Canadiens all playing to prove they can do more than just belong

MONTREAL — “I don’t want to just belong, I want to contribute,” said Jake Allen.

Those were the words the goaltender uttered after making 36 saves on Tuesday in a tough 4-3 shootout loss his Montreal Canadiens suffered to the Carolina Hurricanes, who’ve been the second-winningest team in the NHL since the start of the season.

He’s a 32-year-old in possession of 10 years of NHL experience, a Stanley Cup ring, and a whole lot of wisdom. But in expressing this sentiment, Allen was no different than the greenest of green players on the Canadiens, which is a big reason this team continues to be so competitive night after night.

Take Jesse Ylonen, who’s 23 and just beginning to emerge as a regular in this league. After he skated 20 impressive shifts on the team’s top line next to Nick Suzuki, the feisty Finn said, “That’s my goal — to not just be here and play here but to be a good player here.”

Take Michael Pezzetta, who was scratched ad nauseam at the beginning of the season but has proven indispensable over the second half.

He scored his fifth goal of the season in the second period and made a miraculous save for Allen in the third and later described the will of his group as follows:

“I think it’s very high,” said Pezzetta. “Obviously, you have a lot of guys called up looking for contracts and other guys trying to prove they still belong, but all of us have it that any time you put that CH on your chest and just look up in the dressing room right now at the pictures of these legends on these walls, how can you not have a lot of pride when you have this jersey on?”

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The Canadiens have been trying to build a brand and a style of play, while also bringing up their pride level in this season of development.

When you see them come back from a tough western swing through San Jose, Los Angeles, Anaheim and Las Vegas and gut their way through a game like Tuesday’s, against such a quality opponent, it seems clear they’re succeeding.

The Canadiens took 2-0 and 3-2 leads, blocked 25 Hurricanes shots, threw 17 hits, pushed the pace in overtime, and only succumbed in the shootout after taking the lead with goals from Rem Pitlick and Nick Suzuki.

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In the end, they could hold their heads high regardless of the results.

“You play in this league, you don’t take it for granted and you want to earn everything you get, and I think the guys are bringing that every day,” said Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis. “It’s fun to see, and it’s really fun working with this group. It’s a really good group, and I’m proud of the guys.”

There are a lot of them playing like they have something to prove every time they pull on the jersey.

Add to Pezzetta and Ylonen a guy like Alex Belzile, who’s finally getting a crack at 31 years old and taking advantage of it.

He scored his third goal of the season to get the Canadiens on the board Tuesday.

Coming back to Allen — who made incredible saves in this game, including a throwback, double-pad stacking, glove-raiser on Jaccob Slavin — it wasn’t long ago he was rehabbing an injury and talking about doing whatever was best for the team. Even if it meant surrendering his net to Samuel Montembeault, who was on a major heater in Allen’s absence.

But if you thought Allen would just roll over, he’s done anything but since returning on Jan. 26.

“You always have to prove are you still good enough to play in the league,” the goaltender who’s posted a .912 save percentage over his last 10 starts said. “That’s the way I’ve always looked at it. Never feel complacent, never take this position for granted; there’s only 64 goalies in the league. It’s a great job and I’m always trying to prove I can still be a good goalie in this league. I don’t want to be a guy just riding the pine. Eventually that’s going to be my role, but I try to prove to myself every day that I’m still good enough to be a good goalie in this league. Any day that you no longer have that fire, you should probably pack it in.”

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A lot of people questioned whether or not Jonathan Drouin still had it.

We asked him point-blank about it in Anaheim last week, and he said he loves hockey as much as he ever has.

“If you speak to a lot of guys in the room, they’d be ready to say I watch the most hockey and I watch a lot of video,” Drouin responded.

“I’ll keep playing this game for as long as they let me,” he added.

Watching the 27-year-old collect 14 points in his last 16 games, watching him play inspired hockey on a nightly basis over the last two months, and watching him do a lot of the dirty work on his line with Josh Anderson and Mike Hoffman in this game, it’s clear those aren’t just words.

We’ll never know if Drouin intended to make a brilliant pass to Hoffman for Montreal’s second goal against Carolina — it was knocked off his stick by Shayne Gostisbehere and straight onto Hoffman’s — but he definitely meant to drive the net and open up the space Hoffman took advantage of.

Drouin has the skill to make a play like the one he appeared to be making to Hoffman, but to see him have the will and competitiveness in all the other areas says much about how he’s not just trying to prove he belongs.

Drouin’s also trying to prove he’ll contribute.

“I think he’s a hell of a hockey player,” said Allen. “He’s one of the smartest hockey minds I’ve been around just talking hockey and talking shop. He’s a hockey genius, really. And I feel he’s got that little bit of a spark again. It’s his contract year and things like that, and it’s been a tough couple of years for him, but it’s good to see him reignite that fire.

“It’s good for our team. He’s a contributor right now, and I’m happy for him.”

Pezzetta said the same, calling Drouin a player he’s looking up to at the moment.

“To see him chip pucks in and be on the forececk winning puck battles; it’s something for a younger guy that you look at and can’t help but respect it,” he said. “He’s a high-skilled player and he’s out there getting greasy, getting in the corners. You see all our guys doing it, and it’s fun to watch right now.”

St. Louis is enjoying it. He said his team deserved a better result because “the guys gave everything they had.”

They’re playing like they all have something to prove.

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