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Predictions vs. Reality, comparing the pre-season poll to what happened |
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Last Summer before the season started I ran a preseason poll asking predictions for the 2016-2017. Below are the results from that poll and what actually happened. Enjoy!
Do the additions of Shea Weber, Alexander Radulov, Al Montoya and Andrew Shaw make the Montreal Canadiens a better team heading into the 2016-2017 season?
Yes - 77% (1687)
No - 23% (516)
2203 Responses from 2207 Respondents
My answer: Yes.
Reality: Yes.
The Canadiens finished first in the Atlantic division compared to missing the postseason in 2015-2016 and the difference was obviously a healthy Carey Price but the new additions did their part as well. However, the addition of Alexander Radulov alone improve the team tenfold as he was a force on offense. The last third of the season for Andrew Shaw was remarkably better under new head coach Claude Julien and if he is able to carry that play forward the Canadiens will be all the better for it. Al Montoya was dependable as Price’s backup as he gave the team a chance to win on most of his starts. I will not rehash Shea Weber vs. P.K. Subban for the umpteenth time but let us just say that Weber came as advertised and was the backbone of the Canadiens defense this past season.
Will Alex Galchenyuk play the entire season at center?
Yes - 75% (1663)
No - 25% (543)
2206 Responses from 2207 Respondents
My answer: Yes.
Reality: No
Based upon his performance in the last 20 games of the 2015-2016 season, it seemed that Galchenyuk was going to finally be the number one center and that there would be no looking back. Until he injured his knee in December Galchenyuk was living up to expectations and leading the team in scoring, regardless of his linemates. Unfortunately, he was never the same player when he returned back to the ice in January as he lost his confidence and eventually his spot at center. And so the eternal debate will continue into next season once again. Is Galchenyuk a center or winger?
Will Carey Price stay healthy and play over 50 games this season?
Yes - 81% (1785)
No - 19% (422)
2207 Responses
My answer: Yes.
Reality: Yes.
Price rebounded quite nicely from his injury and even managed to snag his second Vezina trophy nomination for best goaltender despite hitting a rough patch in December and January. His record of 37-20-0-5 to go along with a 2.23 goals against average and .923 save percentage were impressive considering his rough stretch where at one point he sunk to a 8-7-3 record with a GAA of 2.94 and save percentage of .891. Claude Julien rejuvenated his starting goalie and helped him by working with the defenseman and penalty kill to make Price’s job easier.
Who will back up Carey Price this season?
Al Montoya - 86% (1894)
Mike Condon - 14% (313)
2207 Responses
My answer: Al Montoya.
Reality: Montoya.
The Canadiens did not sign Montoya to play in St. John’s and Mike Condon made it an easy decision for general Marc Bergevin when he underwhelmed in training camp and preseason action. So much so that Bergevin was unable to trade Condon and was forced to put him on waivers, only to lose him for nothing to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Condon went on to be traded to the Ottawa Senators and played quite well while Craig Anderson was out of the lineup. The Canadiens though needed a fresh veteran face behind Price and they made the right decision for the team.
Which prospect will start the season with the Montreal Canadiens?
Mikhail Sergachev - 25% (557)
Michael McCarron - 36% (791)
Nikita Scherbak - 4% (88)
Charles Hudon - 9% (195)
Martin Reway - 3% (72)
Artturi Lehkonen - 23% (503)
2206 Responses from 2207 Respondents
My Answer: Lehkonen.
Reality: Lehkonen and Sergachev.
Artturi Lehkonen and Mikhail Sergachev both made the opening night roster for the Canadiens although the latter would only go on to play two more games before getting sent back to the Windsor Spitfires of the OHL. Sergachev displayed some nice tools that made him the ninth overall pick in 2016 but he still had work to do before being ready to play night in and night out in the NHL. Lehkonen was like a fine wine that only got better as the season went on, culminating with an impressive series against the New York Rangers when he was one of if not the best Canadiens forward. A late season tear saw him finish with 18 goals and 10 assists while in the playoffs he contributed two goals and two assists in six games. Expectations will be high in his sophomore campaign.
Michael McCarron was the last cut from training camp and finished the season with the Canadiens despite bouncing back and forth from the minors to the AHL. Charles Hudon looked liked he had finally earned a real chance with the Canadiens in November only to get injured and not find his way back up. Nikita Scherbak impressed in his first NHL game in January but looked lost the following game and had his share of inconsistencies with St. John's. Unfortunately, it remains to be seen if Martin Reway will ever play another game of professional hockey.
If Sergachev starts the season with the Canadiens, will he play more than 10 games?
Yes, he will make the Canadiens outright and stay up all season - 26% (572)
No, he will be sent back to the OHL after a cup of tea with the big club - 74% (1634)
2206 Responses from 2207 Respondents
My answer: No.
Reality: No.
The Canadiens gave Sergachev just a taste of what life in the NHL is like before sending back to junior with the idea that he would take those lessons and have a dominant year. While it ended up being an up and down season for the young man, he will now have an opportunity to shine with the Spitfires at the upcoming Memorial Cup.
Which player is most likely to get traded before the season's end?
Alexei Emelin - 39% (856)
David Desharnais - 27% (606)
Tomas Plekanec - 16% (358)
Nathan Beaulieu - 7% (149)
Torrey Mitchell - 4% (83)
Brian Flynn - 7% (154)
2206 Responses from 2207 Respondents
My Answer: Desharnais.
Reality: Desharnais.
David Desharnais was in his last year of his contract and was the obvious choice to me to be traded. The play of Phillip Danault at center essentially made Desharnais expendable. Unsurprisingly the Canadiens needed to eat a little of his salary in order to trade him to Edmonton. Desharnais ended his time with the Canadiens as a healthy scratch but added some veteran depth with the Oilers as the team’s fourth line center. There was simply no room for him any longer with the Canadiens and Bergevin did well to get Brandon Davidson from the Oilers as a return.
If GM Marc Bergevin makes another trade before the start of the season, will it be for a:
Top 6 forward - 62% (1369)
Top 4 defenceman - 38% (837)
2206 Responses from 2207 Respondents
My answer: Top 4 defenceman.
Reality: Neither
Bergevin did not make any trades before the start of the season and all of his moves throughout would be for depth players. The Canadiens still have needs in the top four backend and top six forwards.
Will Michel Therrien finish the season as the Montreal Canadiens head coach?
Yes - 44% (964)
No - 56% (1243)
2207 Responses
My answer: Yes.
Reality: No.
My thought process was that If I believed that the Canadiens would be a better team this season, then the likelihood was that Therrien would still be the head coach by the end of the season, despite whether or not I thought he was the right man for the job. While the Canadiens were a better team, they were in a deep tailspin until Therrien was fired and Julien came in and rescued the season.
Do you believe that Kirk Muller is the Canadiens next head coach in waiting?
Yes - 73% (1622)
No - 27% (585)
2207 Responses
My answer: Yes.
Reality: No.
Few could have predicted that Claude Julien would be suddenly made available mid-season and Bergevin was wise not to wait and snatched him up. As Muller joined Claude Julien and Marc Bergevin to watch the St. John’s Ice Caps in their last playoff games, he is obviously part of the future of the team. However, a small part of me wonders if perhaps he might be a candidate to become the head coach of the new Laval Rocket should he want to take another crack at being a head coach?
Who will win be nominated for a Norris trophy first, post-trade?
Shea Weber - 39% (853)
P.K. Subban - 61% (1354)
2207 Responses
My answer: Shea Weber.
Reality: To be determined.
In year one post "The Trade" Shea Weber arguably had the better regular season while P.K. Subban the better playoffs as he has played quite well for the Nashville Predators this postseason. Only time will tell...
How many Canadiens will score 20+ goals this season?
1 - 4% (92)
2 - 11% (248)
3 - 27% (592)
4 - 33% (732)
5 - 20% (439)
6+ 5% (103)
2206 Responses from 2207 Respondents
My answer: 5.
Reality: 2.
Was very far off on this one. I believed that if everything went right for the Canadiens, then I expected Alex Galchenyuk, Max Pacioretty, Brendan Gallagher, Tomas Plekanec and Alexander Radulov to all score at least 20 goals in 2016-2017. In reality, Pacioretty led the team in scoring with 35 goals while Paul Byron (!) was second with 22 goals. Radulov and Artturi Lehkonen were close with 18 goals each while Galchenyuk and Shea Weber had 17 a piece. Gallagher and Plekanec had disappointing seasons from an offensive production standpoint with each managing to hit the back of the net just ten times.
How many Canadiens will record 60+ points this season?
1 - 10% (231)
2 - 29% (635)
3 - 36% (805)
4 - 20% (436)
5+ 4% (99)
2206 Responses from 2207 Respondents
My answer: 3.
Reality: 1.
Max Pacioretty was the only Canadiens to have more than 60 points as he matched his jersey number with 67. I expected Galchenyuk to break the 60 point barrier playing a full season at center and he was certainly on pace to do so up until his injury. I thought Radulov or Plekanec would be capable of reaching that milestone as well.
In which place will the Canadiens finish in the Atlantic Division?
1st - 12% (258)
2nd - 38% (835)
3rd - 27% (599)
4th - 13% (280)
5th or worse - 11% (235)
2207 Responses
My answer: 2nd.
Reality: 1st.
The Canadiens bounced back from their disappointing 2015-2016 season and captured the Atlantic division title. Perhaps the bigger surprise though was that the Tampa Bay Lightning were not in the hunt for it despite losing Steven Stamkos for much of the season. It was hard to imagine anyone but the Lightning finishing first but the Canadiens managed to lead it for much of the season and managed to hold off a charge by the Ottawa Senators.
If they make the playoffs, how far in the post-season will the Canadiens go?
Lose in the 1st Round - 27% (602)
Win the 1st round but lose in the 2nd - 28% (619)
Make it to the Conference Finals but lose - 24% (535)
Make it to the Stanley Cup Final but lose - 6% (126)
The Canadiens will win their 25th Stanley Cup - 15% (325)
2207 Responses
My answer: Win the 1st but lose in the 2nd round.
Reality: 1st round loss to the New York Rangers.
Once the playoff matchups were set it seemed like the Canadiens were just a hop, skip and a jump away from the Eastern Conference Final. Instead, their offense completely disappeared against the Rangers and they ran into a very hot Henrik Lundqvist. Now, it is the Senators who get the privilege of playing the Penguins to determine who will represent the Eastern Conference in the Stanley Cup.
Thank you to all those who participated in the original poll!
Cheers and follow along!
Montreal Canadiens Blogger • 
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