I've been following the games on Twitter, but some of you have been asking to have the comments recorded on the blog as well. So, here you go:
Congratulations to Hal Gill, who never expected to make 1000 games. At least not in the NHL.
Liking the Gorges/P.K. pairing, but P.K. should do the passing.
It always makes me feel better when Price makes saves standing up. That sounds kind of dirty, but I don't know why.
Emelin is deceptively adept at handling the puck.
If Josh Gorges had a motto, it would be "You Shall Not Pass." Second choice: "It's Just A Flesh Wound."
How cute. The RDS guys get all excited about a Darche breakaway.
I honestly thought Crosby would make his comeback tonight. Just to screw the Habs.
In a battle of Dr.Jeckyl vs. Mr.Hyde proportions, this is the Bad Habs. Great. On a night when they might have won with the Good Habs.
Engqvist is to Guy Carbonneau what Marcel Hossa is to Marion Hossa.
When the Habs' wives wish them luck when they leave for the rink, they're obviously not specifying "good."
That call on Price was as legit as Milli Vanilli.
This mess is without Crosby, Malkin and Letang. Good lord.
Emelin just learned guys in the NHL brace themselves for those hits.
Oh, get a life, NHL fans. Subban's not exactly as hateful as Chara.
I wonder if Gionta ever plays the midget card when caught crashing the goalie?
The Habs' PP is as lively as Gaddafi.
Really? How does Gionta board anyone? He can't even see over the boards.
The Habs are playing a brutal game. If they keep this up for another ten, they'll have a lottery pick. Congrats, Gauthier and Martin.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
On The Occasion of Skillsy's One-Thousandth Game
A Thousand Games of Skillsy
He doesn't skate like Coffey
Niklas Lidstrom he is not.
He hits as hard as toffee,
But he'll always block a shot.
His wingspan covers metres
His best attribute is "tall"
He orders beer in litres.
He perfects the PK sprawl.
His stick is half a redwood
In a 5-on-3 he's king.
He changed so he's not deadwood
Now he wears Lord Stanley's ring.
A thousand games completed
Fifteen years of tears and thrill
Good fun when he competed
Just one dream left to fulfill.
He doesn't skate like Coffey
Niklas Lidstrom he is not.
He hits as hard as toffee,
But he'll always block a shot.
His wingspan covers metres
His best attribute is "tall"
He orders beer in litres.
He perfects the PK sprawl.
His stick is half a redwood
In a 5-on-3 he's king.
He changed so he's not deadwood
Now he wears Lord Stanley's ring.
A thousand games completed
Fifteen years of tears and thrill
Good fun when he competed
Just one dream left to fulfill.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Larceny
You win some. You lose some. And sometimes one is ripped from your hardworking hands by a goaltender who robs you blind. The Habs found their fate behind door number three last night.
If not for Ryan Miller, that was a game the Habs should certainly have won. They had the shots. They had the offensive zone pressure. They kept the Sabres to a bare minimum of time in front of Carey Price for two periods. They looked good against a team that's showing its off-season moves have made it a strong opponent. What they didn't have was a cohesive power play or any luck at all, save bad. The power play they can work on. The luck, inevitably, will change.
All in all, there was a whole lot to like in the Great Miller Robbery. Raphael Diaz scored a beauty for his first NHL goal, and despite being on the ice for the Sabres' first tally, looked very poised on defence. So did Yannick Weber, who's been quietly efficient.
David Desharnais with Max Pacioretty and Andrei Kostitsyn continues to be a constant threat. Pacioretty in particular seems to get an excellent scoring chance on every shift. When he's on the ice, the puck is almost always moving away from the Canadiens' net. He's at a point a game right now, and if he can continue that pace, there's every reason to hope the Habs have finally exorcised the ghost of John Leclair.
Lars Eller, too, is showing a lot of skill and smarts as he works on Tomas Plekanec's wing, even if he hasn't put up a point in his three games. He looks to have greatly improved his strength since last season, and he's able to move the puck with patience, rarely making a dumb play. The only catch with Eller is that he's a natural centreman. He plays best in his proper position and, although he's handling himself well as a winger, you have to think about how well he'd do with two good wings himself. It's slightly amusing to see him and Plekanec finding themselves in the same place sometimes because they're both playing centre.
That brings us to the Scott Gomez line, and a brief pause from discussing the good things about last night. Right now, there are three Canadiens centres who are playing better than Gomez. Plekanec, Eller and Desharnais are all making things happen. Gomez isn't exactly terrible, but he's not been a difference maker. His was the line on the ice for the Sabres first goal, which was born of a rare flurry of defensive confusion on the Habs' part. On a night on which the Canadiens flowed from shift to shift, maintaining dominance in puck control, there was a noticable drop in pressure when the Gomez line came out. Too often, the passes on that line went astray and board battles were lost. Gomez defenders will argue he's stuck with a grinder like Travis Moen, which might account for some of the hiccups in offensive flow. The counter argument is that Moen has two goals and an assist in comparison to Gomez' lone assist in five games. When you consider that scoring juggernaut Josh Gorges has double that, it's not a good sign.
Gomez came to camp talking about his hard work over the summer and his intention to be less predictable and more effective this season. Five games in is pretty early to decide whether or not that's going to happen, but so far he looks a whole lot like the guy who put up 38 points last season. It's true that Brian Gionta has whiffed on at least three perfect set-ups that would have boosted Gomez' totals. It's also true that other wingers on other lines have missed golden opportunities, but guys like Plekanec and Desharnais have more points because of the sheer number of chances they generate. If their wingers miss a couple, they're not missing the only chances they get, as is sometimes the case with Gomez.
At this point, the long-standing bellyaching about Gomez' salary is moot. It doesn't matter what he makes. It matters only what he does. Right now, he's performing like a third-line centre. Even his champion, Jacques Martin, has recognized the fact that both Plekanec and Desharnais are outplaying him, and dropped his ice time to third among centres. When Michael Cammalleri comes back from injury and likely displaces Eller from Plekanec's wing, it's going to leave the promising youngster relegated to either the fourth line, or to playing wing with Gomez. One could argue that based on their play in the last couple of games, Eller should be the one centering Gionta and possibly Mathieu Darche.
One could also argue that the Gomez experiment isn't working and it's time for Pierre Gauthier to move him somewhere...anywhere...in exchange for a winger who, with Eller and Gionta, could make a legitimately threatening third line. That would also leave guys like Darche and Moen to play their appropriate fourth-line roles. When it comes down to it, Gomez isn't producing offensively, he's not a threat as a shut-down guy, and his leadership isn't irreplaceable. This isn't a personal slag on Gomez. There's every chance he means what he says about trying harder and improving his game. There's also every chance that he just isn't able to do it anymore.
Of course, Gomez isn't responsible for last night's heartbreaker. That came at the hands of Ryan Miller and two breakdowns in defensive coverage that both ended up behind Carey Price. Josh Gorges' awful icing that led to the backbreaker at the end of the second was much more glaring than anything Scott Gomez did, or didn't do. In a game like last night's, though, when everyone else is playing such an aggressive, high-octane game, it's apparent he's not quite at the same level.
It's something for Gauthier to carefully consider, especially if losses continue to pile up and Gomez continues to be ineffectual. Lars Eller, at some point, will be a top-line player. It's just a matter of whether it's now or later. In the meantime, the Habs can look at the really good things they did last night and feel good. After all, you win some and you lose some, but you don't get robbed every night.
If not for Ryan Miller, that was a game the Habs should certainly have won. They had the shots. They had the offensive zone pressure. They kept the Sabres to a bare minimum of time in front of Carey Price for two periods. They looked good against a team that's showing its off-season moves have made it a strong opponent. What they didn't have was a cohesive power play or any luck at all, save bad. The power play they can work on. The luck, inevitably, will change.
All in all, there was a whole lot to like in the Great Miller Robbery. Raphael Diaz scored a beauty for his first NHL goal, and despite being on the ice for the Sabres' first tally, looked very poised on defence. So did Yannick Weber, who's been quietly efficient.
David Desharnais with Max Pacioretty and Andrei Kostitsyn continues to be a constant threat. Pacioretty in particular seems to get an excellent scoring chance on every shift. When he's on the ice, the puck is almost always moving away from the Canadiens' net. He's at a point a game right now, and if he can continue that pace, there's every reason to hope the Habs have finally exorcised the ghost of John Leclair.
Lars Eller, too, is showing a lot of skill and smarts as he works on Tomas Plekanec's wing, even if he hasn't put up a point in his three games. He looks to have greatly improved his strength since last season, and he's able to move the puck with patience, rarely making a dumb play. The only catch with Eller is that he's a natural centreman. He plays best in his proper position and, although he's handling himself well as a winger, you have to think about how well he'd do with two good wings himself. It's slightly amusing to see him and Plekanec finding themselves in the same place sometimes because they're both playing centre.
That brings us to the Scott Gomez line, and a brief pause from discussing the good things about last night. Right now, there are three Canadiens centres who are playing better than Gomez. Plekanec, Eller and Desharnais are all making things happen. Gomez isn't exactly terrible, but he's not been a difference maker. His was the line on the ice for the Sabres first goal, which was born of a rare flurry of defensive confusion on the Habs' part. On a night on which the Canadiens flowed from shift to shift, maintaining dominance in puck control, there was a noticable drop in pressure when the Gomez line came out. Too often, the passes on that line went astray and board battles were lost. Gomez defenders will argue he's stuck with a grinder like Travis Moen, which might account for some of the hiccups in offensive flow. The counter argument is that Moen has two goals and an assist in comparison to Gomez' lone assist in five games. When you consider that scoring juggernaut Josh Gorges has double that, it's not a good sign.
Gomez came to camp talking about his hard work over the summer and his intention to be less predictable and more effective this season. Five games in is pretty early to decide whether or not that's going to happen, but so far he looks a whole lot like the guy who put up 38 points last season. It's true that Brian Gionta has whiffed on at least three perfect set-ups that would have boosted Gomez' totals. It's also true that other wingers on other lines have missed golden opportunities, but guys like Plekanec and Desharnais have more points because of the sheer number of chances they generate. If their wingers miss a couple, they're not missing the only chances they get, as is sometimes the case with Gomez.
At this point, the long-standing bellyaching about Gomez' salary is moot. It doesn't matter what he makes. It matters only what he does. Right now, he's performing like a third-line centre. Even his champion, Jacques Martin, has recognized the fact that both Plekanec and Desharnais are outplaying him, and dropped his ice time to third among centres. When Michael Cammalleri comes back from injury and likely displaces Eller from Plekanec's wing, it's going to leave the promising youngster relegated to either the fourth line, or to playing wing with Gomez. One could argue that based on their play in the last couple of games, Eller should be the one centering Gionta and possibly Mathieu Darche.
One could also argue that the Gomez experiment isn't working and it's time for Pierre Gauthier to move him somewhere...anywhere...in exchange for a winger who, with Eller and Gionta, could make a legitimately threatening third line. That would also leave guys like Darche and Moen to play their appropriate fourth-line roles. When it comes down to it, Gomez isn't producing offensively, he's not a threat as a shut-down guy, and his leadership isn't irreplaceable. This isn't a personal slag on Gomez. There's every chance he means what he says about trying harder and improving his game. There's also every chance that he just isn't able to do it anymore.
Of course, Gomez isn't responsible for last night's heartbreaker. That came at the hands of Ryan Miller and two breakdowns in defensive coverage that both ended up behind Carey Price. Josh Gorges' awful icing that led to the backbreaker at the end of the second was much more glaring than anything Scott Gomez did, or didn't do. In a game like last night's, though, when everyone else is playing such an aggressive, high-octane game, it's apparent he's not quite at the same level.
It's something for Gauthier to carefully consider, especially if losses continue to pile up and Gomez continues to be ineffectual. Lars Eller, at some point, will be a top-line player. It's just a matter of whether it's now or later. In the meantime, the Habs can look at the really good things they did last night and feel good. After all, you win some and you lose some, but you don't get robbed every night.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Take It Easy
On many nights this season, Carey Price will be the difference between the Canadiens winning or losing. Last night was one of them. On a night when offence, for once, wasn't an issue, Price played his second dismal home game in as many starts and cost his team the win. The good news is, Price is the least of the Canadiens' worries. He knows he sucked last night, but he's got the talent to pick up his game and return to the form we've come to expect.
So, with that in mind, we should remember there were a lot of good things in last night's game, and a 1-2-1 start doesn't mean the Habs will miss the playoffs. The defence isn't the greatest, but their biggest problem seems to be a lack of cohesion. That's going to happen when three of the D-men have played fewer than 80 NHL games between them. It's also almost inevitable when the pairings are juggled so often every guy has played with every other blueliner on the team. On the plus side, Raphael Diaz is starting to show a bit of a physical side, landing some nice, effective hits. He's already proven to be adept at moving the puck quickly and efficiently. Alexei Emelin, while still appearing a bit hesitant to use his size to its best advantage, is proving he can handle the puck and make some nice passes. He's also not afraid to rush. Josh Gorges looks to be completely recovered from his knee surgery and P.K.Subban got a dose of humility after his glaring giveaway that cost a goal last night. After that, he dialed way back on the dipsy doodling and proved he can play an effective, no-nonsense game when he wants to.
The really exciting thing about last night, though, was the developing chemistry up front, especially among the younger forwards. David Desharnais and Max Pacioretty, when they were recalled from Hamilton last December, were first and second in AHL scoring. That was no fluke because the two of them have a special knack for finding the other on the ice. Pacioretty even said last year that Desharnais is the best centre he's ever had. That was in evidence again last night, with Pacioretty setting Desharnais up for a beautiful, opportunistic goal. Andrei Kostitsyn on that line gives it some extra size and strength and helps shield the smaller Desharnais. Lars Eller, too, looks like he picked up an extra gear over the summer. He and Tomas Plekanec caused some problems for the Colorado defence, and while Erik Cole is still looking for his first goal, he's not going to go pointless forever.
This is a team with significant possibilities, but it's not fulfilling them yet. That's not to say it won't. It may take a couple of weeks, but Carey Price will find his game, the defence will get better and the kids will prove they can score. The team is learning itself right now. When it does, there's every chance it can find a level of consistency that will keep us all away from razor blades and liquor stores. It's tough to do, but the trick right now is just to take it easy.
So, with that in mind, we should remember there were a lot of good things in last night's game, and a 1-2-1 start doesn't mean the Habs will miss the playoffs. The defence isn't the greatest, but their biggest problem seems to be a lack of cohesion. That's going to happen when three of the D-men have played fewer than 80 NHL games between them. It's also almost inevitable when the pairings are juggled so often every guy has played with every other blueliner on the team. On the plus side, Raphael Diaz is starting to show a bit of a physical side, landing some nice, effective hits. He's already proven to be adept at moving the puck quickly and efficiently. Alexei Emelin, while still appearing a bit hesitant to use his size to its best advantage, is proving he can handle the puck and make some nice passes. He's also not afraid to rush. Josh Gorges looks to be completely recovered from his knee surgery and P.K.Subban got a dose of humility after his glaring giveaway that cost a goal last night. After that, he dialed way back on the dipsy doodling and proved he can play an effective, no-nonsense game when he wants to.
The really exciting thing about last night, though, was the developing chemistry up front, especially among the younger forwards. David Desharnais and Max Pacioretty, when they were recalled from Hamilton last December, were first and second in AHL scoring. That was no fluke because the two of them have a special knack for finding the other on the ice. Pacioretty even said last year that Desharnais is the best centre he's ever had. That was in evidence again last night, with Pacioretty setting Desharnais up for a beautiful, opportunistic goal. Andrei Kostitsyn on that line gives it some extra size and strength and helps shield the smaller Desharnais. Lars Eller, too, looks like he picked up an extra gear over the summer. He and Tomas Plekanec caused some problems for the Colorado defence, and while Erik Cole is still looking for his first goal, he's not going to go pointless forever.
This is a team with significant possibilities, but it's not fulfilling them yet. That's not to say it won't. It may take a couple of weeks, but Carey Price will find his game, the defence will get better and the kids will prove they can score. The team is learning itself right now. When it does, there's every chance it can find a level of consistency that will keep us all away from razor blades and liquor stores. It's tough to do, but the trick right now is just to take it easy.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Workhorse
Tomas Plekanec doesn't have a middle name. If he did, it might be "práce." In his native tongue, the word means "work," and it's the attribute for which Plekanec is best known. He's earned the accolades honestly. He's the first Canadien on the ice for practice every day, and very often, the last one off. A veteran on a long-term deal, he never has relaxed and let some of the little things slide just because the belly fire is burning a little lower than it used to. It's a rare game in which anyone can say Tomas Plekanec floated for even a shift.
It's no surprise, then, that a coach who demands hard work and discipline should have the greatest regard for a player who never fails to provide both. Jacques Martin, if he admires any player, admires Plekanec, and as a result he relies heavily on his number-one centreman. If he needs someone to take a crucial faceoff, he calls Plekanec. When the Habs are facing a two-man disadvantage, Plekanec gets the nod. Need someone to hold a one-goal lead with a minute to go? Get Plekanec. Short a point man on the PP? Send out #14. Got a slumping winger? Stick him on Plekanec's line. It's got to be a nice feeling for Plekanec to be as important a player as he is. The question is whether it's good for him as a player to be wearing so many helmets.
There's no question Plekanec is used in more situations than any other number-one centre in the league. Two years ago, Plekanec took 35.1% of the team's faceoffs. Only Sidney Crosby and Paul Stastny took more. Last year, he was fifth in the league, taking 35.5% of the Habs' draws.
In 2009-10, he played 2:44 shorthanded, good for 14th among all NHL forwards. Nobody who played more time shorthanded was a first-line player. Plekanec got 20 minutes of icetime and 27 shifts a game, by far more than any of the players ahead of him on the PK. Last year showed a similar pattern. He was on the ice for just over 20 minutes a game, with an average of 26 shifts, again, significantly more than the 14 guys above him in shorthanded ice time. Plekanec also played an average of 2:45 a night on the PP over the last two years. Now, with the absence of an established partner for P.K.Subban on the point during the man advantage, Plekanec's doing that job as well. (Whether that's a wise decision is up for debate.)Add to the mix that he's extremely durable for a smaller player, and it means he's taking on that kind of workload for about 80 games a year.
There's a perception that Plekanec, under Martin, is used too much. Fans believe he wears down as the year wears on and becomes less effective. The numbers tend to support that theory. Two years ago, Plekanec played all 82 games. In the first half of the year, he put up 44 points (8g, 36a). In the second half, his totals dropped to just 26 points (17g, 9a). It's possible the Olympics played a role in tiring Plekanec down the stretch, but likely that a nagging hip injury which he didn't take time off to rest was a bigger factor. Last season, Plekanec played 40 games (missed one with the flu) in the first half of the year and 37 (lost four games with a knee injury) in the second half. In the first 40 games, he had 32 points (12g, 20a). In the last 37, his points total dropped to 25 (10g, 15a). The drop wasn't as noticable last year as it was the year before, but it's interesting to note that the knee injury, which forced him to take time off to rest, came in the second half of the year, which ironically may have helped give him a second wind. Also, in the first half, usually Plekanec's most productive time, he played long stretches with a slumping Andrei Kostitsyn. Kostitsyn went through a stretch of 8 points in 17 games, which, for a guy like Plekanec who depends on his finishers for points, hurt his totals.
In the last two years, Plekanec's best months have been at the beginning of the season. In 2009-10, he had 13 points in 14 games for October, 12 points in 12 November games and 21 points in 17 games through December. In contrast, his worst months were January, in which he put up 8 points in 13 games and March, when he had just 8 points over 14 games. Similarly, last year, his best months were October and November, in which he put up a total of 23 points in as many games. His worst months came in December (8 points in 15 games) and March (6 points in 11 games).
At some point, something's got to give. Plekanec, as the first-line centre, plays the majority of his even-strength ice time against the other team's best defencemen. He sees more of Chara, Weber, Pronger and Phaneuf than anybody else who plays similar time on the PK. So, at even strength, he's strongly defended by the opposition. On the PK, he's defending the other team's best forwards. He ends up being the shadow on guys like Crosby, Backstrom and Giroux more than most other first-line centremen. He's very good at all those things, of course, but he needs help. He's getting older, he's not a huge body and the constant grind of facing the other team's best players is inevitably wearying. The Canadiens need to do what they can to ensure their best centre is fresh for the stretch drive and playoffs.
Pierre Gauthier showed an awareness of that when he claimed Blair Betts off waivers. Betts kills more penalties than Plekanec, and he's able to take important faceoffs. Unfortunately, he came from Philly with a return-to-sender label on his medical chart. So now, unless Gauthier can find another answer somewhere, Plekanec is left with little support. Andreas Engqvist shows promise as a faceoff man and defensive player, but he's very green. Scott Gomez can kill penalties and take faceoffs, but his general ineffectiveness on many nights means he usually gets less ice time than Plekanec. Lars Eller and David Desharnais, like Engqvist, have potential but are still pretty raw.
So it comes down to Jacques Martin. He has to make the decision to trust his young players more and give them some of the responsibility he unloads onto Plekanec. They have to learn sometime. Scott Gomez has vowed to be a better player this year. He needs a chance to prove that in important situations. However he does it, Martin must find a way to give Plekanec some easier minutes. That's not to say he shouldn't play 23 minutes in a vital game against a division opponent. He should naturally be used to best advantage in a game like that. There's no need, though, to start him on every PK and take half the faceoffs in a low-stress game against the Islanders or Blue Jackets. In the first two games this year, injuries have meant Plekanec has played an average of 23 minutes a game, with 4:22 of that on the PK. It's an unsustainable pace for an entire season, so when the lineup is intact, Martin has to choose to use Plekanec more wisely.
It's a tough call for a coach in a competitive league like the NHL, in which two points could mean the difference between having home ice advantage in the playoffs or not, or even between making the playoffs or not. The wise coach, however, would recognize the fact that even the hardest-working body will tire eventually, and if eventually comes during the playoffs, that's not a good thing.
A guy whose middle name might as well be "work" won't let up on himself when he's asked to perform. So, in the end, his coach needs to take responsibility for making his life a little easier. It could be that prudence now will produce a better-functioning Plekanec when it really matters.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Determination
If this season continues the way it's begun for the Canadiens, Jarred Tinordi and Nathan Beaulieu had better get ready to make their NHL debuts as emergency replacements. It wasn't good to see camp open with no sign of Andrei Markov, but it's turned out to be a bit of a trend. Not only do we have no idea when Markov might possibly play again, we've also yet to see Ryan White or Lars Eller in game action. On top of that, injuries to Chris Campoli, Mike Cammalleri and Jaro Spacek have further depleted a lineup that hasn't been complete since day one. This is not the way the Habs had hoped to start a new season.
On the plus side, however, the players who remain are doing their best to push through the team's problems. Rookie defencemen Raphael Diaz and Alexei Emelin managed to keep their heads above water against an enthusiastic attack by some pretty big Winnipeg forwards. Yannick Weber seized the opportunity to get back on D with a rocket from the point on the power play, and an impressive physical battle with the much larger Nik Antropov. The defence was a bit scrambly and fumbled the puck fairly often, but managed to throw themselves in front of enough shots and chip the puck ungracefully out of trouble enough times to get the job done.
Up front, Tomas Plekanec was his usual all-around brilliant self, scoring a beauty of a goal on an individual effort, as well as doing all the little things he does every night on the still-perfect PK. Also, it's only been a couple of games, but his faceoff percentage sits at 57%. If he can keep that up, he will solve his game's biggest weakness and provide an answer to the question of who Jacques Martin could count on to win big faceoffs.
Travis Moen had a great game, but he's not going to be a long-term solution for the top line. Plekanec can work magic, but even David Copperfield has to actually have a rabbit in the hat to begin with. Erik Cole could be the rabbit, although so far he's been an unimpressive addition. It's not helping that he's getting fewer than 15 minutes of ice time, when he's used to playing more like 18-20 per game. If, as they say, Cammalleri is out for only two weeks, it would be the first bit of good luck the team has had since training camp opened.
That's if you don't count Carey Price's performance as a stroke of luck. The goaltender upon which everything depends was solid throughout the game, but especially cool and focused during the Jets' early push. He underlined, once again, that the Habs will go as far as he can take them. So, on Thanksgiving Day, Habs fans everywhere can give thanks for the continued good health of their goalie.
This hasn't been the start of the season the Canadiens were hoping to have. Then again, maybe if they get the injuries out of the way early, they'll get their healthy bodies back when it really matters later in the year. While it'll be great to see Tinordi and Beaulieu in Habs sweaters, it would be nice not to see them just because there's nobody left to play.
On the plus side, however, the players who remain are doing their best to push through the team's problems. Rookie defencemen Raphael Diaz and Alexei Emelin managed to keep their heads above water against an enthusiastic attack by some pretty big Winnipeg forwards. Yannick Weber seized the opportunity to get back on D with a rocket from the point on the power play, and an impressive physical battle with the much larger Nik Antropov. The defence was a bit scrambly and fumbled the puck fairly often, but managed to throw themselves in front of enough shots and chip the puck ungracefully out of trouble enough times to get the job done.
Up front, Tomas Plekanec was his usual all-around brilliant self, scoring a beauty of a goal on an individual effort, as well as doing all the little things he does every night on the still-perfect PK. Also, it's only been a couple of games, but his faceoff percentage sits at 57%. If he can keep that up, he will solve his game's biggest weakness and provide an answer to the question of who Jacques Martin could count on to win big faceoffs.
Travis Moen had a great game, but he's not going to be a long-term solution for the top line. Plekanec can work magic, but even David Copperfield has to actually have a rabbit in the hat to begin with. Erik Cole could be the rabbit, although so far he's been an unimpressive addition. It's not helping that he's getting fewer than 15 minutes of ice time, when he's used to playing more like 18-20 per game. If, as they say, Cammalleri is out for only two weeks, it would be the first bit of good luck the team has had since training camp opened.
That's if you don't count Carey Price's performance as a stroke of luck. The goaltender upon which everything depends was solid throughout the game, but especially cool and focused during the Jets' early push. He underlined, once again, that the Habs will go as far as he can take them. So, on Thanksgiving Day, Habs fans everywhere can give thanks for the continued good health of their goalie.
This hasn't been the start of the season the Canadiens were hoping to have. Then again, maybe if they get the injuries out of the way early, they'll get their healthy bodies back when it really matters later in the year. While it'll be great to see Tinordi and Beaulieu in Habs sweaters, it would be nice not to see them just because there's nobody left to play.
Friday, October 7, 2011
Luck Or Suck
There are two schools of thought regarding last night's pathetic lack of firepower on the part of our beloved Canadiens. One group says the Habs had more than thirty shots and only poor luck kept one of them from finding twine.
The other group, and the one to which I'm increasingly listening, says the Canadiens were one of the lowest-scoring teams in the league for the last two seasons and nothing has changed. Excuses can mask the core issue for a while, but in the end the truth remains. Sure, the team is already dealing with key injuries. It's also true that the players have had little time together and are probably a bit short on chemistry just yet. Still, those excuses fail to explain why the Canadiens dominated the first period, then gave up the ghost in the last two.
Pierre Gauthier needs to examine the kind of team he's compiled, and compare that with the style of play Jacques Martin demands. Many of the players have proven they can score at other levels and with other teams. Yet, placed in Montreal, their production drops, almost across the board. Homegrown players like Andrei Kostitsyn and Tomas Plekanec regularly score twenty goals, but you have to wonder if they wouldn't produce more with another coach in another system. Others have. Matt D'Agostini scored two goals in forty games under Martin. Last year in St.Louis, he had twenty-one. Sergei Kostitsyn had seven goals in the 47 games he played for Martin. In Nashville...not exactly the '80s Oilers...he had 23 in 77 games.
Whether there's a failure to communicate between Martin and his players or Martin's system just doesn't produce a lot of goalscoring, there's a problem in Montreal. The team can't score even though the individual players have proven they can. Unless something changes, it's going to be another year of Carey Price playing out of his mind to preserve 2-1 and 3-2 victories. If he doesn't, if he gives up a couple of goals early, there's little chance the team will recover. When it's time for him to start thinking about his long-term contract next year, it won't be a plus for him to know he's got to be perfect every night or the team will lose.
There's also a problem with the powerplay, which has been the one positive in the scoring desert of the last two years. P.K.Subban is trying to do everything and making costly errors instead, but there are few blueline alternatives. There's little cohesion, and there doesn't seem to be much of a plan. Kirk Muller, who last year worked with the kids like Subban and planned the PP, is gone and appears to have left a greater void than we were expecting.
Of course, it doesn't help when a coach has two big scoring wingers, one whom he benches after an iffy penalty call and one who gets third-line linemates and fourth-line ice time. Neither Andrei Kostitsyn or Erik Cole were used in a way that would maximize their abilities. When a team can't score much to begin with, the coach doesn't have the luxury of playing games with the people most likely to pot one.
This is not to let the players off the hook. In the second and third periods last night, they did nothing to help their cause. They need to be better...a lot better...than they looked in that sad forty minutes. Still, one can't help thinking they'd have a better chance if they played a system more open to scoring goals. The Canadiens certainly have their share of bad luck when it comes to lighting the lamp, but the style they're playing just adds to the suck.
The other group, and the one to which I'm increasingly listening, says the Canadiens were one of the lowest-scoring teams in the league for the last two seasons and nothing has changed. Excuses can mask the core issue for a while, but in the end the truth remains. Sure, the team is already dealing with key injuries. It's also true that the players have had little time together and are probably a bit short on chemistry just yet. Still, those excuses fail to explain why the Canadiens dominated the first period, then gave up the ghost in the last two.
Pierre Gauthier needs to examine the kind of team he's compiled, and compare that with the style of play Jacques Martin demands. Many of the players have proven they can score at other levels and with other teams. Yet, placed in Montreal, their production drops, almost across the board. Homegrown players like Andrei Kostitsyn and Tomas Plekanec regularly score twenty goals, but you have to wonder if they wouldn't produce more with another coach in another system. Others have. Matt D'Agostini scored two goals in forty games under Martin. Last year in St.Louis, he had twenty-one. Sergei Kostitsyn had seven goals in the 47 games he played for Martin. In Nashville...not exactly the '80s Oilers...he had 23 in 77 games.
Whether there's a failure to communicate between Martin and his players or Martin's system just doesn't produce a lot of goalscoring, there's a problem in Montreal. The team can't score even though the individual players have proven they can. Unless something changes, it's going to be another year of Carey Price playing out of his mind to preserve 2-1 and 3-2 victories. If he doesn't, if he gives up a couple of goals early, there's little chance the team will recover. When it's time for him to start thinking about his long-term contract next year, it won't be a plus for him to know he's got to be perfect every night or the team will lose.
There's also a problem with the powerplay, which has been the one positive in the scoring desert of the last two years. P.K.Subban is trying to do everything and making costly errors instead, but there are few blueline alternatives. There's little cohesion, and there doesn't seem to be much of a plan. Kirk Muller, who last year worked with the kids like Subban and planned the PP, is gone and appears to have left a greater void than we were expecting.
Of course, it doesn't help when a coach has two big scoring wingers, one whom he benches after an iffy penalty call and one who gets third-line linemates and fourth-line ice time. Neither Andrei Kostitsyn or Erik Cole were used in a way that would maximize their abilities. When a team can't score much to begin with, the coach doesn't have the luxury of playing games with the people most likely to pot one.
This is not to let the players off the hook. In the second and third periods last night, they did nothing to help their cause. They need to be better...a lot better...than they looked in that sad forty minutes. Still, one can't help thinking they'd have a better chance if they played a system more open to scoring goals. The Canadiens certainly have their share of bad luck when it comes to lighting the lamp, but the style they're playing just adds to the suck.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
