Currently 10th in the NHL with four shootout goals (in six attempts), Parenteau is blessed with skills and talent, but like Briere, he is not the kind of player that Michel Therrien prefers. As we all know, Therrien is fond of defensively responsible players, which is why Lars Eller and Dale Weise get so much playing time despite their limited offensive production. If you are too creative with the puck, you get a slap on the wrist.
Now, with the Canadiens struggling to put the puck in the back of the net, Parenteau's agent, the talkative Allan Walsh, went public yesterday to urge the Canadiens to put him back into the line-up in order to spark the Habs' sputtering attack.
Montreal is goal starved and PA Parenteau with 196 pts over the previous 4 NHL seasons is a healthy scratch.
— Allan Walsh (@walsha) March 11, 2015
"We saw the tweet from his agent and that made us think seriously about bringing him back to the lineup," a tongue-in-cheek Therrien said after confirming the winger would return for a game Thursday night against the Ottawa Senators.Well, it seems like Michel Therrien learned about Walsh's comments this morning as he decided to dress Parenteau tonight against Ottawa at Bell Centre. The skilled winger will finally be used as an offensive weapon on the team's second line alongside Tomas Plekanec and Alex Galchenyuk. When he was acquired in the off-season by GM Marc Bergevin, that was certainly not to be used on the fourth line or to watch games from the press box.
A former offensive dynamo alongside John Tavares and Paul Stastny, Parenteau recorded 56 goals and 107 assists for 163 points in 209 games between 2010 and 2013, three seasons during which he was 100% healthy. That's 0.78 point per game during that stretch, which would give him 52 points this season if he had played all games with an elite playmaker and had avoided injuries.
Well, instead of trusting the skillful winger with über-talented players such as Max Pacioretty or Alex Galchenyuk, Michel Therrien preferred to use him on the team's fourth line with grinders such as Manny Malhotra and Michael Bournival: a recipe for disaster. Still, the offensive-minded forward must display more passion, grit and determination on the ice to show that he's hungry and ready to contribute to the team's success.
The Canadiens are currently ranked 22nd in the NHL with only 171 goals scored (2.51 GPG), the lowest of all 16 playoff teams as of today. On the other hand, thanks to the brilliant play of netminder Carey Price, Montreal is ranked 1st in the league defensively with a mere 144 goals allowed (2.11 GPG).
The proverb says that defense wins championships, but it doesn't hurt to be able to score more than two goals a game on a consistent basis, especially in the gruelling NHL playoffs.
It's time to seize your opportunity Pierre-Alexandre, and prove your detractors wrong!
Do you think that the PAP is the solution to the Habs' offensive woes?
