The trio of Jake Evans, Josh Anderson and Brendan Gallagher has been the most consistent for the Canadiens since the three veterans were reunited in the Montreal club’s second game of the season.

And that’s no coincidence, said head coach Martin St-Louis.

“They know what they are,” St. Louis said Wednesday. “There’s no identity crisis. They’re playing to their strengths.”

Gallagher has two goals to his name this season and Anderson has one. They are two players who have been part of St. Louis’ big work since his arrival in Montreal, as the Hall of Famer has sought to diversify their game.

“They play ‘the game’, not just ‘their game’ ,” St-Louis said.

“When you play the game, you touch the puck more and when you touch the puck more, your confidence goes up,” he continued. “When your confidence goes up, you produce more. Playing the game has a big domino effect.”

Gallagher doesn’t believe he’s completely reinvented himself as a player. He continues to disrupt opponents by setting up around the net. He does, however, acknowledge that he’s added strings to his bow.

St-Louis also noted that the small winger seemed more comfortable when he touched the puck elsewhere than around the net.

“He made me see the game in a different way,” Gallagher said. “I have to take advantage of what’s available to me during the game.”

In four outings since the start of the season, the Tricolore has allowed six goals twice. St-Louis did not want to blame the defensive work to explain these setbacks.

“These are small actions on the ice that have nothing to do with our system or our concepts. These are actions that increase our chances of victory, without guaranteeing it,” he said.

As an example, St. Louis came back on a penalty against defenseman Kaiden Guhle midway through the second period of Monday’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Guhle tried to defend a teammate, which negated the power play the Habs would have had.
St. Louis also stressed the importance of recognizing when it’s best to take a simple play to make a change — particularly in the second period.

“We’re trying to hit home runs, whereas in the second period it’s good to hit singles so our guys can breathe and not get exhausted if we have to defend,” St. Louis said. “We talk a lot about playing deep in the zone; that doesn’t mean not making plays at the blue line, but they have to be thought out.”

Evans’ trio excels in this style in particular, which other units would sometimes benefit from imitating.

“You have to read the game and understand that if you’re under pressure, it’s okay to make simple plays,” Evans said.

The Canadiens will play their next game on Thursday, when they host the Los Angeles Kings at the Bell Centre. The Kings visit the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight.

Dach skips his turn
Forward Kirby Dach did not participate in Canadiens practice on Wednesday, instead taking advantage of a day of treatment.

Dach has one assist in four games so far this season. He’s averaged 16:07 minutes played per game.

St-Louis recalled that Dach was limited to fewer than four periods of play last season.

“He missed a lot of time,” he said. “You have to be patient, but we’re aggressive with our patience.”

“It’s going to come with repetitions, discussions, video,” St-Louis added. “And we’re leading him toward that. But he’s working, he’s finishing body checks. I was reviewing the last game, and he’s engaged physically. You have to get him to a point where the game is easier and you get there by playing the game.”

St. Louis also said defenseman Jayden Struble has been given the green light to return to play. It did not say whether he will play against the Kings.