Happy holidays fellow Habs addicts! I hope that you are all enjoying the holiday season and that you all have a fantastic New Year's too!
With the holidays on their minds, Tyg and Willey thought it would be a good time to put together their holiday wishlists. But not just any wishlist. In the latest edition of He Said/She Said, they have put together their holiday wishlist for the Montreal Canadiens.
I'm sure you all know what you want for the Montreal Canadiens, so read below and let them know what you think!
My wife and I were sitting on the coach this week watching one of our favorite holiday movies, "A Wonderful Life", while discussing the Christmas season.
My wife and I have been together for 13 years and over that time we have seen our lifestyle evolve quite drastically. In the beginning it was all about trying to impress with both romantic and extravagant gifts to the point now where we are pretty much not buying anything for each other, but rather buying a joint gift for the house.
I am telling you this so as to get an understanding of the moment when out of the blue she turns to me and asks one simple thing, “What do you want for Christmas?”
I was certainly taken back by this as I have not heard these words for quite some time. Since moving to the Tampa Bay area seems very unlikely and since a 3,000 square foot home in the “L section” of Brossard is currently out of my price range, I could only think of a few things.
The first was the health of my family, the second was to see a smile on my daughter’s face as she opens her Christmas morning gifts and the final thing was change to my beloved Montreal Canadiens.
I am assuming that you really don’t want to me to go on and on about what gifts I have bought for my family, although I could be wrong, so allow me the opportunity to expand on the Habs.
The way I see it my wish list is three fold: First, I want to get a premier top-three forward with size, skill and toughness. Second, a true rough and tumble stay-at-home defensemen and finally a fourth line with an identity.
Top Line Winger
In 2010 the Montreal Canadiens went to the Eastern Conference Finals primarily by riding the coat tails of a goaltender playing absolutely possessed; combined with timely goal scoring and a superb shot blocking performance by the entire d-core.
Despite this success, however, the lack of physicality on the offensive side of the puck ultimately led to a five game defeat at the hands of the much bigger and tougher Philadelphia Flyers.
I know that this hardly comes hot off the presses because as long as I can remember we have all been complaining about a lack of size with our forward unit. I do, however, ask why nothing has ever been done about this problem?
Despite the common knowledge of what this organization is lacking, a collective decision is made year in and year out to simply draft the top player on the list. This means drafting guys like David Fischer ahead of guys like Nick Foligno or Milan Lucic or drafting Andrei Kostitsyn ahead of players like Ryan Getzlaf or Jeff Carter.
Instead or drafting for size, we bring in players who are past their prime and asked to carry larger roles than their bodies will allow. In the past 10 years this list includes the likes of Trevor Linden, Randy Mckay, Radek Bonk and Bryan Smolinski. The list does not end there however. Who can forget Pierre Dagenais, Jason Ward and Chad Kilger; none of which are even in the league today.
So where do we go from here?
Although I have had my doubts about Pierre Gauthier, I truly believe that we will see him address this issue once and for all. The Habs went to the ECF in 2010 and now a third of the way through the season find themselves atop the NorthEast division. What this translates in to is a team on the cusp of doing good things, assuming the right nucleus is in place.
It is a time in which the organization must make the switch from refusing to give up good young players to making that big push. It is time to bring in that big power forward, despite the high cost associated with him.
In short it is time to bring in Jarome Iginla.
There is really no need to explain why Iginla should be the Habs prime target. He is a leader who plays with his heart on his sleeve, he backs down from no one and despite being in his mid 30’s still has some good years ahead of him. In essence he is exactly what the Habs need.
It is unlikely that Calgary would want to part with the face of their franchise but with their struggles on the ice and with a system which is practically void of any and all future stars, now may just be the time to pull off a trade.
A Stay-at-Home Defenseman
Our d-core currently has a good combination of grizzled veterans and young up-and-comers alike. For every 35-plus year old Hal Gill, Jaroslav Spacek and Roman Hamrlik there is a 24 year old or younger Alex Picard, P.K. Subban or Yannick Weber.
Since the departure of Mike Komisarek however, this d-core has been missing a true stay-at-home defenseman who also possess’ the ability to strike fear in the opposition. A player who makes you keep your head up while crossing the blue line and who will clear the front of the net if you dare try to screen the goalie.
Lucky for the Habs, the team now has some much needed cap relief as a result of the injury to Andrei Markov—he is on the Long Term Injury Reserve (LTIR)—in a time where the league is full of soon to be UFA players. Guys like Bryan McCabe, Shane O’Brien, Ed Jovonowski and many more players with contracts set to expire playing on teams that are under-performing and on the outside looking into the playoff picture.
On a personal level, I think the selection comes down to two players.
Although I know the operator of Habsaddict.com, Mr. Kamal Panesar is not a fan of the guy; my first selection is Kevin Bieksa.
Perhaps due to my overall man-crush I have long been a Bieksa fan. He is the type of player who can play physical, stick up for teammates or provide a steady presence on the power play when called upon to do so, and most importantly provide a right handed shot.
Now I am the first to admit that his game has slipped somewhat after suffering multiple injuries the past couple of seasons, but given the fact that his contract is expiring at season's end and that the Canucks face cap restraints, he is the type of player I would be willing to take a chance on.
The second player I would target is once again from the Calgary Flames; Robyn Regher. Although Regher doesn't drop the gloves with regularity he is the ultimate playoff warrior. He is a guy who slams bodies, crushes players with thunderous hits along the boards and yet has the presence of mind not put his team in penalty trouble.
Like Bieksa, he is far from being a No.1 d-man on any team but given the current make-up of our D-core, he would be an ideal compliment to a veteran group.
Choosing between Bieksa and Regher ultimately comes down to how much you are willing to give up; an answer only Gauthier can provide.
A Momentum-Changing Fourth Line
When I think of any hockey team I think of defined roles for each of the four lines. The first two lines are your scoring lines, the third line is a defensive line and your fourth line is a momentum-changing line.
I may be an odd-ball, but since I was a kid I have always been able to relate to the fourth line pluggers of the team. I have always been drawn to the Scotty Thornton’s or Darren McCarty’s of the league.
When it comes to the Montreal Canadiens, however, I am just confused.
At center is it Lars Eller or Jeff Halpern? What about the left wing, is it Travis Moen, Tom Pyatt or even Benoit Pouliot? Is Lapierre on the third line or does that position belong to Mathieu Darche?
The fourth line lacks an identity and that pains me.
It is time to ice a fourth line consisting of some big bodies whose sole purpose is to go out and hit, hit, hit. We need guys like Moen, Ryan White and Maxim Lapierre who are all physical, defensively reliable but who can chip in with the odd goal.
How do I see my roster coming to fruition?
So I have given you all my wish list for this holiday season, the question now remains on how I see this coming to pass?
Let me say that I have no idea what goes on behind the closed doors of the GM offices so to come straight out and say this and this player will get you that player almost seems counterproductive. Suffice it to say that landing the likes of an Iginla and a Regher would certainly come with a hefty price tag.
With that being said here is what I propose:
Jarome Iginla, Robyn Regher and David Moss traded to the Montreal Canadiens. In exchange Mr. Pierre Gauthier sends Andrei Kostitsyn, Danny Kristo, Ben Maxwell, Yannick Weber, Josh Gorges and a 1st round pick in 2011 and a 2nd rounder in 2012.
We are giving up top-six talent and players who can fill the Flames roster today and for the future, in exchange for a cup run for the Habs today.
My roster as of January 1st will be as follows:
Mike Cammalleri-Tomas Plekanec-Jarome Iginla Max Pacioretty-Scott Gomez-Brian Gionta Benoit Pouliot-Lars Eller-David Moss Travis Moen-Jeff Halpern-Maxim Lapierre
Robyn Regher-PK Subban Roman Hamrlik-Jaroslav Spacek Hal Gill-Alex Picard
Althoughi must admit that I would still inquire about another #6 dman with size to go alongside Gill.
--- Willey was the shinning light among the wicked growing up as the lone Habs fan in Toronto. Pray to Holy Ghosts of the old forum and all shall be answered I was told, and just like that my family was transferred back to Montreal and away from the damned. Olé, Olé, Olé!
In case you’ve missed it, the holiday season is nigh upon us and while I have a whole list of things I want for myself, I also have a list of things I want for my favorite team – the Montreal Canadiens.
Santa, are you paying attention?
A Puck-Moving, Minute-Munching, Big-Bodied Defenseman
Ideally the Habs need someone who can hit one of their forwards with a pass, split a seam or two and not get caught flat-footed. They had that in Andrei Markov, but he’s out for the season and I want a replacement.
P.K. Subban is still going through too many growing pains to carry Markov’s load. Meanwhile Roman Hamrlik can’t get it all done by himself, continue to compensate for the erratic Jaroslav Spacek and still be fresh for the playoffs.
A New Coach
I’ll admit I wasn’t going to include this on the list, but I just finished watching HBO’s 24/7 Road to the Winter Classic which had a nice look at Pittsburgh Penguins’ Head Coach Dan Bylsma, and the contrast between him and the Habs’ Jacques Martin is harsh and unflattering to the latter.
Bylsma is approachable and positive. Martin is reserved and, at best, neutral. Bylsma is a forward thinker who engages with his players. Martin is very much old-school in his thinking and not only does he fail to engage with his players, he tends to punish them the way a parent would a child, for any infractions.
I think like everything else, the sport of hockey is evolving and changing and sooner rather than later teams will seek out coaches more like Bylsma and less like Martin.
That’s great for the sport but right now not so good for the Habs.
I know the Habs have had a lot of rotation in their coaching staff over the last decade and they’re coming off their deepest playoff run in 17 years, but there’s a reason why Martin has never won a Stanley Cup.
The Canadiens are very good this year and a lot of that is because of Martin’s system. But not all of it is, and I think under someone like Bylsma this team would be a lot better off.
Much Better Effort and Focus
After the loss to the Colorado Avalanche last night, Josh Gorges went on record as saying that the Habs didn’t play consistently for the first 40 minutes of the game. It’s not the first time one of the players has sung this particular tune after a loss, but I would dearly love it to be the last.
While on the subject of focus, I’d like to include a plug for the end of late-period goals against and the constant turnovers the Habs tend to give up. They’re second in the NHL right now in terms of coughing up the puck, and if it weren’t for Carey Price and some lucky bounces they’d be in some pretty hot water right now.
Reunite the Formerly Effective Third Line
I’m not sure why Martin found it necessary to split up two lines that were working.
The first was the Tomas Plekanec – Mike Cammalleri – Andrei Kostitsyn line that has only just lately been reunited and is getting back to its normal level of production.
The other was the PhD line, comprised of Jeff Halpern, Benoit Pouliot and Mathieu Darche. While Pouliot has still done well with Lars Eller, he looked more solid to me when paired with the two veterans.
When the second line anchored by Scott Gomez was having problems, it was the PhD line that stepped up and provided some timely goals. Breaking apart this trio has only reduced secondary scoring and provided no discernible benefit.
A 25th Stanley Cup
Yes, I saved my biggest request for last. I’ve been incredibly good this year. I just hope the Habs are too.
--- Tyg used to frequent the old Forum during her early childhood when her father was a corporate season ticket holder, where she fell in love with Larry Robinson, so her lifelong obsession with the Habs is entirely his fault.
Last night the Montreal Canadiens were in Carolina for their third game of seven on this end-of-year road trip that has so far proved to be fruitless.
The Canadiens were coming off of a loss in Dallas and back-to-back losses for only the third time this season, and were 1-5 in their previous six games. So, with the city of Montreal getting dangerously close to pushing the panic button, it was time for the Habs to turn things around.
Montreal started the game strong with their first two lines creating some nice scoring chances before the two minute mark of the game. Hal Gill set the tone when he played the role of brick wall, knocking Tuomo Ruutu to the ice early in the game.
The hit sent a message that the Canadiens came to play.
The Habs were much more active in the neutral zone and had a much smoother transition game than they have displayed over their last two contest. Moreover, it really looked like their day off—coach Martin gave them a day off rather than practicing them the day before—did wonders for the team. The rejuvenated squad used their speed to attack the Canes' zone creating several quality scoring opportunities in the process.
Despite their strong play, however, Montreal fell behind while on the power play when Roman Hamrlik whiffed on a defensive zone clearing attempt. Hamrlik's bothced clearing attempt set up an awkward rush for the Canes and Chad LaRose, left uncovered by Yannick Weber, put it past Price to make it 1-0.
Scott Gomez got that one back about three and a half minutes later when he took a Hamrlik pass, split the D and put the puck five-hole on Ward.
The back-and-forth game continued with the Canes taking the lead in the second despite the Habs dominating play. Hamrlik was again the culprit as he missed his assignment while his partner, Jaroslav Spacek, decided to go for the puck rather than the man. The result was that Eric Cole was able to get to the front of the net and shoot the puck past Price unmolested, to make it 2-1 Canes.
The turning point of the game, however, took place only nine seconds after Cole had put the Canes ahead. On the ensuing shift, Cole slammed Spacek into the boards from behind, earning himself a five minute major. On the power play, Andrei Kostitsyn scored his 10th of the season from the slot to tie it at two.
The Canadiens then took the lead 2:03 later, still on the power play, when Alexandre Picard fired a bullet past Ward to make it 3-2 Montreal.
Special teams were key as the Habs went 2-for-5 with the man-advantage and shut down all three Canes' PPs. With the Habs leading by one, they sat back in the third and allowed the Canes to blitz the Canadiens' zone. Carey Price was equal to the challenge, however, holding the fort for a well needed win.
Final score: Habs 3 - Canes 2
Habs' scorers: Scott Gomez (5), Andrei Kostitsyn (10), Alexandre Picard (3)
Canes' scorers: Chad LaRose (7), Eric Cole (7)
Three stars: 1. Scott Gomez, 2. Jaroslav Spacek, 3. Chad LaRose
Game Notes
1. Price again let in one soft goal.
Price is still playing good hockey but no longer seems to have that laser-point focus that he had only a month ago.
At the beginning of the season Price seemed almost impervious to distractions on the ice. Lately, however, he seems bothered and even occasionally reverts to looking at his defensemen after a goal gets past him, a behaviour that he tends to exhibit when he is not in top form.
Moreover, word from practice is that Price does not look as comfortable as he did a few weeks ago and maybe even seems a bit frustrated.
Now in Price's defense, the team has been playing horribly in front of him for the past few weeks and while he likely could have stopped the first Canes' marker last night, his defensemen made several critical mistakes that lead to the goal.
It's easy to blame the goalie for a soft goal but we have to remember that the goaltender is the last line of defense, not the first. This usually means that a lot of things had to go wrong in front of him before the puck got past him.
That aside, Price seemed to be fighting the puck through the first two periods.
There were a number of saves that he made where he looked behind him, unsure of where the puck was and that's how he tends to play when he is not 100 percent on his game.
As the Canadiens sat back on their heels in the third period, however, Price elevated his game, stopping a bunch of Canes' prime scoring chances and settling into a groove. If he can carry that momentum forward he will be well on his way towards rediscovering his early season form.
2. Andrei Kostitsyn seems to have gotten the message.
AK46 returned to the lineup last night after being a healthy scratch for one game and played some inspired hockey.
While he played well, scoring a beautiful tying goal, I think it's pretty clear that this is his last chance. The knock on Kostitsyn has always been about his work ethic and consistency. As skilled as he is, AK46 is a player who tends to go to sleep for long stretches and maybe that is just his nature; he is a streaky player.
It is clear that Jacques Martin is not a fan of this trend and in order for AK to reach his true potential, he has to find the consistency that has been lacking in his game since he broke into the league in 2003.
If he can't find that consistency this year, I think he will likely find himself on his way out of town.
Kostitsyn scored his first goal in 10 games last night—his 10th of the season—off of a beautiful feed from Plekanec on the power play. The goal illustrates just how strong Kostitsyn is as he fought off the Canes' defender from the slot to put the puck up over Cam Ward.
That goal also illustrates why Martin becomes frustrated with the young Belarusian, as he has such a high skill level that he should be producing on a more consistent basis.
That being said, I was not a fan of putting Kostitsyn in the press box because, like P.K. Subban—who was a healthy scratch last night—I think the team is better served with him in the lineup.
3. Tomas Plekanec played his best game in a week.
Plekanec is one of the players who looked yesterday like he really benefited from the day off that Martin gave his players. He looked fresh, rested and full of energy; the way he did at the beginning of the season.
As a result, his line was dangerous every time they were on the ice but their timing was a little off in the first period, resulting in a number of missed nets and botched scoring chances.
Once they found their rhythm, however, Plekanec's incredible speed and creativity with the puck was on display as he setup plays, almost at will, in the Canes' zone.
Plek's line was rewarded on the power play when Tomas found AK46 in front with a sweet pass, to make it a 2-2 game, with all three players getting in on the action.
Plekanec finished the night with one assist, five shots on net, 21:21 of ice-time, 4:25 on the power play, 1:55 on the PK and 50 percent in the faceoff circle.
Not a bad night's work!
4. Welcome back, Scott Gomez.
The much maligned Gomez seems to have finally gotten his game back on the rails. After going through a stretch where had had only three points (2G, 1A) in eleven games, Gomez sat out two games with a minor injury. Since returning from the injury and being united with Max Pacioretty and longtime linemate, Brian Gionta, Gomez has been on a tear.
He has 8 points (1G, 7A) in his past five games and scored his fifth of the season last night, while celebrating his 31st birthday.
More importantly, Gomez has that goofy grin back on his face when he's playing. He looks and acts more like the Scott Gomez who was the Canadiens' hottest player over the back half of last season.
With Gomez's line firing on all cylinders and the Plekanec line finding it's form again, we finally got to see the Canadiens playing with two scoring lines and that is the kind of balance they need if they want to stay at the top of their division.
5. Lars Eller is wasting away on the fourth line.
Eller is doing everything he can on the ice but paired with Tom Pyatt and Travis Moen, getting 7:55 of ice time and zero minutes on the PP, there is only so much he can do.
His talent as a setup guy is apparent but his lack of skilled linemates continues to be his Achilles Heel.
Eller didn't necessarily play poorly last night but he was pretty much invisible on the ice.
The first time he did anything of note was when he turned the puck over at the blueline in the third period, hemming the Canadiens into their own zone. Eller ended up getting the puck back and, in an attempt to relieve the pressure, accidentally shot it into the crowd and took a delay of game penalty.
With all of the problems with this team lately, that is certainly not the type of play that Jacques Martin wants to see from the young Dane. Hopefully, JM will not exact his wrath on Eller by benching him next game.
With Eller, Subban and Yannick Weber all getting varying degrees of the yo-yo treatment from Martin, it is no wonder that people grimace at that thought of him trying to develop young players.
Eller was playing his best hockey when he was paired with Benoit Pouliot—who was a healthy scratch last night—and Mathieu Darche. Why he is now playing on the fourth line is beyond me with two checkers is beyond me.
Standings and Next Game
The win moves the Habs' record to 20-13-2 with 42 points in the standings. It also allows them to maintain a two-point buffer over the Boston Bruins, who also won last night and who have two games in hand.
The Habs now have two days off to celebrate the holidays with their families before game four of this road trip against the Islanders on Sunday evening.
I want to wish you all a happy holiday season! Enjoy your weekend!
Two days after skunking a game in Colorado, the Habs were back on the horse to try to turn their fortunes around in Dallas against the Stars last night. Unfortunately for Habs' fans, the Canadiens dropped another stink bomb to keep their streak of futility going.
Aside from a few decent shifts and a couple of scoring chances, the Habs had a lot of difficulty getting setup in the Stars' zone for most of the game. When they were able to get setup they were usually firing the puck wide or over the net, missing passes, fanning on shots and missing empty nets.
Despite their offensive shortcomings, however, the Habs' downfall took place in their defensive zone as they were not working as that stereotypical Jacques Martin five-man unit. Instead, they were chaotic, missing assignments, turning the puck over and otherwise making things hard on themselves.
Price did his best to stop the Stars but he was not in prime form last night.
While a couple of the goals were deflected past him, a few of the five that the Stars scored—on only 17 total shots in the game—were shots that Price would have liked to have back. Ultimately, however, the team in front of him neither provided enough offense nor did they play well defensively, meaning the Price was left to his own devices on too many occasions.
Missed assignments, odd-man rushes and bad turnovers meant that Price didn't have a lot of chance of stopping most of the goals.
The turning point of the game was when Benoit Pouliot whiffed on a perfect pass from Maxim Lapierre while staring at an empty net during the second period. That goal would have made it 3-2 Dallas and could have changed the complexion of the game.
Instead, Brad Richards potted his 16th of the season on the power play a few minutes later and that was all she wrote.
Three stars: 1. Jamie Benn, 2. Kari Lehtonen, 3. Steve Ott
Game Notes
1. The Habs made too many mistakes.
The Habs have been making mistakes on the ice all season long but Carey Price has always been there to cover them up. Over the last 10 or so games, the mistakes that they are making are coming back to bite them in the butt.
At the beginning of the season, Carey Price was stopping everything that was thrown his way. But, as I pointed out in the Avs post game article, Price has let in one weak goal in each of the past three games. Moreover, he is not stopping all of the breakaways and turnover related chances that he was over the first 20 or so games of the season. As such, the Canadiens are falling behind on the scoreboard when they are not playing well as opposed to escaping with a 0-0 tie.
Despite their 40 points in the standings the Habs are sputtering right now and Jacques Martin does not seem to have the answers.
While it is still way too early to push the panic button and things could turn around in an instant, the Habs are 1-5 in their last six games and 4-6 in their last ten games.
That trend is decidedly negative.
2. Jacques Martin does not have the answers.
With over 1000 games coached in the NHL Jacques Martin has seen all kinds of game situations. As such, you would expect that he should be able to come up with solutions to get his floundering team back on track.
Last night he benched Andrei Kostitsyn—after he had a sequence if zero goals over nine games—he switched Lars Eller to the wing on the top line with Tomas Plekanec and Michael Cammalleri, he scratched Yannick Weber again, he shuffled the bottom-six and yet, no change in the result on the ice.
Moreover, the only line that was producing anything last night was the Scott Gomez line—with Brian Gionta and Max Pacioretty. The bottom-six, once a source of depth and strength for the Habs, was completely invisible until the Mathieu Darche goal.
The problem with the Canadiens is that the way the team is constructed and the system that Jacques Martin employs, depend to an obscenely large extent on how well Price is playing. If he lets in a weak goal or isn't able to cover up for all of the bad turnovers that the Habs commit, they tend to lose the game.
This is not a recipe for long term success and Martin needs to stop juggling the lines so much and get back to what works.
Cammalleri, Plekanec and Kostitsyn have chemistry, so put them back together.
Pouliot, Darche and Jeff Halpern played excellent hockey together at the beginning of the season, so put them back together.
You could likely switch up Eller and Halpern with no real discernible difference.
The problems with the team are not Andrei Kostitsyn's fault, or Benoit Pouliot's or anyone else's in particular for that matter. The Habs are simply playing a low percentage system that only works if the goaltender is playing out of his mind. If he has an average night, chances are the team will lose.
3. The second line is the only one that is going right now.
Pacioretty, Gionta and Gomez continue to play excellent hockey together and provided the only real offensive spark last night. More importantly, MaxPac continues to be the straw that stirs that drink.
His enthusiasm is contagious on that line and they looks fast, skilled and dangerous almost every time they step on the ice. They are making things happen because they are constantly in motion, usually connecting on their passes, throwing body checks—well at least Pacioretty is—and always going to the net.
The thing that I like the most about Pacioretty is that when he doesn't have the puck, he is always in front of the net and his big frame is tough for opposing defenders to move.
The result is usually a bevy of scoring chances, rebounds and deflections opportunities. If he can keep it up and can start putting the puck in the net on a regular basis that line should remain a key cog in the Canadiens' offense for years to come.
4. Price wasn't great.
Over the last five of so games, Price hasn't been the miracle-maker that he was during the first 25. Since the Habs system places so much weight on the goaltender's shoulders and Price has not been shutting down the opposition lately, they are now losing more games than they are winning.
That sounds an awful lot like the formula the Habs employed in last year's playoffs. It is a formula that is only as successful as the strength of your goalie and, if he is not playing out of his mind bad things can happen.
Bad things like, say, losing two games in a row and five out of their last six.
It is asking too much of any goaltender that he be required to be perfect, night in and night out, or else a loss a pretty much guaranteed. Carey Price has bailed his team out on many occasions this season.
Isn't it about time they returned the favour?
5. The Habs defense has gone AWOL.
In the first 28 games of the season the Habs gave up four or more goals only two times. In the last six games it has happened three times.
As much as Price hasn't looked his sharpest recently hockey is a team game, and when goals are going in in bunches it speaks to a general defensive malaise across the team.
Considering Jacques Martin's philosophy of having a five-man unit working in each zone, the players in front of Price are just not getting it done. With over 900 giveaways so far this season—second only to the Oilers—the lapses start with the forwards and are being compounded by the defense.
Last night the Canadiens were playing like individuals in their defensive zone doubling up their defensive coverage on certain individuals while leaving others uncovered, scrambling to get into position and ultimately not being able to move players out from in front of the net or defend with any authority.
Jacques Martin has a team that is built off of defense—evidenced by his continuous use of the one-man forecheck even when they were down by three goals in the third period. If the team is not getting it done defensively, then what do they have going for them?
Moreover, if being a defensive team means that they actually don't play well defensively but rather rely on their goaltender to bail them out over and over, then what is their real identity?
An average team with an exceptional goaltender?
As much as Martin has been riding and benching certain players, the spotlight must now be shone in his direction this morning and he has to start finding some answers.
I remember a few years ago there was this nice guy named Guy who didn't have the answers after a game in Dallas. That guy didn't last too much longer behind the Canadiens' bench.
Standings and Next Game
The loss keeps the Habs stalled at 40 points with a 19-13-2 record. The Boston Bruins are still two points back of the Canadiens with 38 points and two games in hand. The ironic thing here is that while the Habs are camped out in third place overall in the East, if they are passed by the Bruins they will sudden find themselves in eighth.
The Habs now travel to Raleigh to take on the Hurricanes on Thursday night.
With the team on a two-game losing streak and with the Canes only six points behind them in the standings, the Canadiens would do well to pull out a win. A loss to the Canes would allow Carolina to pull within four points of the Habs in the standings, with two games in hand.
It is definitely way too early to push the panic button in Montreal, but it is time for the team to turn things around. There is a lot of character in that dressing room and it is time for the leaders on this team to lead them out of the abyss.
(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images North America)
