Therrien's Individualistic Mistake

Another Habs loss has brought with it a new storm of attention and controversy to this team. The room that was so strong in winning times, is no more immune to division when losses pile up than anyone else, it seems.

Up to this point, I have been giving Therrien and the team, quite honestly, the benefit of the doubt. I believe they are trying and probably performing to the level that their talent allows and finding out just how much losing one key player can hurt in a league with formidable parity.

Last night was a bit of a final straw for me. Certainly with Therrien. Never mind that I watched him coach a team throughout a third period that lacked the lustre a playoff-hungry team should have; what triggered my disdain came post game. Subban had just tripped in the offensive zone losing the puck to a 21-year-old rookie with 18 points, a play that led some seconds later to a rather pretty winning goal for the Avalanche. Michel Therrien, while continuing to delude himself (or trying to delude us) was talking about what he liked about the game, how the Canadiens had played a good game. Except for one "indivialistic" play.

Hogwash.

This simply was not true. The team played alright, but this game was a toss up at that point. A team playing 0.200 hockey and hoping for better can't look to 50/50 affairs with other non-playoff teams as good games, not on a multi-game losing streak. It was progress, but not a good game. They let up two leads and yet again failed to score enough to matter.

The team played badly compared to what should be expected by a coach in his position. he was protecting his team.

All that is fair enough, and we take it for what it is, but then Therrien pinches in at the blue line in a vain attempt to save his career in the NHL. Instead of taking blame or laying it in the realm of luck, he lays it squarely at the feet of one player. And this player is not just Lucas Lessio. This player is the team's best player, perhaps its only truly good player at all. Therrien blames Subban for being individualistic.

This to me is selfish to the extreme. He preaches togetherness and team, yet creates discord and division. And this is in front of the press. We can only imagine now what might have been spewed from under the angry brow during a post-game locker-room rant.

For a coach with little else going for him (total lack of creativity, total inability to move away from favourites), this declaration is a final straw. For someone who loves irony, it will be satisfying if the comment that stubborn Michel thought would deflect attention from him would be the one to bring his ultimate demise in Montreal.


On Subban

To comment on Subban's play, I will say this. Very unfortunate, but I agree with the player. He was trying to do the right thing. And Subban is probably the player with the best edgework I have ever witnessed. It was probably fair of him to think he wouldn't fall -- this wasn't Jason Ward.

Furthermore, Subban is definitely the best player on the Canadiens right now, and definitely either the top or top two player in the system for this team and likely to play for this team in the next 5 years. in other words, he is simply indispensable to the team, the owner, the GM, the coach and the other core players.

Presumably, if Therrien doesn't like Subban he would see him traded for someone of equal value. A very unlikely scenario. Tons of cap issues, never mind finding a player of equal value...

Trading a coach though, that can be done in an instant. There are many available instants before the next game. It can't happen too soon now. 

Back on Track?

Date: 09/02/2016
Opponent: Tampa Bay
Location: Montreal
Win: 4-2

Habs Goalie: Scrivens (W)
Opposition Goalie: Bishop (L)

Habs goalscorers: Gallagher, Plekanec (2), Smith-Pelly
Opposition goalscorers: Filppula, Hedman

Boston puts Montreal outside the looking glass

Date: 19/01/2016
Opponent: Boston
Location: Montreal
Loss: 4-1

Habs Goalie: Condon (L)
Opposition Goalie: Rask (W)

Habs goalscorers: Barberio
Opposition goalscorers: Talbot, Bergeron, Pasternak, Marchand

Montreal outclassed by defending champs

Date: 09/01/2016
Opponent: Chicago
Location: Chicago
Loss: 5-2

Habs Goalie: Scrivens (L)
Opposition Goalie: Crawford (W)

Habs goalscorers: Eller, Pacioretty
Opposition goalscorers: Panik, Toews (2), Kane, Hossa

Habs leave St. Louis singin' the blue and yet again find a way to lose

Date: 09/01/2016
Opponent: St. Louis
Location: St. Louis
Loss: 4-3(OT)

Habs Goalie: Condon (L)
Opposition Goalie: Elliot (W)

Habs goalscorers: Subban, Pacioretty, Plekanec
Opposition goalscorers: Fabbri, Stastny, Rattie, Lehtera

Crawford Steals the Show as Canadiens' Scoring Woes Continue

Date: 09/01/2016
Opponent: Chicago
Location: Montreal
Loss: 2-1

Habs Goalie: Condon (L)
Opposition Goalie: Crawford (W)

Habs goalscorers: Byron
Opposition goalscorers: Toews, Garbutt

Habs lose battle of secondary scoring... and two points to Penguins.

Date: 09/01/2016
Opponent: Penguins
Location: Montreal
Loss: 3-1

Habs Goalie: Condon (L)
Opposition Goalie: Fleury (W)

Habs goalscorers: Subban
Opposition goalscorers: Rust, Fehr, Hornqvist

Shark Bitten

Date:  15/12/2015

Opponent: Sharks

Location:  Montreal

Loss:  3-1

Habs Goalie: Tokarski (L)

Opposition Goalie:  Jones (W)

Habs goalscorers: Weise

Opposition goalscorers:  Marleau, Pavelski, Zubrus

Columbus Discovers Montreal Opportunism

Date: 01/12/2015

Opponent:Blue Jackets
Location: Montreal

Win: 2-1

Habs Goalie: Condon (W)

Opposition Goalie:  Bobrovsky (L)

Habs goalscorers: Byron, Pacioretty

Opposition goalscorers:  Foligno

Habs Beating Rangers Makes for Good LiW Symmetry

Welcome back to those of you who found us today. It's been a hiatus brought on by a takeover from life over hockey. On my part, it was the powerplay of family, house and career that worked to dwindle my blogging time to nil. The Habs haven't missed a beat without me, and it's been fun watching them become a team that expects success.

About a month ago, Jay, a long-time reader on the site contacted me about the site's status. I told him that I had been keeping it ticking over and had plans to one day revive. He challenged me: this year. I hesitated and he offered to help. So here we are, Lions in Winter back for another winter. The plan is to have one tradiational game report a week with summary reports of the interim games to accompany. I have a feeling that when I get reading, I'll chip in on issues floating around the team (Galchenyuk's development, Tinordi's exile).

So now to Jay. Enjoy. Engage. GHG. - Topham


Date: 25/11/2015
Opponent: Rangers
Location: New York

Win: 5-1

Habs Goalie: Price (W), Condon
Opposition Goalie: Lundqvist (L), Raanta

Habs goalscorers: Andrighetto, Smith-Pelly (2), Galchenyuk, Pacioretty
Opposition goalscorers: Nash

Montreal-New York Game #5: Quick Strikes Stun Rangers

Date: 27/05/2014
Opponent: Rangers
Location: Montreal

Win: 7-4

Habs Goalie: Tokarski (W)
Opposition Goalie: Lundqvist, Talbot (L)

Habs goalscorers: Galchenyuk, Plekanec, Pacioretty, Bourque (3), Desharnais
Opposition goalscorers:Stepan (2), Nash, Kreider

New York-Montreal Game #2: Canadiens Fall Again to Able Opposition

Date: 19/05/2014
Opponent: Rangers
Location: Montreal

Loss:1-3

Habs Goalie: Tokarski (L)
Opposition Goalie: Lundqvist, (W)

Habs goalscorers: Pacioretty
Opposition goalscorers:McDonagh, Nash, St. Louis

Revving Up Round 3: Strengths and Weakensses for Canadiens and Rangers

What a pleasure to have to write another one of these. Another series means the Canadiens strengths might be tested in different ways, as well as their weaknesses. To analyze the Rangers is a taller task than the Bruins, as they occupy less of my thoughts on a regular basis. Here goes anyway.


Canadiens strengths


1. Depth of scoring (Same as Bruins series)
This strength remains a core strength. In fact it did the Bruins in. To have Daniel Briere take a 4th line shift is a huge luxury, as is having a revitalized Lars Eller with experienced Gionta and fast Bourque on the 3rd unit.

The fortunate problem of the Canadiens coaching staff right now is the imminent return of Alex Galchenyuk: one of the team's strongest on-puck players. Usually it takes time for a player to go from first contact practice to insertion in the lineup, so don't expect #27 on Saturday. Beyond that, it's a coach's decision. The depth he adds is interesting as he could be inserted onto any of the forward lines to create a change of look and improve talent level throughout.

Boston-Montreal Game #7: The Depth of Desire

Date: 14/05/2014
Opponent: Bruins
Location: Boston

Win: 3-1

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

Habs goalscorers: Weise, Pacioretty, Briere
Opposition goalscorers: Iginla

Three Little Numbers

0.600

Montreal's record in Boston this season, with this team is 3-2-0. If you want look at Boston that have been 2-1-2 (I guess also 0.600 by total points from those available). They have only been the same as home ice then: 3-2-0 (also 0.600).  Throw in other recent years on both surfaces and it only shows that the ice surface these teams meet on, or the fans they play in front of matter little to both groups of players.

This doesn't reveal much. Except this: Montreal is perfectly capable of playing hockey in Boston and winning.


76

A player to watch tonight: PK Subban. This will be his 4th career Game #7 in 7 playoff series with the Habs. Each has been against a higher seed (so well earned). The team has done well, but so has Subban and grown in influence over those series. He was marginal against Washington in 2010 when Markov was healthy, but a couple of weeks later was basically the number one defender against Pittsburgh. Facing Boston in 2011, he was again without Markov, and scored that goal neither Tim Thomas nor any of us will forget. He has two domes in the three games. You can read the reports here: WAS 2010 Game 7; PIT 2010 Game 7; BOS 2011 Game 7.

This series so far has been another big step for Subban. Never mind the goals, he dealt with the sideshow of racism with quite some grace and has shown he is fully capable of pulling behind the team plan when the team needs him to.


0

The number of people who know who is going to win. I am sure there are two coaches who "expect" to win, whether they say so publicly or not. The reason games are any fun at all to watch is because no one can predict what will happen. I don't know anymore than Claude Julien, I'll leave it at that.


GHG

Boston-Montreal Game #5: Bruins Of the Regular Season Returns to Take Series Lead

Date: 10/05/2014
Opponent: Bruins
Location: Boston

Loss: 2-4

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

Habs goalscorers: Gallagher, Subban
Opposition goalscorers:Soderberg, Smith, Iginla, Eriksson

Boston Montreal Game #3: Early Goals Bury Bruins This Time

Date: 06/05/2014
Opponent: Bruins
Location: Montreal

Win: 4-2

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

Habs goalscorers: Plekanec, Subban, Weise, Eller
Opposition goalscorers: Bergeron, Iginla

Boston-Montreal Gam2 #2: Bruins Claw Back to Even Series

Date: 03/05/2014
Opponent: Bruins
Location: Boston

Loss: 3-5

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

Habs goalscorers: Weaver, Vanek (2)
Opposition goalscorers: Paille, Hamilton, Bergeron, Smith, Lucic

Boston-Montreal Game #1: Habs' Award Snubs Outshine Nominees

Date: 01/05/2014
Opponent: Bruins
Location: Boston

Win: 4-3 (OT)

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

Habs goalscorers: Subban (2), Bourque, Bouillon
Opposition goalscorers: Smith, Krug, Boychuk

Revving up Round 2: Strengths and Weaknesses for Canadiens and Bruins

I have done a little analysis and want to take a bit of time to share and perhaps preview the next series. But before that, a taster of a preview: the strengths and weaknesses I perceive in both outfits.


Canadiens strengths


1. Depth of scoring
Right now, one of the Canadiens strengths is depth of scoring talent. Each line rolled out by Therrien has a one-time 20+ goalscorer on it, every line has a guy who has scored an important playoff goal, and even at one time has led his team in a tough situation. The epitome of the strength is in line three where the Canadiens captain skates opposite the current hot duo of Lars Eller and Rene Bourque. This is a fast trio that showed it doesn't need possession to make a dent. It was a nightmare for Tampa, and will be seen as a worry by Boston. If Gachenyuk recovers, this argument is only bolstered.