Other Forwards At The Quarter Pole

Moving on now to the forwards. Finally up are the other forwards without whim, the Habs record might look a whole lot different.

The legend again:

G, A, Pts - you know already
PM - Plus/minus
Ch +/- - Differential in scoring chances at even strength (these chances combined by Olivier are basically shots, misses and blocked shots that happen from danger areas)
Fenwick - Shots and missed shots for minus those against at ES
Corsi - Shots, missed shots and blocked shots for minus those against at ES
Dome - Dome for that game = 1

Jeff Halpern

Grade:

A-

At 20 games, I think it's fair to say Halpern was a good signing. For minimum salary he provides a good third line option, a penalty killing deputy for Plekanec and, so far at least, some surprising offense.

That said, he has had his low points. Off games where he seems to lose the assets he brings in other games. He'd have full marks if not for these.

Dustin Boyd

Grade:

C

Through a combination of missing a golden opportunity to take a top line spot and then being benched for missing that opportunity, Boyd was rendered pretty well useless. It's a hard read to know if he could recover from this point. I tend to think he might deserve a chance

Still, one can't give marks for aspirations. Over his limited playing time, Boyd made little to no impression. Some fans think he is called Justin. He was pretty consistently negative in all categories and unable to score except in game one. Still, he sat tight, did what he was asked and played in a few wins. He gets a boost for that.

Travis Moen

Grade:

B+

Moen tries. my goodness he tries. And I admire that. I just wish it wouldn't be reason to keep giving him scoring line duty. The guy for all his effort has stuffed many a scoring play already because he either never expected a pass (not used to playing with people who deliver) or can't handle it if it comes (not used to having to deal with passes).

Moen still gets a good grade as a role player on this Habs team.His ideal role resides on the fourth line, doing what he is told for 10 minutes an outing.I didn't hold Gomez's salary against him, so i won;t here. But it's worth considering if Moen brings an extra million to the table on a cap-strapped team.

Maxim Lapierre

Grade:

C

This is Dustin Boyd's profile pro-rated to 20 games. There's little to get excited about. It is more reminiscent of the Lapierre that went about 40 games without making a contribution last regular season than the one who scored clutch goals in the playoffs.
I am happy to say that Lapierre is already on his way to upgrading though, as Game #21 was an inspired effort from the guy who would seem set to make me look a fool with my grading.

Mathieu Darche

Grade:

B

Four excellent games get Mathieu a B. In those four games, he was truly among the outstanding Habs. He helped Halpern look better and helped Pouliot finally score a goal.
Still, not every NHL GM of the last decade missed out on something here. Mathieu is what he is. What I think that might be is a guy with some talent, but not enough to push through tight checking. He's an excellent option for third line duty, however, and a reason the Habs have the record they do. I'd like to see my fellow Redmen back in the lineup.

Lars Eller

Grade:

A-

You know, it takes a lot for a rookie to play 20 games under Jacques Martin with only a single benching. Even more in an environment where goals are scarce and he's not providing any. That is the testament to Lars Eller's start. Though he hasn't made the impression of a Jeff Skinner on the NHL web page, his play has been good all around apart from that inconvenient truth.

If you think an A grade is high, I'd only justify it by saying that taking the minutes he's given without complaining or skating a single sulky shift, together with the way he thoroughly has outchanced, outshot and out-attempted his opposition is enough.

Tom Pyatt

Grade:

B-

Blah. It's entirely possible that an AHLer might be worse than Pyatt, that he might bleed shots and chances against. but at this point, this fan is willing to find out. Pyatt is Mr. Responsible at times, but he cheats on D like MAB would cheat on O. His tendency to turn back before pressing forward belies his statistics that do him a favour.

At the end of the day, I suppose one can't be excited about every player on a 19-man outfit. I suppose every team needs a quietly effective and mostly dull option to send out for 10 minutes. Pyatt does this well, and doesn't seem to complain or seek out more. Maybe I'm too hard on him. I still think I might like to see Palushaj, though.

Scoring Forwards At The Quarter Pole

Moving on now to the forwards. First up are the "scoring forwards" who as a group have 32 goals over 20 games.

The legend again:

G, A, Pts - you know already
PM - Plus/minus
Ch +/- - Differential in scoring chances at even strength (these chances combined by Olivier are basically shots, misses and blocked shots that happen from danger areas)
Fenwick - Shots and missed shots for minus those against at ES
Corsi - Shots, missed shots and blocked shots for minus those against at ES
Dome - Dome for that game = 1

Scott Gomez

Grade:

B-

Who is this player, Scott Gomez? Those that look at points alone would say a third line forward. Those who add in salary would call him a liability. Those who look at things like Corsi thought, call him a horse.

Gomez gets a B for the balance of his work. he is part of the good defensive start, the rebirth of Carey Price and the outstanding PK. But he loses a lot of marks for not being the guy. At a certain point it is not enough to be a Corsi machine (some might be beginning to think he's only trying to be a Corsi machine). He's the top salary earner on the team and we have him down for 3 domes and no game pucks. Stats aside, that means he hasn't been outshining his compatriots. If he doesn't want to sink into true mediocrity, he needs to find some extra inspiration.

Mike Cammalleri

Grade:

B

Cammalleri is second on the team in scoring, third in goals and first in plus/minus. It's a strong B. To the traditional fan, looking at traditional scoring summaries and traditional gamelogs, he's having a nice start. But of all the mirages on the team, Cammalleri's might be most misleading.

Apart from these stats we track many others. Most informative for Cammalleri is the goals created record we have. Though he's been in on 14 goals, he's been a minor play in most of those. The same must be said for his plus/minus to date, he was on for a lot of Plekanec to Kostitsyn plays. Of course he opens the ice for them, and that gives him marks.

You might say that I have been harshest on Cammalleri, and I think that would be accurate. But as a top winger with a top quality passer, missing the net or having shots blocked, or just running into dead ends on the PP must be worked out.  He's picked it up recently, and that's been noted. His goal last game was sniper stuff.

Tomas Plekanec

Grade:

A

Can anyone believe the Andre Savard regime drafted this player? In fairness, they didn't commit a very high pick, and picked Duncan Milroy before him, so they may have lucked out a bit. And the Canadiens development? Tomas has mopped up all the lessons.

His first quarter represents a great start. Point-per-game pace is not the least of his achievements, but he is also the leading goalscorer, the leading penalty-killer and a pretty good model of consistency. He doesn't get an A+ yet, because as scary as it seems, he can be better.

Brian Gionta

Grade:

B+

A very very slow start had me thinking that something had changed with Gionta, and I pondered whether the only superficial change (the C on his sweater) was weighing him down.

But take a look at Gionta from Game 5 onwards. He's been outchancing, outshooting, and out-attempting all his opponents. That and 5 goals and 10 points in 16 games is about right for the captain's historical pacing. Of course, this chart doesn't show it all, as his shooting percentage (low) and PK work are also important stats.

Andrei Kostitsyn

Grade:

A

Andrei has been the revelation of the season. At least Carey Price had supporters who thought this would happen. Andrei's fans were probably thinking half of what he's done so far was a successful start.

For a guy who isn't a machine-gunner like Cammalleri and Gionta, his Fenwick and Corsi are quite telling. For every shot he takes, there are still more held back as he waits for seams. This is important, because teams with non-discriminating shooters need some danglers, else the defensive plan becomes rather straightforward. Kostitsyn's rise mean other teams can indeed focus on one line, but can't altogether ignore the next.

Benoit Pouliot

Grade:

B+

Yes, I'm calling him a scoring winger. And yes, I'm giving him a good grade.Pouliot was questioned to an insulting degree before the season and his first quarter has gone a long way to answer his critics. Largely without a good shift or a centre other than Halpern, he has made chances and buried chances.

A look at his work in chart form shows he's a net asset. And remembering this is his second NHL season, looking at 20 goal and 40 point pace is very sound for a third line winger. .

Habs At The Twenty Game Mark

Details

Date: 17/11/09
Position in standings: 12th in East, 24th in NHL
Prognosis: Uncertain

Losing record: 9-11-0

Habs on scoring leaders (top 30): None
Habs among statistical leaders (top 30, major category): Cammalleri, Gionta (T25, G); Plekanec (T19, A); Halak (20, GAA); Halak, Price (T29, SV%)

Defining play of the year

Were this a positive time for Habs fans, I'm sure I would be picking a positive memory from the past 6 weeks. But as it happens, I'm choosing the moment that kind of sums up the season to this point.

What can I tell you, the play had a bit of everything we have been ruing since the season began – terrible coverage, running around on the PK, flat-on-stomach-goaltending from Price and a painful opposition goal. As Viktor Stallberg outwaited Price and passed to a wide open Matt Stajan for his 2nd goal of the season (19 games later, he now has 4), I don't think we were particularly feeling the pain of anything more than falling behind the pitiful Leafs on opening night. But the next morning, we found that the real significance of the play was not the goal, but the gash on Markov's leg that was to represent the gaping abyss on the Canadiens back line for the majority of the next 19 games.

Season Dome

Forwards

Tomas Plekanec - 20-Game Puck
All summer, there was chatter about players who would have to do better if these Habs were to have any chance at all of amassing significant points in the standings. Surprisingly, many times Tomas Plekanec was an afterthought – written off after a statistically-poor 2008-09. This season has been a different kettle of fish for Pleks. We have him named to the dome 13 times and player of the game 5 times in 20 games. He's the scoring leader, the PP engine and is always the best player when things turn sour. If the Habs have been inconsistent over 20 games, imagine how sour it could have gone if Mr. Consistent would have thrown in the towel with some of his teammates.

Mike Cammalleri
As advertised. That's really all I can say about Mike Cammalleri. He is quick and has a very quick shot. He has 8 goals, ranking him 25th in the league. And his MO is shooting – which is why he's top ten in that category. Like Pleks, Cammalleri has been a fixture in the dome (13) and has 4 game pucks to his name. People will get on him for his streakiness, but must realise that all scorers operate this way. Perhaps the one area to be improved over the next quarter of a season is PP output, which may be helped by playing him in position.

Brian Gionta
For anyone who sighed when we signed Gionta (as I probably did), this 20 games has been eye opening. He has netted 8 goals, just like Cammalleri and been a main threat on most nights. More than all this, what makes him stand out most are his instincts for the goal, his willingness to take punishment to win the puck and the chance, and his clever play. The third forward in our standings, he has amassed 9 domes and 3 game pucks.

Defencemen

Roman Hamrlik
The minute Andrei Markov went down with injury was the minute Roman's brief expanded by 50%. When Gainey replaced Markov with an inept PP-only defender, Hamrlik became a 30-minuter, probably for the first time in his career. To say he has responded well is fair, though it has not been flying colours. Hamrlik has garnered the most domes among defenders with 11, but his 1 game puck speaks to the fact that the 6 at the back have relied on the forwards and the goalies almost completely this season. Still, what he offers the team is a solid top-level defender who can pinch when necessary.

Jaroslav Spacek
Spacek has been the other beneficiary of a very weak defensive unit (domewise). But he has also quietly put together some positive numbers with his ice time, under unlikely circumstances. Take for instance his influence at even strength: when he is on the ice, the Canadiens score 2.72 G/60, while allowing only 2.38. Offensively that places him among the top tier of the league, in the land of forwards. Defensively, he could be better, but at least his balance sheet reads positive.

Goaltender

Carey Price
Perhaps no one has been more hot and cold than Carey Price. Winning a couple of games early for points in the bank and a return to elite save percentage territory of late have been positive. In between all that, though, a short stretch of game changing lapses and league-worst save-making. On the whole, Carey wins the dome. His 4 game pucks are outstanding, and add to his 11 domes form 20 games. What's more, his strong form has been so strong of late that it is pulling his statistics from the basement and onto page 1 of NHL goaltending leaders.

Positive also for Price has been his (and Halak's) response to greater demands in practice. Between the two of them, they have turned quite a corner and can hopefully continue to hold onto the energy that got them back on track – even share a little with a winger, maybe.



All domes
Scroll through using the arrows below the slides.



Player standings

Name	Game pucks	Domes	LIW Pts	First star	Second star	Third star	3 Star Pts
Tomas Plekanec	5	13	112	0	3	0	9
Mike Cammalleri	4	13	100	2	0	2	12
Brian Gionta	3	9	72	0	3	2	11
Carey Price	4	11	70	1	1	2	10
Roman Hamrlik	1	11	45	0	0	1	1
Glen Metropolit	1	7	40	1	0	0	5
Scott Gomez	1	6	36	1	0	1	6
Jaroslav Spacek	0	11	33	0	0	0	0
Jaroslav Halak	1	9	30	0	1	0	3
Josh Gorges	0	10	30	1	0	0	5
Andrei Kostitsyn	0	6	24	0	0	0	0
Paul Mara	0	5	15	0	0	0	0
Marc-Andre Bergeron	0	3	9	0	0	1	1
Travis Moen	0	1	4	1	0	0	5
Matt D'Agostini	0	1	4	0	0	0	0
Guillaume Latendresse	0	1	4	0	0	0	0
Kyle Chipchura	0	1	4	0	0	0	0
Maxim Lapierre	0	1	4	0	0	0	0
Max Pacioretty	0	1	4	0	1	0	3
Ryan O'Byrne	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Georges Laraque	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Yannick Weber	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Gregory Stewart	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Ryan O'Byrne	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Hal Gill	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Shawn Belle	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Mathieu Carle	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Jay Leach	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Andrei Markov	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

Comments

I could dwell on a lot of things here, but I think most has been covered. It's probably a bit cliche to try and take positives from an overwhelmingly negative period of play, but I think one should. For one thing, the past is past and if we intend to watch anymore games form here on, we might as well delude ourselves a bit in preparation. For another thing, the difference between positive and negative in this league is paper thin.

Anyway, the positives. All those forwards in the dome are positive outcomes. Spacek being there makes Gainey's signings look neutral at least. Metropolit being anything close to his form this far is positive. Winning 9 games is positive and so is winning so many in OT before the shootout, and even those shootout wins.

Papering the cracks aside, more players have to start pulling the weight on this team. The dome has done what is expected ad more, but may themselves one day tire. I would hope that our number one centre might start outplaying our number four centre and that maybe just two of our extraordinary 1-dome wingers will start vying for recognition now and again. If nothing but these couple of things happen, I feel the next 20 games could come out on the right side of 500.

I could go on, but best not to stretch the truth. As we go forward, let's hope the team looks forward, as we should. Let's hope the team looks on this season as the mighty 2007-08 Canadiens once looked on a second period 5-goal deficit to New York with a second goalie getting peppered and roasted by a Rangers PP. If that game could turn into the best game of the decade for the most fickle of fans, who knows what could happen to us over the next 6 months.