
But the Habs believe they are earning their calls.
“Just trying to get on the forecheck, trying to get in front of the net,” Anderson said. “There’s a lot of bodies in front of the net, so there’s going to be sticks involved and things like that. But, talking about it today, we need to stay disciplined and let the refs call their game.”
“You gotta win your 1-on-1 battles,” Texier said. “You gotta go to the net and extend your shift in the O-zone. When you’re tired you’re not moving your feet and that’s when you’re taking some penalties, so we’re trying to do that.”
Montreal leads the playoffs with 70 drawn penalties while Buffalo is third with 66.
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Ivan Demidov has yet to score in this year’s playoffs, but the Canadiens believe it’s only a matter of time before the 20-year-old rookie sensation breaks through.
“He’s done a phenomenal job this year,” said Anderson. “Obviously, a generational talent. He’s so silky out there, so skilled. He’s probably got one of the best edge works I’ve seen as a player, so for him to come in as a young guy in this market, he’s done a phenomenal job and I think he’s only getting better too.”
After being held to just one assist in seven games against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round, Demidov has three assists in four games against the Sabres.
The Canadiens may need some Demidov magic to break down Buffalo’s defence. The Sabres blocked 27 shots on Tuesday night.
“There’s a lot of traffic in front of the net on both sides and we gotta find ways to break through that,” Anderson acknowledged. “Obviously their goalie played really well the other game, so hopefully find key areas to maybe [have] him not seeing as many pucks and things like that.”
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 29 of 31 shots in his series debut for the Sabres in Game 4 and is slated to start again on Thursday night.
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Despite being the youngest team in the playoffs, the Canadiens have proven to be good problem solvers, going 4-0 following a loss.
“We just stay confident,” said Texier. “You can see in our group, there’s no panic, nothing. We’ve been in this situation before ... A lot of smiles. It’s just a hockey game. You gotta enjoy. A young group and we’re excited.”
Texier scored the game-winning goal in Game 5 in Tampa, which allowed Montreal to regain the upper hand in the first-round series. The Canadiens also won Game 7 on the road.
“We know how to respond,” Anderson assured. “We have full belief in this group. I like where our game’s at, to be honest with you, and we have full confidence that we’ll come in tonight and play the right way.”
Montreal has not dropped consecutive games since March 14-15.
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St. Louis deserves a lot of credit for that. The 50-year-old former star player is relishing the chance to coach in the playoffs. What does he love about it?
“The environment,” said St. Louis, who lifted the Stanley Cup with Tampa Bay in 2004. “You feel you’re on the battlefield and you’re trying to win this battle against this team and it takes four wins. You get knocked down and the process of getting back up, to me, it’s like a boxing match almost where the round’s over, you talk about it, you might’ve won the round, lost a round, you make subtle adjustments, you get back and you show some courage. Just being inside that battlefield and I know I’m not on the ice, but you’re in there with them, it’s pretty fun.”
After a couple Canadian teams dumped their head coaches this week, St. Louis was asked about whether he reflects on how crazy the coaching profession can be.
“Oh, I mean, honestly, it’s part of the business and it’s not something I worry about,” he said. “I love what I’m doing and I’ll do it until somebody tells me I can’t do it anymore. And I’m okay because I love hockey, but I have a life outside of hockey. So, I’ll go watch my kids play. I’m good with that.”
Hired on Feb. 9, 2022, St. Louis now the fourth-longest tenured head coach in the league behind only Tampa Bay’s Jon Cooper, Colorado’s Jared Bednar and Carolina’s Rod Brind’Amour.
