Game #44 Habs L(SO) Rans Again

Details

Date: 14/01/2012
Opponent: Senators
Location: Montreal

Loss: 2-3 (SO)

Habs Goalie: Price (L)
Opposition Goalie: Anderson (W)

Habs goalscorers: Plekanec, Pacioretty
Opposition goalscorers: Turris, Spezza (Alfredsson, SO)

Play of the game

Tying goals so close to time are always exciting. This one happened to be full of nice play as well. All forwards were implicated. From deep play with Pacioretty and Cole to pass out to Subban, simple toss to Campoli, clean shot, Desharnais' goalmaking determination and Pacioretty's johnny-on-the-spot routine. Fans were crying out for this goal and this show of passion. Nice to see.

Dome hockey team

The 6 players we're playing in a no changes, do or die contest in the dome

Forwards

David Desharnais - Game Puck
From start to finish I had my pencil mark made. He played the susceptible Ottawa defence hard and made several chances for himself. Of course, he played the pivotal role in the memorable final scene, but he could have been the hero but for Anderson on many other occasions. What I liked from Desharnais was his commitment to winning in this one. And if Cammalleri was complaing about players, it can't have been this guy.

Erik Cole
Once again Cole is the player who stands out many times in these games with little scoring. He stands out for trying different things and for taking matters into his own hands (in a sensible way without risking goals against). As the captain sits, Cole should start wearing an "A" at the very least, as he is the leader we would want for this squad.

Tomas Plekanec
His goal to start the game in motion was not a thing of beauty, but he must get lots of credit for being on what must have been his third breakaway already. Yes, we'd like better shooting, but baby steps. Pleks also did something I've rarely seen from him - stick-faked to move inside. This is exciting for me as it indicates to me he must have been told, and therefore is being coached out of perimeter only play. Good to see he has the tools to do that too.

Defencemen

Josh Gorges
There were moments where I caught him displaying the greatest of ease in stripping pucks from inexperienced Ottawa forwards. This is where his confidence has risen to. If you are not a top liner, please just give me the puck now. The effort from the defenders in this one was actually quite superb for the most part. Shots against were low despite powerplays, chances were very few, and the goals were a bounce, a PP marker and a shootout finisher. Gorges kept a hot Spezza quiet and off target all game except for that one PP. Good to see.

PK Subban
He should get credit for a very good defensive effort too. It's not his fault he's listening to his coaches, but it'd be nice to see the old Subban again soon. It's frustrating knowing he's in there somewhere as the Habs struggle to score, especially as Ottawa's Erik Karlsson roams the ice freely en route to another win and care-free lead in defenceman scoring.

Goaltender

Carey Price
He did better than at times in the shootout, but will be disappointed with himself, I'm sure. Throughtout the contest he was true to form and held the Habs in. A couple of the saves he made were as pivotal as either goal.

Comments

A team has to look at the positives. A point in a game that was come from behind with a minute to go is a great thing.

But I tell you what. Teams that take too much comfort in that end up with records that look like the Habs current one. The team is now 7-8-7 at home. The positive spin is that they have taken points in 14 of 22 games. The reality is that this is not above average for an NHL team.

Tonight's loss was their 6th in 7 shootouts. 5 of the shootouts have been at home and each has ended in a loss. This is a complex of English football proportions. The team can't score when facing down a goalie (3 goals in 20 tries) and the goalie isn't good enough to wait until they hit the 15% marker. Something might be done, but I fear too many points have been left on the table already for it to be worthwhile. Bourque is said to be good. But would it matter if Kaberle takes the shots anyway.

A pseudo-positive, pseudo-negative result is a good way to start this next section of the season (the Bourque era). The Habs either have 8 points to make up or 5 points to shed depending on how you look at it. And one way or another shootout and OTLs will hurt them in either pursuit. So the team must commit as the management must to the direction from here. If it's winning, then winning has to come from pressing chances on breakaways and not letting every former Florida back-up goalie look the star of the universe when one plays him. If it's losing, last minute comebacks really just won't do.

A week ahead that includes the teams we thought would be the strength of the East and then Toronto is a good week to decide. Wins here will be against those teams on which ground needs to be made (so worthwhile) and losses will help in the opposite way. I can't tell you where they'll go, because though I thought they'd be bad, I also thought they were out after a Spezza goal, so what do I know...

Montreal v Ottawa: Second Time Around

In the standings, Ottawa are in the basement (or they just got out). Montreal firmly in a playoff position.

Really, these are two teams separated by a game that took place last weekend. A game that the Canadiens took, but could have easily have lost. These teams are similar foes.

The similarities go beyond the win-loss columns. Both teams have had trouble scoring. Both have a line that "works" and a second in progress, with a third and fourth that have delayed their offensive contributions for future dates. Both teams have a shaky defense. And both teams have plenty of players thoroughly confused by what Jacques Martin expects of a player.

OK, this we know. But how does it affect this game we have coming up tonight?

Well, in my opinion this makes Montreal and Ottawa truer and clearer rivals than they've ever been. Being on the same track at the same time is a big change for two teams that lived at different ends of spectrums for a decade.

Last game tells us what we really need to know about this upcoming one. Kostitsyn enjoyed his freedom in the Ottawa coverage, Plekanec too. Gill thrived for once as Ottawa didn't always press the issue. Or at least that's how it ended.

The alternate version if the Canadiens forwards hadn't scored on an early breakaway and completed a 3-goal comeback showed that Spezza liked loose Montreal coverage, and so did Michalek with 5 shots and 2 goals.

Since that game, Montreal has played but once. The team had a glorious chance to keep the boot firmly on the head of an important rival, but squandered the chance. Ottawa needed wins, but only came upon the formula last night when they bested Buffalo through Alfredsson's history-making effort. The Sens could rightly see that as putting their course on the up, the Habs should see their Jersey debacle as a warning flag for an upcoming precipice they try to avoid.

Which version of history will repeat? Hopefully the former. But that game was a losing formula come good. If the Cansdiens want to win, they need to pay more attention to the Sens that pose greatest danger: Spezza, Alfredsson, Gonchar, Karlsson and avoid digging a hefty hole to escape from. Key again, of course will be Carey Price who will be called upon to cover the Markov sized hole again. Key also Cammalleri and Kostitsyn who could ensure Ottawa has defense on their minds.

In the second of six match-ups in a series that is ever looking the split, this game should be an interesting glimpse into the aspirations of two teams.

Jacques Martin Again Look Forward To Better Player Development

When I was putting together a piece on Jacques Martin, player development is what I had in mind. I have to admit to getting sidetracked by a tangential thought that grew into an article.

I say player development, because if winning against Toronto in the playoffs is what Jacques Martin is worst at, developing players into future stars is perhaps what he is best at. It's good thing too, because there's a fairly broad consensus on those who give report cards to the Canadiens organization that the mark for Gainey and co. should be "Needs improvement" or even "Unsatisfactory".

In fact, if one were to try and pinpoint the key element that has led to Gainey pressing reset on his five-year plan (i.e., the reason his original 5 years were eventually deemed a bust) it could well be player development. After all, 25 goalscorers completely losing confidence is right up there with sudden and inexplicable inability to win in the playoffs as the theme of the half decade. It's not nice to harp on about Carbonneau, but let's just say his name and "player development", though often finding their way into the same sentence were more often than not also accompanied by phrases like "has no aptitude for", "doesn't like" or "would rather go tie shopping".


Can't keep burning through prospects

The Canadiens have done an admirable job of piling up half decent prospects at most positions in the draft without really having to lose the league. But be realistic, they've been a bit lucky – they've avoided the busts that sometimes happen to even the best scouting departments. What this means for the future is probably that they are due a bust or two, and that they can't expect to keep pulling in top talent from later rounds.

When you're drowned in what seems like a wealth of new faces (like autumn 2007-08), ruining one or two careers or alienating a talent doesn't seem like such a big deal.

But it doesn't take long for the tide to turn does it?

A minute ago we had too many offensive minded centres to fit Grabovski into the plans. A few slumps and a few trades later and we're looking at Ben Maxwell to step in as the number two centre if there's an injury. I looked at centre, I could have looked at the wings, where there are even less enticing propositions.

From plenty to pittance in just a season – it's no wonder Gainey decided to say no more. In taking on Jacques Martin (who's more than a French Canadian, as we're discovering by the day), Bob has opted to put a stake in the development of the assets he has left. He has invested in a policy that might turn the career of Sergei Kostitsyn around, that might prevent Matt D'Agostini from descending from 8-goal wonder to on-ice nightmare again and who might even help more established stars push their limits.

It's a good gamble. And based on the past, it may just pay off.


Jacques Martin, the nurturer of offensive egos

The other day, I wrote about how Jacques was able to take the Pitiful 1996 Senators, stabilise their defence and then move to creating an offensive powerhouse. Not only that, he actually nurtured some of the leagues very best offensive talents so that they could fulfill their potential and score goals like they were expected to.

His record on developing goalscorers is very very impressive actually. For symmetry, I looked at two 4-year periods – that since the lockout to see the current goalscoring talent and those 4 years immediately before the lockout, which coincide with Martin's powerhouse Senators teams. What I found is that Jacques' players, those drafted and brought through the Ottawa system rose above the crops from other organizations.

Goalscorers since the lockout

Since the lockout, there have been 89 players to register 30 goal seasons.

5 players have done it 4 times
13 players have done it 3 times
20 players have done it 2 times

Among the 89, there were 4 players who started their careers on Jacques Martin team. But 2 of those (Alfredsson and Hossa) are among the elite 18 who've claimed 3 30-goal marks. One other (Spezza) has done it twice.

When you look at 40 goalscorers (the real elite), Alfredsson and Hossa stand out even more since they account 4 of 54 40-goal seasons across the whole league between them.



Goalscorers before the lockout

In the 4 years before the lockout, there were only 68 players to register 30 goal seasons.

6 players did it 4 times
10 players did it 3 times
18 players did it 2 times

Once again, Jacques' proteges were up there. Hossa, again was truly elite with 4 30-goal campaigns and one 45-goal season. Throw in three more (Yashin, Alfredsson and Demitra) with a couple of 30-goal seasons apiece and Havlat with one in his fourth season in the league and it looks good again for Jacques's fostering.

How did he do it?

I'm not going to suggest that he taught these guys how to score – that would be outlandish. It looks to me like he got a lot of help from the draft. After all, Yashin, Hossa, Spezza and Havlat are all first rounders. But as we should know by now in Montreal, draft talent does not always translate. We look at teams like Ottawa from that era and Detroit now and say "good drafting". But it goes beyond that, we have that. It's actually "good drafting, great development".

What one can say without question is that he didn't hinder their goalscoring instincts, even in a defensive system. And that is a strategy that Guy Carbonneau could never quite work out.


Jacaques Martin, the purveyor of defensive reliability

As he kept an eye on his talented forwards, Martin also kept another guiding hand for the upbringing of defensive prospects.

While I'll gladly concede that a goalscorer has all the skills he needs to score goals at the age of 20, a defenceman needs a tutor, he needs a really good one, too.

Just as we can rattle off 90-point and 40-goal seasons from the Ottawa graduates (that'd be nice to do again here one day – where are you Stephane Richer?), I can also recall a list of defencemen I would have listed as elite from Jacques time down the 417. Chara, Redden, Phillips, Volchenkov, Salo have all at times been decent to excellent defenders.

We're all to familiar with the recent exploits of Zdeno Chara, but does anyone remember what a terribly awkward 23-year old he was with the 2000-01 Islanders? Sure a change of team helped a lot, but from -27 one year to +30 the next has to say something about his own improvement too. I can honestly tell you from seeing the then pylon in orange and blue at the Bell Centre that Chara and Norris trophy were not in the same realm.

Equally, Wade Redden had an exemplary ten-year stint among the sub-Norris elite of the NHL defenders. A single season in the negative (and -1 at that) speaks to how he served a system for the benefit of the team and ultimately his bank account.

The other cast members, whoever they were (and notably Phillips) always made Ottawa a difficult team to play against and a difficult team to keep the puck away from. The coach must get a lot of credit here. You can see what impact he had, because for a while after he left Ottawa still assumed they could fill any hole on defence with the next guy in the depth chart, just as Martin always always did.

I know his years in Florida weren't anything to write home about. But I tell you what, When he went in Jay Bouwmeester was not as mature and dominating as he is now. is that despite Martin? Maybe. But I'd be surprised.


Player development in Montreal

All of this is good news for Montreal, I think. Bringing in a coach at this point who can foster personalities and flair and at the same time shape defencemen into contributors to the cause is something we've longed for.

I mentioned the forwards he could salvage like Sergei Kostitsyn and D'Agostini, but I can't see his influence being a bad thing on Plekanec, Andrei Kostitsyn, Latendresse, Cammalleri and some of the other relatively young guys either. What's more, he may just be able to make a Mike Fisher or two out of all those "defensive forwards" we have waiting in the wings.

What excites me more, though. And what I expect might have been going through Bob Gainey's mind is Jacques' potential to shape all those prospects coming through. It's about Josh Gorges' consistency, Ryan O'Byrne using his size, and Yannick Weber and PK Subban taking the right first steps. If even one of those 4 make significant strides, this signing will have improved our prospects over the defensive-forward trifecta.

Carey Price. What about Carey Price? Well, as for his personal development, I'm not sure. Jacques' record in turning out clutch goaltenders is nearly league worst. But, you never know, a better defence with some offensive conversion – maybe that alone will help Carey Price take the weight of the world off his shoulders enough that he can lift his left arm. We'll see.


A chance at making the playoffs without the customary ruining of 2 young careers. How's that for more reason to be positive about the season?