Habs HC Martin St. Louis sends a blunt message to Montreal Canadiens players after win over Canucks

Montreal Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis shared his thoughts with his players following their thrilling 5-4 overtime win against the Vancouver Canucks on Monday night.

The victory at the Bell Centre improved the Canadiens' record to 19-18-3 and pulled them ahead of the Pittsburgh Penguins for the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference.

St. Louis acknowledged the team's improved play recently, with 10 wins in their last 15 games. However, he made it clear that he wants the players competing for each other and not for him.

“I don’t necessarily want them to play for me. I want them to play for each other. I’m just trying to steer them. That’s what my goal is. If they play hard for me, great.

"But I’m not asking or begging them to play hard for me, because that’s not as important as playing for each other,” St. Louis said.

St. Louis reiterated that his job involves giving guidance and establishing a playing style, where the players' dedication to one another is of utmost importance.

For Montreal, Lane Hutson, Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Kirby Dach and Kaiden Guhle scored, while Sam Montembeault made 16 saves.

The Canucks got two goals from J.T. Miller, along with scores from Jonathan Lekkerimäki and Jake DeBrusk. Kevin Lankinen stopped 19 shots in a losing effort.

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Martin St. Louis discusses the Canadiens' energy amidst a challenging NHL schedule

Martin St. Louis also discussed the team's energy level amidst a grueling NHL schedule. The Canadiens are coming off a 2-1 SO victory against the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday.

"When the puck drops nobody cares how much you traveled, nobody cares like what's your record, you got to go and do it all over again, some nights are easier than other."St. Louis said

"But I got to say that you know we've been very calculate, you know, with when we travel."

The Canadiens have tried to optimize their travel and recovery time between games. For example, they stayed in Colorado after their game on Saturday rather than traveling home. They also took Sunday off from the rink to rest and prepare for their next matchup.

"We're trying to be very calculated how we can give ourselves the best chance to have the most energy," Martin St. Louis explained.

The Canadiens' next test comes on Friday night when they visit the Washington Capitals at Capital One Arena.