If this were a more typical season the Habs likely would have blown out the Leafs in Toronto. Instead, they blew a two goal lead. Of course they did. They’ve forgotten what it’s like to play with one. Outside of the Winter Classic in Foxborough, the last time the Canadiens held a two goal lead on an opponent was December 12 when they fired 27 shots on goal in the first period against Ottawa, eventually taking a 3-0 lead and winning 3-1.
It shouldn’t be this hard. But with a power play that’s so inept even 75 year old Dave Keon might be able to help, the Canadiens are going to continue to struggle to score, keep a lead and win. Unless their goaltender is at least as good as the guy in the other net. For one of the rare instances since Carey Price went down for good in November, they got that kind of goaltending.
THE GOOD
- Mike Condon. Badly needed this one. Snapped a four game losing streak. It must have been difficult to stay warm as the Habs completely dominated the opening twenty minutes, holding Toronto to just three shots on goal (shots were 10-0 at one point). Couldn’t be faulted for the goals scored on him as poor defensive play led to both Toronto goals. Condon saved Montreal big time when he stopped Nazem Kadri from in close with about thirty seconds left in the third period. He made a couple of more great saves in overtime and then, with the exception of first shooter Peter Holland, stoned Toronto in the shootout. One of Condon’s biggest weaknesses has been his 5-hole. But he slammed it shut on the Leafs last two shooters – Tyler Bozak and Joffrey Lupul. Let’s see if he can build on this.
- Lars Eller. Reborn as a centre. Beauty of a shootout winner after setting up Montreal’s second goal. At this moment he is the Habs best C.
- Tomas Fleischmann. He lives!
- Daniel Carr. Tell me again – why was he sent to the AHL?
- David Desharnais-Dale Weise-Alex Galchenyuk. Desharnais scored just his second goal in 26 games to open the scoring early. But it was the pass by Weise that made the play. Galchenyuk played a career high 19:27. He’s around the net and his shots are at the net but he’s still trying to force things. He just needs one to get himself going like he did in late November when he scored five times over a four game span.
- Jeff Petry & Nathan Beaulieu. Habs needed this duo to pick up the slack since their #1 pairing – especially their #1 defenseman – was not good.
- Mark Barberio & Alexei Emelin. Another solid effort. Barberio scored on the power play against Boston – so why can’t he get back on it (0:10)?
- Brendan Gallagher. He’s back. The only member of the top line who seemed totally engaged from start to finish.
- Max Pacioretty. Saved the game with an impressive move and shot in the shootout. For a guy who once upon a time didn’t want any part of the shootout he seems to be getting the hang of it (4 for his last 6 or 67%).
- Michel Therrien. Seems to finally understand that his team needs more of an offensive talent like Galchenyuk – not less. And you didn’t see Andrei Markov on the ice in overtime. Now about that power play.
THE BAD
- P.K. Subban. I maintain that he’s taken too much criticism during the Habs slide out of the playoff picture but there was no hiding on this night. He was bad. I don’t recall him being as bad in any other game this season. That it would happen back home against one of the worst teams in the league and with a good chunk of the country watching is puzzling.
- Torrey Mitchell-Devante Smith-Pelly-Brian Flynn. What’s going on with these guys? Bad turnover by Flynn deep in Toronto territory led to the tying goal in the third period. For the second straight game they were badly outplayed by the opponents 4th line. Fired blanks all night. Bad enough they couldn’t get a single shot on goal but they couldn’t even manage a single shot at the net. We know Mitchell and Flynn bring some good qualities to the team. But they’re not so good that they can’t be – like Smith-Pelly – scratched on occasion.
- Tomas Plekanec-Max Pacioretty. We know this isn’t the same explosive Pacioretty (nobody should benefit more from the All-Star break than the Habs captain) and we might not see that guy again this season. Following a shift in which the Habs top trio was hemmed inside their zone by Toronto’s 4th line, the Leafs scored the next time Plekanec-Gallagher-Pacioretty hit the ice. But the goal was mostly on Pacioretty. It began deep in Maple Leafs territory when Pacioretty meekly waved his stick at Kadri while the Leafs forward picked up the puck and sent it to a teammate on the boards. Pacioretty stopped skating. Kadri didn’t, eventually finishing off a nice passing play by Morgan Reilly. Pacioretty took full responsibility when he returned to the bench. And he did make up for it in the shootout. But the manner in which he struggled to get back to his zone was troubling.
THE UGLY
- Power Play. It went 0-4. Montreal managed to grab a 2-0 lead even as they failed to generate anything on their first two opportunities. More disappointing was the power play they were handed by Dion Phaneuf about a minute after Kadri’s goal. It was a chance to regain momentum. They couldn’t do it. Late in the game, the Habs got a break when Josh Leivo sent the puck over the glass for a delay of game call. There were three minutes left. It was a chance to win the game and put the recent skid behind them with an exclamation point. But it was their worst power play of the four. Thirty seconds after it expired Condon was forced to save the night when he stopped Kadri. The power play since early December has been a downright embarrassment. It doesn’t seem to make any sense that a unit with Subban and Markov at the back end could be this bad. Or does it? This is not new. The Habs power play has dropped to 21st in the NHL at 17.2%. A season ago they finished 25th at 16% before sinking even lower in the playoffs at 5.5%. Two years ago Montreal was 21st at 16.5% before jumping to 19.7% in the playoffs. The last time Montreal was consistently good on the power play was the lockout shortened season (when a lot of numbers were skewed) of 2012-13 when they finished 5th in the NHL at 20.7%. But the year before – under Jacques Martin and Randy Cunneyworth – the Habs were third from the bottom at 14.3%. So yeah, this is a long running issue. In that 48 game season Subban and Markov combined to score 21 goals and 68 points with 15 goals and 49 points on the man advantage. It seems like ages ago. Surely the lack of another proven finisher to go with Pacioretty hurts everybody. But a constant through this power play morass is Subban and Markov, especially number 76. Of the four power plays the Habs received in Toronto, Subban was on the ice for virtually every second (7:50). Next closest player was Petry at 4:27. You’d think somebody could figure this out by now. But in the meantime, to paraphrase Mayor Jean Drapeau (“The (Stanley Cup) parade will start along the usual route”), Subban, barring a late eureka moment by the coaching staff, appears to be part of the problem – not the solution.
