Christian Dvorak and Mike Matheson have been two of the most polarizing players to wear a Montreal Canadiens sweater over the past few seasons. The fans see two players that don't fit the plans, don't necessarily play sound night in and night out, and are taking time from some prospects like Lane Hutson and Oliver Kapanen.
Martin St. Louis' decision to put both players on the ice to start overtime in Tuesday night's loss won't go over well. Likewise, Kent Hughes sending Kapanen back to Sweden on Wednesday morning won't do anything to quell fans' concerns.
Well, that was quick! 💨
— NHL (@NHL) November 6, 2024
Seven seconds into @Energizer overtime, Matt Coronato puts home the game winner and his second of the night! pic.twitter.com/Xl5AblVWkV
St. Louis likes to use Dvorak as a faceoff specialist. It's the one area where he gives the Canadiens an advantage, as he has been above 50% every season. He has won 60 of 113 faceoffs this season, but he was 60 of 112 before last night's overtime draw.
If the Canadiens had a crucial defensive zone faceoff with three seconds remaining, put Dvorak on the ice to win that draw. However, starting him in overtime when the faceoff is in the neutral zone makes zero sense. St. Louis should put his best options on the ice to win the game in that situation, and there are 8 to 10 forwards he could've chosen instead.
Starting Dvorak is terrible enough, but putting Matheson on the ice with him is unexplainable. Matheson's 43% Corsi this season is on pace to be the worst of his career. It can't get worse than Matheson's defensive performance last season, but 2024-25 could show even more regression.
There are so many more defensemen that St. Louis could have put on the ice in this situation. Lane Hutson may have been able to turn the puck up the ice or do something other than lie on his stomach in the middle of the passing lane. Kaiden Guhle would've also been a better option if they tried to take a defensive approach. If basing it solely on Corsi, Arber Xhekaj and Jayden Struble are even better options.
If the Canadiens want to rebuild, embrace it. Get rid of Matheson and Dvorak and play the prospects. It isn't like the Canadiens are dressing these players to keep a semblance of competing because they are making the team worse.
Now, they've held on to Dvorak in favor of sending Kapanen to Timra, and Matheson continues to steal PP1 reps from Hutson. If the coach doesn't want to comply with this strategy, find someone who will.