Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Markov's First Name Is Not Jesus

It's a wonderful thing that Andrei Markov is finally ready to come back to the Canadiens. On a personal level, can you even imagine the frustration and boredom he's dealt with in the last two years? The weeks of pain after surgery, then day after day of repetitive exercises in the gym. The days stretch into weeks and then months and ice time never seems closer. You never feel like you're part of the team because you don't travel with them, you don't skate with them and you watch all the games from the press box. After two years, nearly half the players on the team have never actually played with you, and you feel like your name is being forgotten. Not to mention the fans' assumption that after three injuries in two years, no matter how talented you are, you're now not only injury-prone, but likely to crap out before the playoffs. Markov has hoed a very tough row for the last couple of seasons.

What makes it harder for him is the fans who expect him to be God. He's supposed to come back to an injury-ravaged, underperforming, poorly-coached team and lead it into the playoffs. He's expected to save the power play, solidify the defence and boost the attack. In truth, his return might be an early holiday gift for fans, but Markov's return isn't likely to be the Second Coming.

After two years away from the game (save the seven games he played last season), Markov is going to be rusty. He's going to look slow sometimes and he's going to make tactical errors when required to make crucial decisions at high speed. He'll probably pinch deep and not get back in time to prevent a break every once in a while. He's just not at game pace yet. Patience is important in letting him re-adapt to the NHL game, but the fear is that fans have no patience left.

Four or five years ago, when minor injuries would keep Markov out of the lineup for a couple of games, the team's win/loss record without him was dismal. He was the engine that drove the Canadiens' special teams and the guy responsible for shutting down the opponents' best guys. Then, two seasons ago when Carey Price's skate slashed his tendon and cost him most of the year, the Habs had to learn to cope without Markov long term. They managed it, remaining a playoff team even in The General's absence. From the fans' perspective, the old habit of relying on Markov never really went away, though.

While the team focused on making the most of the assets it had left, the fans dreamed of "When Markov comes back." As in, "When Markov comes back, the D will move the puck better, the power play will score again and have-not will be no more." That's a heavy burden to place on a guy who's missed a lot of hockey. Markov is lucky to be blessed with great instincts and hockey sense, and they may help him adapt his game to accomodate a possible reduction of mobility. He will certainly help the team, but the fans need to remember there's a chance he won't be the same player who used to control the Habs blueline and make the All-Star game without having to be voted in. The trick is to accept him for what he brings and learn not to mourn what he doesn't.

That could be tough for a lot of people who've been breathlessly waiting with stars in their eyes for the day Markov returns. Because once he returns and the dream becomes reality, there's no more hiding the truth of what the Canadiens really are. For better or worse, the real Habs will be revealed, and it may not be pretty. We can hope the verdict will lean toward the "better" side of the scales, but it should probably be a cautious optimism. For now, instead of hoping Markov will save the season, it'll be nice just to see him back on the ice. It's been too long.

15 comments:

Kyle Roussel said...

This is spot on. All season long, fans have been exonerating every shortcoming, saying "Just wait for Markov to get back". Well now he's back (or is on the cusp), and if he does fix everything immediately (which he can't/shouldn't/won't) then the fallback will be "Wait for Markov to get in to game shape". There's always going to be an excuse that masks the reality of what this team really is.

Pierre said...

Regardless of his impact on the team's record and the time he will need to be back to his former self (or as close as he can be, depending on the healing process and all that), I'm just happy to get to watch again the only true perennial all-star this team as had in the past...what? 15 years? Markov is the kind of player that makes hockey worth following and, with a bit of luck, will bring back some kind of entertainement value to watching this fairly boring team.

Anonymous said...

I don't expect much from Markov. Only that he will somehow make Hal Gill "NHL fast enough".....

Anonymous said...

I agree and feel bad for Markov especially when someone starts saying, "Well look at what Crosby did in his first game back." :op

- soperman

Don Hickey said...

If Markov, Campoli and Spacek can all be healthy at the same time, the Habs depth chart on defense is now looking pretty solid. The young guys that have been filling the holes have done an admirable job, and the future looks pretty promising from a defensive perspective. If all 3 can actually perform together, and PK becomes the rookie again, it will make a huge difference in the results this team will get. Imagine Carey Price with that kind of support?
Hoping Louis Leblanc can embarass the hell out of Scott Gomez and earn a spot in the line-up

Hadulf said...

I'm on the injury band wagon.

I know a lot of players have had numerous knee surgeries and such and are now having good careers in the NHL but I can't wait for those first few hits to see how his knee reacts.

I really hope that Markov (and the organization) are certain that he's 100% recovered. I know that's what they tell us, but look at Marc Savard. Oh yes, he's ready to come back...BOOM...one more shot, now he should be retiring soon. Ok, a knee is not a brain, I know. All I'm saying is that it just takes one more shot sometimes.

I will be very patient with Markov (as a fan). Two years out of the games is a long effin time...

Steve said...

Historic night ahead I hope.

Anonymous said...

Not me. They should have traded him.

dusty said...

Markov is a good player but only Hab fans consider him great. All one has to do is objectively look at the top defense men on the other 29 teams to see how many would be more desirable in a Hab uniform. For example, just in their own division, Chara, Myers, Phaneuf and Karlsson. Maybe you won't agree 100% with these choices but you get the idea. Markov is no god.

I, for one, will be happy to see him play again but don't expect him to make much of a difference in the win lost column. When Spacek and Campoli return the Hab back line will have more experience but will still be soft. What we see now is indeed what the team really is. Simply stated, not ready for prime time.

This trip to California is coming at a bad time. The Habs need 3 wins to get back to respectability and right now they are playing lousy. I'm not optimistic.

Anonymous said...

Markov was top 5 in dmen in the league when he was healthy... no reason he cant regain that form, he is a powerplay wizard and a shutdown beast.... LOUIS LOUIs

Jay in PA said...

Not to get into it with you, Dusty, but it is worth noting that Ovechkin listed Markov as the single defenseman that he found it hardest to play against. Given, as well, the well-documented difference Markov has made in the Habs' win-loss record when he was active in prior seasons, it's clear that his value to the team and comparatively within the NHL is more than that of a merely good defenseman.

There are other desirable defensemen out there, yes, but we don't have any of them, and few teams have more than one. Moreover, as our free agency experience has shown, we might not be able to even attract them if they were available, so arguing that we'd be a better team with one of them instead of Markov is pointlessly theoretical. This team--without Markov and other starters--has shown that it can beat Boston, Philadelphia, the Rangers, and other strong teams. It may not be the dominant team we had in the 70's, but it is not devoid of talent, either. I think we should give the team a chance to show what they can do when they have a full roster--Markov included--before dismissing them as not ready for prime time, whatever that means.

Marc said...

The return of Markov will be crucial to giving the habs hope in terms of making the playoffs. The truth is the Canadiens are a very fragile team.

Can anyone imagine what would have happened if Josh Gorges had gotten injured this year. Maybe we would bring Paul Mara back. Third time is a charm.

Unknown said...

Markov was Montreal's most effective d'man. Can he regain his former prowess? Will he suffer another injury when he returns? These remains to be seen, and will be on everyone's mind.

Montreal needs to get bigger thruout its' line-up.

HabsProf said...

No, he is not a god (let alone The God), but Markov, once the rust is off, should obviously improve the team. Anyone think that Diaz or Weber is superior to Markov? Of course not.

He should improve the powerplay (though without someone to boom that shot on net on a consistent basis, I'm not sure he will improve it as much as we all think).

One big improvement that no one else is talking about: he should help Emelin adjust. A veteran, respect Russian-speaking d-man can't help but provide a solid mentoring presence for Alexei, as well as alleviating some communication problems.

dusty said...

OMG. How does an NHL coach start a must win game with his backup goalie? JM must want to be fired.

At the risk of being alarmist, I have to say the Habs have hit rock bottom. Once again our beloved Canadiens have made a struggling team look like world beaters. After watching the leafs destroy the Ducks I was cautiously optimistic about last night but holy shit. This season is officially over for Montreal hockey fans.

Before posting this comment I checked to see if JM still had his job and found out that Carlisle was fired for winning and JM is still there. How funny is that? I guess the Anaheim GM realized a win over the Habs is not really a win.