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Ten Habs Notes, Break Up the Top PP Unit |
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Ten Habs Notes:
-It's going to take a bit of time for Andrei Markov to get his rhythm back. It was hard not to expect that his return wouldn't coincide with a powerplay revival, but the clock is still ticking on that.
As for the rest of the game, Markov spent a lot of his 23+ minutes of ice on Saturday chasing plays that weren't really there. Call it a slight case of overexcitement.
-And it seemed infectious for the rest of the team, as they forced plays against the Panthers all night, and at times, were way to fancy to compete with the grit level Florida was displaying.
-The powerplay was the perfect example of what I'm referring to, though I suspect that the arrangements had something to do with their unsuccessful night with the man-advantage.
Not to say a unit of Markov, Subban, Plekanec, Cammalleri and Kostitsyn can't score, but if they don't, it seems less likely that a unit of Gomez, Gionta, Pouliot, Hamrlik and Gorges will create that competition that Jacques Martin admitted was the true key to their success with the powerplay last season.
-For the sake of that competition, and for the purpose of balance, why not have Spacek replace Subban on the top unit? With Markov having missed the first 35 games of last season, that duo on the powerplay never really got tested extensively. When Markov returned, Bergeron was there to take the shots.
Obviously Spacek hasn't been able to get it done next to Subban, but Markov plays the point in a dramatically different manner than Subban does. He's actively always looking for the cross-ice lane with fakes, and he always has the other point as an option, but Markov is also much more alert to the back-door play.
Giving Gomez, Gionta and Pouliot a player like Subban will help the Canadiens sustain more pressure on both shifts of their powerplay.
And the powerplay is the key to getting some offense out of Gomez and Gionta. They need those opportunities to get things rolling.
-Not to say Markov and Subban should split at even strength. You gotta love the skill level on display when these guys are on the ice together. It was interesting to see Markov taking more risks than Subban though, forcing the young defenseman to take cover on several occasions Saturday. Subban did well in that capacity.
-Coming back to Spacek, I understand some of you may disagree with my suggestion to include him on the powerplay, but no matter how he's done next to Subban in that capacity, he's more of a powerplay threat than Hamrlik or Gorges.
I also understand that some of you may have noticed Spacek's ice-time dipping to just over 15 minutes on Saturday, with his powerplay time cut to none. I get that some of you probably agree with that strategy after seeing David Booth do a tap-dance on him a couple of times.
In my opinion, Spacek will only get better with the blue line healthy for now.
-Who is going to sit for Dustin Boyd when the Canadiens take on the Columbus Blue Jackets? Won't be Darche...I could be wrong, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was Benoit Pouliot. Pyatt and Lapierre have to be wondering if they'll be forced to take a seat.
-Speaking of Lapierre, he started real well but needs to get more involved. He played well for a few shifts in Saturday's game, but the Canadiens need him to raise his energy level more consistently.
-Hal Gill and Josh Gorges aren't exactly in playoff mode yet. People have short memories, but Gill didn't start last season as a crowd pleaser. It'll take some time for him to get it together, so fans will have to be patient with his occasional blunders.
-Gotta love what Jeff Halpern has brought to the Canadiens so far. Seven points and ranked 8th in the league in faceoff percentage at 59%.
Montreal Canadiens Blogger • 
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