The Habs are officially on a skid. Not that everyone didn’t see this one coming! Better now than later. A couple of weeks ago I was kind of hoping this would happen, as we all know you need to be hot going into the playoffs. This type of adversity is the type that makes a team stronger if they are able to persevere. It may get rough. Though they may stop the bleeding temporarily, with a win tonight in Florida, there will be tough times ahead, as the Canadiens round out the regular season.

The truth is that you can’t afford to get comfortable with the conference as tight as it is. Luckily, the Ottawa Senators, and Philadelphia Flyers lost in regulation as well last night. The race at the bottom of the playoff picture is tightening between Boston, the Isles, and of course the Buffalo Sabres (who I never doubted, would make things interesting). The Canadiens need to treat each game from this point forward as a playoff game.

Last night was played like a preseason game. They scored a couple of opportunistic goals in the first period, and everyone knew it wouldn’t be enough. Cristobal Huet looked average in the first period, so he did the boys a favor and kept them in this one in the second. The Canadiens managed four shots in period #2, and didn’t skate at all. Not much of an adjustment was made going into period 3, as though the Habs didn’t realize how lucky they were to escape the second period without being scored on.

Am I concerned about how Huet has played in his last few starts? Absolutely! I’m more concerned about the way his defense has played in front of him. Even in the last few wins, before this team hit the skids, they were playing poor defensive hockey. Markov and Komisarek on the ice for 2 of 3 goals against last night?

This team has to get back to doing the things that afforded them such great success throughout January. Block shots, make simple breakout plays, play responsibly in the middle of the ice, finish your checks, and SKATE. This team won’t beat anyone if they don’t skate. They have the ability to be one of the top speed teams in the league, but when they don’t move their feet, they are so beatable.

Hopefully they realize the urgency of the situation, and right the ship immediately. It may take time to get back to winning consistently, but there should be no reason for the confidence level to drop off too severely.

The game starts at 7:30 tonight. Last time these two teams played, Montreal scored 3 goals in the first five minutes. Cristobal Huet will likely be in nets. One would assume, other lineup changes will be made. Zednik has been upgraded from stable, to good condition; perhaps a motivational boost for the Panthers, who were quite shaken by the events of last week.

Enjoy the game!

Join the Discussion: » Comments » Post New Comment

» Heartbreak> Brian Bannan

» Game 3 Preview: Brian Bannan

» Will the Real Habs Please Step Forward? by Andrew Wright

» Game 2 recap- Jennifer Berzan Cutler

» New Habs Blog> M.R. d'Awe