Habs' Martin St. Louis speaks on Joel Armia's resurgence after demotion to AHL's Laval Rocket

By Abhishek Dilta

Modified Jan 16, 2024 04:32 GMT

Montreal Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis spoke on Joel Armia's resurgence after being demoted to the Laval Rockets of the AHL back in November last year.

Armia had a bit of a tough time with the Habs and was sent down to the AHL to work on his game. But he didn't let that setback get him down. Instead, he used it as motivation to improve and prove himself.

All the hard work and dedication shown by the 30-year-old forward finally paid off on Monday. In a thrilling encounter against the hot Colorado Avalanche, Joel Armia emerged as the hero for the fans.

He scored late in the third period to secure a dramatic 4-3 win for the Montreal Canadiens over the Avalanche and lift the home crowd in joy at the Centre Bell Arena.

Habs head coach Martin St. Louis praised Armia for his resilience and determination, highlighting how he has become a key player for the Habs since his return:

"He went down to Laval and he was a great leader down there and played extremely well and came back up and sat in the chair that was available for him...I think he's having fun, he's smiling & he's playing some really good hockey right now."

Joel Armia has notched up seven points through as many goals in 27 games for the Canadiens this season.

Joel Armia shines as Canadiens ease past Avalanche with dramatic win

On Monday, the Canadiens hosted the Avalanche at the Centre Bell Arena. They defeated the Avs 4-3 and ended their three-game winning streak in the process.

At 4:28 of the first period, Ross Colton put the visitors ahead with a powerplay goal. Three minutes later, the Habs responded with Juraj Slafkovsky tying it 1-1 after scoring on the powerplay off Nick Suzuki's assist.

In the second period, Cale Makar made it 2-1 for the Avs. With four minutes remaining in the period, Rafael Harvey-Pinard's goal tied it 2-2 for the Habs.

Cole Caufield put the Habs in the lead for the first time after he scored a second powerplay goal at 1:52 into the third period. At the 9:37 mark, Devon Toews converted Mikko Rantanen's cross into a beautiful one-timer to make it 3-3 for Colorado.

With less than four minutes remaining before overtime, Joel Armia scored five-hole on the backhand from the top of the crease to seal the dramatic 4-3 win for the Habs. The Canadiens face the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday.