Pierre LeBrun referred to Marc Bergevin’s inaction in the midst of a team wide tailspin as “taking a knee” on the season. It’s not something a disillusioned fan base wants to hear, especially as they saw GM’s in other markets act while there was still time to save their seasons. It worked for Jim Rutherford in Pittsburgh. It didn’t work out for Bryan Murray in Ottawa. There’s nothing wrong in thinking big picture – it’s part of the job description of every general manager in sports – but once you give up on the here and now, you better make certain the following season leads to something special. Bergevin is this close to becoming yesterday’s man. Way ahead of schedule.
- Since we waited all season for Bergevin to do something to help his hockey team I can wait another three or four days to find out why he thinks Michel Therrien remains the best option to coach it, other than “it’s on me”.
- The continuing awfulness of the power play is not on Bergevin. But it’s clearly beyond the grasp of Therrien, J.J. Daigneault and Daniel Lacroix (and Clement Jodoin).
- As Michael Farber has pointed out, one of Bergevin’s failings as GM is his inability to groom a future head coach in Montreal. Nobody is calling Daigneault or Lacroix the way Dale Tallon reached out to Gerard Gallant and nobody in St. John’s is even remotely close to an NHL head coaching job.
- Well done Charlie Lindgren. I remember when another righthanded-catching goalie who wore number 35 made his NHL debut for the Habs. Hall of Famer named Tony Esposito. Although to be accurate, Tony 0 didn’t wear 35 until he got to Chicago. Esposito actually wore 29 when he arrived in Montreal in 1968. He also wore #1 for the Habs.
- As I’ve said all along – the best of the young players we’ve seen come through Montreal during this injury riddled season is Daniel Carr. He has the sought after combination of a nose for the net and good hands. Just more proof of this in Carolina.
- Sven Andrighetto? He’s below Carr.
- Darren Dietz is an inelegant skater but you can’t help but like what he’s shown. Dietz and partner Joel Hanley have something going on that has at least planted a seed.
- David Desharnais made some nice passes and played well. Pro scouts might have been impressed. But the scouting section in the press box was empty.
- Tomas Plekanec had two assists in a game for the first time since February 6.
- Welcome back Mike Brown. Johnny (Scott), we hardly knew ye.
- How’s the chemistry working out between Alex Galchenyuk, Brendan Gallagher and Max Pacioretty?
