It was a big miss compounded by a lot of little misses, like the ones that defined Sunday’s 5-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
It was a big miss that will considerably upset the Montreal Canadiens, and they have no choice but to face that reality now.
Three weeks ago, the Canadiens were looking at a golden opportunity to avoid that reality altogether. They had a chance to strengthen their hold on a playoff spot with nine games to go before a much-needed break for the NHL’s 4-nation showdown.
But the Canadiens did nothing but loosen that grip by losing eight of those nine games, and they know they’ve likely lost more than just ground in the standings as a result.
Martin St. Louis didn’t want to acknowledge it, saying that after Sunday’s loss he would avoid thinking about anything beyond his hold on the break. Mike Matheson echoed those thoughts, telling him it wouldn’t do him and his teammates any harm if they hadn’t been good at thinking about it.
He spent most of Sunday’s game on the top line with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield, and ended it contemplating whether or not it was the last in the only uniform he’s ever worn at this level.
“It’s been an honour,” the 28-year-old said. “It’s a really fun place to play, it’s a great place to live, and I’ve really enjoyed it. It’s really an honour. There’s so much tradition here, so many great players who have worn this great jersey with pride, and it’s really an honour.”
But Evans knows that, with six games to go until the trade deadline, the Canadiens have dropped below .500 and are six points out of a wild-card spot and 11 points behind the Lightning for third place in the Atlantic Division. He knows the teams he’s chasing have games in hand, and he definitely knows the teams in the position his team is in are moving players on expired contracts.
They’re especially moving those like Evans, who possesses some value to the Canadiens, but an even bigger one to a Stanley Cup contender.
The six-foot, 190-pound centre is more than halfway through his best season, just two goals and two points shy of tying career highs in both categories despite primarily defensive deployment, and that’s opening the door for him richer than the Canadiens want to do it, which in turn makes them open the window for him to be paid a premium to let him go.
It could have been different if Josh Anderson scored on that first-period penalty shot or if Jakub Dobes had stopped one of the three shots taken before being pulled, or if Arber Xhekaj had properly checked Zemgus Girgensons on Tampa’s fourth goal, or hadn’t made Caufield, or hadn’t lost the net with just seconds left in Sunday’s loss.
But it wasn’t to be, and that was just a taste of how this segment didn’t go the way the Canadiens had hoped.
Now there will be changes.
David Savard is priced to move — on an expiring contract worth just $3.5 million in a market virtually barren of stable, right-handed defensemen with penalty kill and blocking stops to spare — and replacements for Logan Mailloux and David Reinbacher are waiting in the wings. Christian Dvorak is all but guaranteed to leave, even if the Canadiens have to withhold salary to account for him making more in real dollars ($5.75 million) than he counts against the cap ($4.45 million), and Owen Beck has shown in the last week that he will more than supplant what he brings.
Joel Armia, who will suit up for Finland in 4 Nations, will likely be shipped off to a playoff-bound team and replaced by a young winger currently flourishing with the Laval rocket. And even if there may not be anyone to take over for Evans just yet, that won’t stop the Canadiens from making him their biggest trade chip.
The 12-year veteran knows he might have to part ways with one of his closest friends on the team after the Canadiens sniffed at giving managerial incentives to play things differently.
“It’s been a lot of fun watching Jakey grow in this organization,” Gallagher said. “You can see how confident he is in his game. He’s really embraced the role he has here and done it very effectively. We’ve used him in a lot of different situations throughout a game, and we’re good friends off the ice as well. You hope he’s a part of this team in the future, you never know. I’ve been through it all both ways, and it’s the hardest part of this sport. But as far as what he’s done for our group, we trust him more and more each year and he’s handled it very effectively and deserves to be in the position he’s in.”
The salary cap is increasing exponentially and Evans will get paid.
He hasn’t missed his chance, but the Canadiens missed the one they had big time in the lead-up to this break.