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Habs & Halak Earn Crucial Points, Stats on Habs Record, Pouliot's Hot Start |
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The Canadiens bottled a 60-minute effort that enabled them to push through a 4-game home skid, at the onset of a 4-game home stand. Sense of timing: priceless.
Also priceless: the work of Jaroslav Halak so far this season. Halak earned his second shutout of the year with 38 saves against the Panthers, improving his record to 12-6-0, with a .927 SA% and a 2.50 GAA.
Remarkable: Playing 58-minutes of penalty free hockey. Note it as a difference-maker in a 1-goal game. Note it as a difference-maker in any game!
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The Canadiens were desperate for a win last night, and the emphasis echoed in the lockerroom was on gaining two crucial points against a rival that was nipping at their heels in the standings.
Colleague and friend Ron Reusch noted that with the win, the Canadiens are 13-4-1 against opponents they are in direct competition with for one of the final 4 playoff spots. To clarify, that is the Canadiens record against Florida, Tampa, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Boston, the Islanders and Rangers. (P.S., Ron Reusch will join me for the Habs Pregame show this Saturday, just ahead of Habs-Devils action on www.team990.com)
I suppose it wouldn’t be out of line to suggest the Habs are among the best of the mediocre teams. Then again, their impressive record against the teams that haven’t distinguished themselves as better quality opponents highlights their inability thus far to compete with the rest of the league; 9-17-2.
Those 9 wins: 3 Against Toronto, 2 Against Carolina, 1 Against Columbus, Phoenix, Washington and Buffalo.
So if they were to make the playoffs, which you might consider a minor miracle given the situation they were faced with for nearly half the season (in missing Andrei Markov) there’s nothing yet to suggest they could compete with a top-conference team.
Take solace in the fact that as the games get more intense and the stakes rise, the Canadiens still have a golden opportunity to prove they can play with opponents that have clearly established themselves in the standings.
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I wondered aloud, in a question to Jacques Martin, if the changes he made to the third and fourth lines were born of an attempt to find better balance, or to reward certain players for their efforts, in-game. He clarified; they were decisions made to reward the efforts of certain players he felt deserved more ice-time.
He classified last night’s performance as Max Lapierre’s best of the year. Reward for that? 11:33 of ice-time. Lapierre’s average last season? 14:47/game!
While it was important to give praise to a player like Lapierre for an improved performance, it seemed clear that Martin made a change to give himself a better opportunity to employ four lines. To reiterate, the Canadiens took the fewest penalties they’ve taken in a game all season. Coincidence?
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Benoit Pouliot registered his 4th goal in 8 games with the Canadiens. I don’t care to inflate his ego, nor the buzz surrounding his second chance in the NHL, and his early successes with his new team vs. the failures with his old one; but a note on his style of play:
There are very few players his size with the amount of speed he has. Seeing Pouliot play with two little guys like Gomez and Gionta magnifies how long and deep his skating stride is. For that reason, he covers a lot of ice in a somewhat effortless-looking sprint up and down the rink. He has strong hand-skills, and good feet too (which is crucial for any offensively gifted player). He has a great wrist-shot as well.
As for the things he’s been doing well that have enabled him to keep his spot next to Gomez and Gionta: He goes to the net, he’s physically involved, and for the time being-- doesn’t seem to mind getting his nose dirty. Key to his development, and to the Canadiens winning this trade: Consistency. Without it, his potential takes him as far as Guillaume Latendresse’s took him in Montreal. Consistency in this part of the game requires effort, dedication, concentration, and most importantly—balls.
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All quiet for Plekanec and Cammalleri, who haven’t enjoyed the same success without Andrei Kostitsyn on their wing; if only because they got used to playing a certain style with one another that can’t be sustained by the erratic-ness of Max Pacioretty or Matt D’Agostini. Both of Montreal’s leading scorers have been held point-less for the last 3 games.
Just ahead of today’s practice, Andrei and Sergei Kostitsyn remain doubtful for Saturday’s game against the Devils, who are in Tampa Bay tonight to face the Lightning. Ryan O’Byrne has returned to the team after attending to a personal matter in British Columbia.
Montreal Canadiens Blogger • 
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