Frustration has clearly set in with the Montreal Canadiens and their inability to score in their last 10 games. They are 2-7-1 and have scored more than 2 goals in just one game, the 3-1 victory over the Ottawa Senators. The standings in the Atlantic division are bunching up and that comfortable lead that the Canadiens had enjoyed for much of the season has all but evaporated. The Boston Bruins (42 pts) have nearly caught the Canadiens (43 pts) for the division lead as they stand only 1 point behind with two games in hand. The Detroit Red Wings are 2 points behind with a game in hand. The Florida Panthers are 3 back and the Ottawa Senators sit 5th, just 4 points out of first place.
Yet, it can be somewhat difficult to judge the Canadiens over this poor stretch of games. Other than their loss to the Dallas Stars on Saturday night, it is difficult to say that they have been completely outplayed during these games without Carey Price and Brendan Gallagher. For the most part, the Canadiens have outshot and out-chanced their opponents. The goaltending tandem of Mike Condon and Dustin Tokarski have been good enough on most nights to give the Canadiens opportunities to win or stay in games. However, the puck has to simply get in the net and that has just not been happening, especially not with any consistency.
Canadiens Captain Max Pacioretty expressed his frustration and vented to the media following the Canadiens most recent loss.
Pacioretty got caught up in the heat of the moment and yes, he swore. It happened, and in a way I am sure the Habs brass smiled as it demonstrated how much their captain cares about his team. On the other hand, I am sure that he was also coached to try to pick his words a little more carefully. Yes, Pacioretty needs to step and lead this team out of the current slump. No one knows that better than the man himself (comments courtesy of Canadiens.com):
“I feel like it’s all on my shoulders. I should take responsibility when things aren’t going well. I have to be better. I have to help out my team by producing and I haven’t done that as of late,” stressed Pacioretty, who leads the team with 14 goals in 34 games, but has lit the lamp just twice in the last 10. “When I’m going and playing my best, obviously it makes the team a lot better. That hasn’t been the case lately. Last night was frustrating because it wasn’t a case of bounces or not burying our chances; the chances weren’t there. We got outplayed and had a lot of mental lapses and that’s what I was most frustrated about. But today is a new day. To get out of this, we have to be positive, but at the same time you have to look in the mirror and know what you have to be better at and put in the work. Setting the example is the most important."
This is not all on Pacioretty though and the Canadiens know this. Tomas Plekanec has not scored a goal since November 7th. David Desharnais, the Molson Cup winner for November has not scored since November 22nd and has only 1 assist in 10 games. Alex Galchenyuk has not scored in 9 games, seemingly since the Michel Therrien blender was turned on. P.K. Subban is still stuck at only 1 goal on the season and just 3 assists in the last 10 games, 2 of which came in the last 3 games and since he has been paired with Nathan Beaulieu. Subban was apparently forced to change sticks after his preferred Easton model was discontinued. He has been playing with CCM sticks this season and after the Dallas game Renaud Lavoie said:
We don’t know if that means if Easton has made more of his old sticks available or they have worked on a new stick that Subban finds agreeable. Whatever it is, the Canadiens and Subban have to hope that he will feel comfortable again and get more pucks on and in the net. It would be wrong to say that a stick change is the only reason why Subban has struggled to score goals. Defences are taking away his shot and making it harder for him. Earlier in the season though he was still creating chances and opportunities. He has to get back to doing that and giving his teammates a better chance of scoring.
The Canadiens goalscoring struggles are not exclusive to them. It is hard to believe that the Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers and Anaheim Ducks are at the bottom of the Goals For stats this season. The goals will eventually start coming for the Canadiens, as long as they keep playing their way and stop having lapses of judgement in which a game can be snapped up from under their noses in less than two minutes. Having Brendan Gallagher on the post-Christmas road trip should be a big boost to their moral.
Tonight, the Canadiens face the Nashville Predators in the 2nd game of their pre-Christmas road trip. The challenge to score goals will be difficult as they go up against Pekka Rinne:
Mike Fisher is still injured and so the Predators lineup should look like:
Dustin Tokarski will get the start in goal tonight. It has just been announced that Jeff Petry is out for tonight's game and so Jarred Tinordi will get into his first NHL game of the season. How the D pairings will look is anyone's guess as today's practice is optional. My hope would be that Beaulieu and Subban remain together:
Beaulieu-Subban
Emelin-Gilbert
Markov-Tinordi
Emelin and Gilbert have experience playing together and in Tinordi's rookie year he excelled with Markov in the playoffs. Or Therrien could reunite Markov with Emelin on his off-wing and that would leave Tinordi playing his natural left side with Gilbert on the right.
Yesterday, the Canadiens practice lines were:
Michel Therrien has reverted back to putting Desharnais and Dale Weise with Pacioretty in hopes that their previous chemistry will return. It didn't work earlier in this losing stretch and so I am not sure why he believe it will work this time around. With respect to Desharnais and Weise, they are not 1st line players. In fact, Weise was benched during the Dallas game and played the least of all forwards. Strangely, he gets rewarded now with time on the top line:
Since Therrien is reuniting Desharnais and Pacioretty, I would have given Michael McCarron an opportunity there rather than Weise. McCarron had an okay first NHL game. He got his feet wet and got called for a phantom 2nd penalty. McCarron though has a nose for the net and would create traffic and opportunities for his linemates. If he is going to be in the lineup, might as well give him the best chance to succeed...
Pacioretty-Plekanec-Galchenyuk had a poor game in Dallas, than again the whole team did. I would rather that Therrien gives them another chance to find their way. Carr’s promotion to play with Galchenyuk and Eller is a reward for his good work. I still would like to see him given a chance to play with Pacioretty-Plekanec as he fills the Brendan Gallagher role and would allow for Sven Andrighetto to reunite with Galchenyuk and Eller. TSN analyst Ray Ferraro was on TSN 690’s drive home show with Mitch Melnick the other week, and alluded to the feeling of dissatisfaction when as a player the coach would break up a line that was performing well in order to get another line going. Perhaps this is something that the Canadiens could learn from... It's okay that the blender got turned on after injuries started to take their toll. However, it seems that the off button is not working and the players need a little more time to build some chemistry.
5 Questions heading into Tonight’s game:
1) Will Subban score a goal tonight with his Easton stick?
2) Can the Canadiens get 3 goals past Pekka Rinne?
3) Will the Canadiens finish the game with their lines still intact or will the blender be taken out during the game?
4) Which team will win the special teams battle tonight?
5) Will you pay as much attention to the World Junior Championships now that Canadiens prospect Noah Juulsen has been cut?
Puck drops at
8pm tonight.
Cheers & follow along!
Montreal Canadiens Blogger • 
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