Food For Thought: 2008-09 vs. 2009-10 (Returning Players)

With the season around the corner, it's just about time to be talking previews. Last season, part of our previews was a graphic look at how each player stacked up compared to the rest of the league in terms of GF and GA, chances for and chances against.

A year on, I have done the same analysis for all the players that played in 2009-10, even those on other teams. I'm not sure what the colours and numbers tell us this time. They may say more about Jacques Martin than about any single player. In any case, I thought you'd all enjoy.


The players have been divvied up into four groups: returning players (those that were here before the house cleaning), new acquisitions, departed players and rookies (first analysis). I begin with returning players.

Returning players

Legend

You can find a longer explanation of the charts here.







Tomas Plekanec

2008-09	2009-10

Pleks had better results from a worse balance in shots. Whereas last year, he was a near neutral in chances for and against, he allowed five more shots per 60 minutes last year. As the team goes, though, this was a good result.

Other things to note are that his GF/60 at ES is a bit low for a top centre, even with the growth from the year before. Goes to show how effective Pleks is for the PP, and the PP for his points totals.


Andrei Kostitsyn

2008-09	2009-10

Andrei gets a bad rap. He's termed lazy, yet returns good defensive numbers. He improved immensely defensively at ES, but unfortunately like many a young player, it came at the expense of his offensive numbers. If anything, a little bit more cherry picking might be welcome for guy with the shot he does. His decline in ES scoring average was reflected in goals last season, so no surprise. No surprise either in him not bucking the shot deficit trend that went across the whole team.

Maxim Lapierre

2008-09	2009-10

From average offensive threat to non-existent one. The story of his season. And though he's still a good bet to be on for few goals, he declined there too. 2009-10 was a nightmare for Lapierre. This was easily forgotten by fans of the playoff run, though. Lapierre turned a corner there and probably saved his Habs skin in the process.


Sergei Kostitsyn

2008-09	2009-10

Can we say Mr. Consistency? Slight improvements, but largely the same results. Once again, it was solid defence despite a large shot deficit at ES. With this chart, and those of his peers, it's easy to see how Sergei gets a bit uppity about minutes.


Glen Metropolit

2008-09	2009-10

Metro played the same shot-surrendering game as he did in 2009 and continued to bore us with little action on the ice. If people are worried about having lost 16 goals, they needn't be concerned about ES, where Metro was among the league's worst. Defence was a strong suit again, but then again, he isn't facing great players every night either.


Georges Laraque

2008-09	2009-10

The Habs' gift to the rest of the league. His gun-shyness was well documented in the fights, but less well documented was how Georges was league worst at everything he did by the time he "retired". Can you imagine allowing 25 more shots an hour more than you take? Georges can and did.


Andrei Markov

2008-09	2009-10

Markov actually improved on his ES results by a significant margin last season (half a season can do that). Like the rest of the team, though, he tested his luck and relied on goalies both letting in more shots than they should (at the opposition end) and saving more than they should (at his end). This season might be easier to watch if Markov can find a way out of the basement in shots allowed at ES.


Roman Hamrlik

2008-09	2009-10

Steadiness. Unappreciated. Hamrlik had a tough finish and the memory lingers long. But on average, he had a good season (relatively speaking). He's average at GF and GA at ES as well as shots for. His flirting with average in shots against is a stand-out performance for this team last year.


Josh Gorges

2008-09	2009-10

The story of Josh Gorges is perhaps incomplete without the story of Hal Gill. Declines in shots for and against and GF reflect his new partner more than him. The fact he improved by a good margin in goals allowed at ES speak to the strange way that style helped the goalies to post superior numbers to the previous year. I'm not sure a gamble on allowing nearly a shot a minute at ES will turn out as well if tried again.


Ryan O'Byrne

2008-09	2009-10

Regression or progression? O'Byrne didn't dig his way out of the league basement in offensive awareness, but at least he was on for less goals at ES. I think the fact he was static in 3 of 4 categories was viewed as a big negative thought from the organization that desperately needs him to progress.

Habs Sign Jeff Halpern

Jeff Halpern, henceforth known as the right-handed Dominic Moore or the younger/taller Metropolit was the signing of the day for Pierre Gauthier.So expendable were these previous two after their respective playoff and PP success stories that they weren't offered a sniff of a contract in July.

Now it turns out Gauthier needs a player just like the aforementioned Moore or Metropolit, but instead of retaining a player with affinity for and chemistry with the current squad he must add from outside. Of course, this all relates to other signings, namely that of Carey Price. It shouldn't be seen as mere coincidence that Gauthier adds a contract a few days after completing the negotiation with his goalie. Moore and Metro are more victims of the organizations uncertainty on being able to keep Carey's price tag down as anything else.


Will Halpern play in the minor leagues?

An interesting question at this point is whether Jeff Halpern would be willing to play in Hamilton or not. I think the answer to that question one way or the other changes the optics to this signing a great deal.

If he is willing, his addition means we have a flexible option to play wherever he and others fit into the scheme of things after training camp. If Halpern is on a one-way agreement in Montreal, with ideas of playing in the NHL and NHL only, then his signing is a little bit perplexing.

The Canadiens already own 3 NHL centres in Plekanec, Gomez and Lapierre and looked poised to trust at least one of Dustin Boyd or Lars Eller with another place, if not Ben Maxwell or other prospects. If Halpern gums up the gears, it means one less place for a youngster on a team that already has veterans throughout. It seems a little like a playoff addition made 6 months early in this regard

I would only guess that Halpern won't be here to play for the Bulldogs, but what that means in real terms is that Mathieu Darche's relaunch may be short-lived and the openings that may have been there for outsiders like Maxwell and Desharnais are all but closed.

The Karma Initiative

Last night the finale of Lost dominated the airwaves as recaps, interviews and the show itself were aired for nearly 6 hours. If the theme of the lengthy series was being lost (either in body or soul) then the ending, if it were a self-contained movie might be called Found.

One of the favourite devices of the writers of the TV program was to bring back long since "deceased" characters to resolve a plot line or move the story along. As the main protagonists all attempted to move to where they needed to be, these forgotten friends often appeared to help them along. Setting the whole thing in motion was Charlie, and then finishing the job were some cameos from Rose and even Shannon.

The Canadiens look set to dominate the airwaves in this house tonight. What, with recap videos, interviews and the game itself, it all seems a little familiar. Like the ABC moneyspinner, the Canadiens are seeking a resolution. Lots of things they once held are now lost. Their fans hope some may be found.

Habs fans hear ad nauseum how lucky they've been to beat Washington and Pittsburgh. Cammalleri has been shooting over 20%, Gionta at nearly 13%. Their goalscorers have been lucky. And Halak, maintaining a save percentage of over 0.930 after a season at only 0.926 – well he had to come crashing to earth.

Perhaps they have. Turn around and hear Philadelphia's wonderful system creating a team worthy of moving forward. No out of whack stats there...

While Cammalleri and Halak have done their best Jack and Sawyer impressions, the dwindling cast of contributors might need more help. Lost for some time has been Benoit Pouliot. Once the man to mark, he hasn't been that man since early March. And the goalscoring of others has been AWOL too. Andrei Kostitsyn (who Brunet reminds us about every shift) hasn't scored since an April hat trick. Gomez's goals even more distant. And you can add Plekanec to the mix. If you've lost count that's 2/3 of the top lines. Add Metropolit to the mix, a 10 goalscorer on the PP and 16 overall, as he has 0 in the playoffs (as long a stretch as 1/4 of a season). And you might as well think about Hamrlik, goal-less, and Darche too.

There's not a 50 goal-man in there, but there are a few 20 goal threats. And while 20 goal men will have 60 scoreless games in a season, and are not at all unfamiliar with 18 game slumps, the thing about them is they do score 20 goals. Sooner or later, one of these players will bounce one in off Ryan Parent or score a goal with an ankle. Sooner or later, their line change will be cut short by an unlucky Flyers bounce to spring a breakaway for the Habs – one on which they actually score.

If this series were long enough (80 games, say), I'd even expect all these things to happen. The interesting thing here is that time is running out. Will the Canadiens, lie the writers of Lost be able to resolve their season. Will karma, like the writers of Lost call on the Shannons of the team to move the plot along.

We'll see.

Karma sometimes comes back to you too at some point

Or at least, that's what I hear.

Perhaps a team that made the playoffs on the back of a terrible second half and a shootout, and the Conference final due to a heroic turn of karma should be careful what they wish for.

Perhaps a guy that plays on the very edge of the rules and looks to all but the NHL disciplinary committee to step on the ice to end careers sometimes shouldn't count his chickens before they've hatched. Or perhaps be wary of calling others cheats, as he did the Bell Centre staff just the other day.

After all, who in the hell do you think you are? A superstar? Well right you are...

Game #3-4Flyers/American Viewers Get Their Afternoon Game/Win

Details

Date: 22/05/10
Opponent: Flyers
Location: Montreal

Loss: 0-3

Habs Goalie: Halak (L)
Opposition Goalie: Leighton (W)

Habs goalscorers: None
Opposition goalscorers: Giroux (2), Leino

Play of the game

Not much to speak of here, but, for a change, how about a defensive play from Bergeron. After a season of atrocity in his own end he finally made an outstanding play back there - didn't count for anything, but at least he did it. The play, of course, was the dive, swipe and crash that prevented a third (temporarily) Flyer goal. The puck looked certain to be a goal, but with great speed and a well-timed dive MAB gave Habs fans one last bit of hope.

Dome hockey team

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

Forwards

Glen Metropolit
It says a lot when your best centre is supposed to be your fourth best and when he only plays 5 minutes. Glen wasn't great tonight, but for the brief time that we saw him he did play with some life. Maybe he can teach something about face-offs against Philly players to Gomez and Pleks as they were a combined 10/38; Metro was 3/4.

Maxim Lapierre
Not as good as he has been, but surely he was plenty good enough. The Habs only managed 17 shots throughout this game as they were looking for cute shots rather than any old shot. It says a lot when a player who is on the ice for less than 1/4 of the game takes close to 30% of your shots (he had 5).

Andrei Kostitsyn
Camms and Pleks were shut down today, but one player that the Flyers let skate around was Andrei. He didn't manage to score that goal that we really need from him, but with 3 decent shots, in a game so bad, I can't simply overlook him. Is it time to let him loose, though, to get him on a line with Sergei? Wouldn't you rather a happy (and potentially dangerous) duo than a coach that has to prove a point?

Defencemen

Hal Gill
I can trace each of the first two goals to defensive blunders committed by a total of three players. First there was Gorges who was more concerned with his skate than the play, then there was PK who, although having a bad game, thought that he could breakthrough 4 Flyers and lastly Hammer who decided a rest was more important than covering his rookie partner. Add to that the fact that O'Byrne hardly played (why exactly are we dressing him if he is to play so little?) and Bergeron was, again, horrible and you can see how I got to Gill. Oh ya, he also saved a goal and probably should have got a penalty for it, but didn't - awesome.

Jaroslav Spacek - Game Puck
Jaro was the only defenceman that I thought actually played well today the only one that I wanted to see on the ice. Once again, though, he was not used very much as his partners simply can't be trusted. There must be a way to get Spacek into the game more as I think he has shown, over the past week or so, that he has the potential to be one of our best blue-liners. For me it was his defensive play that stood out again as he did the little things right and avoided any big mistakes.

Goaltender

Jaroslav Halak
Nothing to get mad about with Halak as I thought both goals were very high-percentage chances. Saves on one or both of those would have been nice, but shouldn't be expected, not even from Jaro. It is a shame that he getting out-dueled by Leighton, though, as I firmly believe (and I think 30 GMs would concur) that he is the better of the two.

Comments

Montreal started the game well, but after about 10 minutes, or so, looked out of it. The second period was a disaster for us and then, by the third, it was too little too late. I feel that if we don't get up early we are an easy team to beat and that was clearly on display again today. Philly didn't even have to take a penalty to stop us until the third, by which time it was over for us anyway. I think that a factor may have been the start time as the Habs never, ever play at 3. Why on earth Montreal has to start their home game, their only Saturday one of the playoffs, at 3pm is beyond me. I get it, NBC want to fit in a game before prime time, thus not sacrificing their precious evening line-up, but honestly, come on. We are, once again, bowing down to people who don't even want to watch hockey anyway. It says a lot that we are catering to fans that would rather watch re-runs of Grey's Anatomy or CSI on a Saturday night than a hockey game. It would be one thing if this was a Philly home game, but there is no good reason why we should all change our routines so the NHL can line their pockets just a bit more. I am convinced that a team that plays often during this TV time-slot (because that is all that hockey is now anyway) is going to have an edge against players who are forced out of their routine for a one off. This game represents just one more example of how much of a joke this league is, how far behind every other major sport we really are.

We aren't dead yet and we certainly have the tools to get it done. Encouraging too is that I believe, with Leighton in nets, Philly has the tools to meltdown too. So, it will be tough, but we all know what can happen with a win on Monday. I think that it has been a great season, but I am all for making it that much greater. It will be interesting to see which of the Habs feel the same way as I do.

Game #3-1I Don't Get It, We Outshot Them?

Details

Date: 16/05/10
Opponent: Flyers
Location: Philadelphia

Loss: 0-6

Habs Goalie: Halak (L), Price
Opposition Goalie: Leighton (W)

Habs goalscorers: None
Opposition goalscorers: Coburn, Van Riemsdyk, Briere, Gagne, Hartnell, Giroux

Play of the game

Our best chance to be in this game was a predictable cross-checking penalty from all-time NHL bone-head, Chris Pronger. It was 1 minute in and it seemed like a goal would send us on our way to stealing home-ice. It, however, ended there. A penalty for Gomez on that PP was really the beginning of the end as it was all Flyers from that point on.

Dome hockey team

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

Forwards

Andrei Kostitsyn
Andrei had more dangerous moments than any other forward. They came in the form of shots and passes and he was also responsible for creating some turnovers. I don't feel like he, personally, played that much worse than usual, unlike the rest of his teammates.

Tomas Plekanec
Tomas played much worse than we need him to play, but was still better than most of his teammates. He worked well with Andrei tonight, but it seemed like Camms was a bit out of this one, which of course hurt their line. His 5 shots impressed me, even if they weren't too dangerous - shows how little impresses me in a loss.

Glen Metropolit
Metro was the only one of the bottom-6 to really play well. He wasn't great, but there were a few moments that I really liked in the offensive zone. Martin must have noticed something too as he more than tripled his usual ice-time and rewarded the ex-Flyer with a whopping 11 minutes.

Defencemen

Josh Gorges
Subban is out, Gill wasn't great, Hammer was on for too many against and Bergeron, despite not being at the root of any goals, still looked pretty bad. So, it has to be Gorges. Not sure what he did tonight other than not be as bad as those four, but so be it. O'Byrne clearly has to play and Bergeron, if he must play, must be used only on the PP, I really don't see any other way.

Jaroslav Spacek - Game Puck
Why the game-puck? Why not, I say. After all, can you name anyone who really deserves it, really? I thought that Jaro played the best in his own end and appreciated the fact that he wasn't on for any goals against. He led the team in blocked-shots with 4, but, for some reason (tied down with Bergeron as his partner, perhaps???) only saw 17 minutes of ice.

Goaltender

Jaroslav Halak
Both goalies were brutal, both have to be better. I go with Jaro tonight because I thought his puck-handling wasn't as bad and I felt that the goals he let in (3 while one-man down) were less stoppable than what Price faced. Halak, however, was the one who put us in the hole (or was at least there when the hole was dug) and we clearly need better from him.

Comments

Bad start to the series, but that is all it is, the start to the series. A loss is a loss, whether it be 0-6 or 1-2, a loss is a loss. The Habs are as likely to bounce back after this loss as they would be to lose after a huge win of their own. So, I am not afraid that all of a sudden we forgot how to play hockey, that we will never score again or that Philly is the most unbeatable team there is. No, I have faith that we will get back into this series, somehow, some way. The negatives are of course the goaltending (which we are all 100% certain can and will be better) and the lack of scoring. But, I do take away some satisfaction in the fact that we held the Flyers to only 25 shots and that Leighton is their goalie. He looks very beatable and, with the talent we have, how can one really be worried? Goals will come. Tuesday, I guess, is when this series will really start - do you think we can win 4 of 6?

Game #68Montreal Keeps It Going With Strong Home Effort

Details

Date: 09/03/10
Opponent: Lightning
Location: Montreal

Win: 5-3

Habs Goalie: Halak (W)
Opposition Goalie: Niittymaki (L), Smith

Habs goalscorers: Metropolit, Gomez, Pouliot, Darche (2)
Opposition goalscorers: Stamkos, Walker, St. Louis

Play of the game

We were never in any real danger of going down in this game or losing our lead, so the clutch aspect is out for me tonight. Instead, for a change, I can just focus on the prettiest play of the night. It really comes down to two plays for me, both involving Metro, but I chose to go with the first, our PP marker. That play started with a rush out of his own end by Spacek. A drop-pass to Gomez at centre-ice, who was at full speed, allowed for an easy gain of Tampa's zone. Scott then, with a full head of speed, went around the net and exploited the man-advantage. He was given a lot of time to find a streaking Metropolit who took the pass well and one-timed it into the net.

Dome hockey team

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

Forwards

Scott Gomez - Game Puck
Right now Scott is playing his best hockey as a Hab and likely his best of his contract (ie. since leaving the Devils). His passing is on, his defensive game is sound and he still puts tons of pucks on net which is always a good thing. Tonight he led the way with a goal and two assists and another four shots. His line was explosive and once again set the tone, early, for the whole game. Thankfully, too, his face-offs were good tonight.

Mathieu Darche
I think that the ex-Redman may just have had the game of his life tonight, right at home. He scored two goals and that marks the first time that the veteran has potted 2 in a game in his career. He is proving to be such a useful addition as he really can be used on any line. Along with Moore, they are breathing life into our 3rd and 4th lines - something that was desperately needed. Besides the goal Mat was also a very involved player in other aspects of his play. He isn't afraid to mix it up and seems to be able to play whatever role (scorer included) asked of him.

Glen Metropolit
Those legs have been given new life. I am not sure how Metro spent his break, but I am assuming he didn't play much hockey during those two weeks. Granted, he has been given more competent linemates, but a lot too can be said of his own play. He is once again involved offensively and seems to be able to handle a full 60 minutes without any real problems. He scored a goal and an assist tonight and now has a very impressive 28 points. If he can stay rested, as we go forward, then he will represent a very important piece to our bottom-6 puzzle.

Defencemen

Andrei Markov
Tonight represented yet another outstanding time-management game, concerning Andrei, by Martin. He knew that Marky wasn't needed to play 25+ minutes and, therefore, gave him a mere 20 minutes and spread around the rest. Don't, however, let this usage fool you into thinking that he didn't play that well, no, it was quite the contrary. He managed 2 assists and was, once again, far and away, our best defenceman. To put it into perspective he was on the ice for 3 of our goals and none of theirs as he yet again excelled in both ends.

Jaroslav Spacek
Jaro's strong play was on display again tonight and it all started with that drop-pass to Gomez on the PP. A simple play, yes, but it shows focus and confidence, two things that we expect from the high-paid veteran. That single assist, along with a +2 rating, are the only real stats to point to in what was a solid, mistake-free, effort. He is another player who we must not overplay, but I think the schedule and the fact that our blue-line is currently healthy will help keep that very manageable.

Goaltender

Jaroslav Halak
Halak certainly didn't blow anyone away tonight with his play, but he didn't have to. All in all I would say it was an average game from the keeper who hasn't been allowed to be just that much this year. The first goal was possibly one of the worst defensive plays that I have ever seen (2 back-to-back, tape-to-tape passes from Gill to the opposition), but the other 2, especially the third, should have been stopped. That last goal was the first sign of 'lack-of-focus' that I have seen from Halak in a long time and am going to forget about it for now; let's hope it was a one-off.

Comments

With the way that we have been playing since the Olympics the message was clear - play as you did out West and the points won't be an issue. Well, it was message received, I'd say. Tampa, even at their best, doesn't match up to us (especially after their first line) when we are at our best and tonight, I'm happy to say, that they weren't playing near their best anyway. Lecavalier may have had 8 shots on goal, but to me was a non-factor and doesn't seem like the player that we all fell in love with (right after we fell out of love with Briere). So, a strong start and some quick puck-movement was just too much for the Lightning to handle as we imposed our play on them. Their D and goaltending looks very sub-par which should only help us as we race with them towards the playoffs. It was good to see the Habs play in red (first time in 24 days) and I think they really fed off the energy of a fan-base that was happy to welcome them home. We now have 2 very winnable games coming up before heading into a 1-game in 7-night stretch. I would suggest that anything less than 2 points from our Thursday and Saturday match-ups (Oilers and Bruins) would be very disappointing after the way we have been playing in March.

Game #64Habs Get A Much Needed 2 Points After A 3rd Period Storm-Back

Details

Date: 02/03/10
Opponent: Bruins
Location: Boston

Win:4-1

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

Habs goalscorers: Metropolit, Lapierre, Darche, Pouliot
Opposition goalscorers: Sturm

Play of the game

After 2 periods we were down by a goal, but I felt that 2 points were certainly within reach. I am, therefore, happy that the team believed the same and came out with a very impressive 4-goal performance in the final 20. The best of the goals, and the play of the game, was the winner; scored by Lapierre. With 12+ to play I thought both teams may hang back and secure a crucial point, but the Habs had different plans. Instead of following the Bruins' lead of not really mounting an attack we decided that the best way to win would be to score, and, thus, attack. The second goal started with a little dump-in by the hard-working Dominic Moore and was chased down by Moen. Just like Perry against the US (Kesler's empty-netter) Ference didn't really go all-out for this puck. That lack of effort enabled Moen, who was working his hardest, to get the puck. A quick, unexpected shot was stopped, but Lapierre followed up to put in a very timely rebound.

Dome hockey team

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


Forwards

Glen Metropolit - Game Puck
Glen played tonight the way he had done earlier in the year - with fire and effort. You have to think that the veteran must have benefited from the Olympic break almost as much as CTV. He looked refreshed and ready to go and that is just what we need from our 4th line, energy, centre. His hard work paid off with a goal and an assist and he even led the game with 5 shots. A little PP time and a 4th line role is ideal for Glen as we have seen the negative effects of asking him to do too much. If he can play the final 20 games as well as he did his first 20 then that line should have a positive impact from here on in.

Maxim Lapierre
Max is another player who may just benefit from this fresh start. Of course, it is too early to say that he has turned his season around, but even 1 out of 3 games at this level would, once again, make Max a valuable piece. He was actually up on the 3rd line with Moen and Moore and probably wants to beat Travis out for that spot as one can only assume Sergei will be there when Camms is back. Max really looked good tonight and, to go along with his goal, there were game-highs in hits (6) and face-off % (88% or 7-1).

Mathieu Darche
I think it is now safe to say that Darche has earned his spot on this team - even when we are fully healthy. He, along with Moore, have proven to be a cut above D'Agostini and Pacioretty and can not only bring strong positional play, but both players also offer an offensive upside, good NHL experience and the ability to play any role asked of them. Tonight Darche was on the 4th line - the spot that he is most likely going to end up in. He worked very well with the surprising Pyatt and Metro. Like Glen, Mat had a goal and an assist and an impressive 5 shots.

Defencemen

Andrei Markov
Tonight Andrei was our second best player as we once again were reminded of how much better of a team we are when he is playing. He did very well in his own end to break up plays, cover up for his teammates and to block shots (game-high of 4). I was happy he wasn't over-used for three reasons - a) we don't know if he is 100%, b) he had no Olympic break and c) we will need him a lot in the next month or so if we want to make anything of this season.

Josh Gorges
I thought about Gill tonight, but there were just too many mistakes, although he was decent on the PK. Hammer and Spacek looked energized and both played solid games, but neither to their potential. And then there was O'Byrne, who was just his usual self (not the good usual). So that leaves just one, the quiet man. That is exactly the game Josh had too; a quiet one. I think that the only time I really noticed him was on a perfect pass up the middle - a pass that was the third assist (not counted) on our first goal. Despite going relatively unnoticed he still put in 20 minutes and almost 3 of those were on the PK.

Goaltender

Carey Price
Carey started the game a little weak, but he got stronger as the game went on. Early on there was a soft goal, a post and a few bad puck-handling moments, but I am happy to say they all seemed to be isolated incidents. In the end he did what he had to do, he got us the win. It wasn't spectacular and he didn't steal us anything, but he made sure that a 1-0 lead was the most Boston would get. Was this his last night as a 1b? Was this his last night as a Hab? Or was this simply the first game, of many, after the Olympics for the Habs with two, solid, sought-after 'tenders. Only time will tell I suppose; we'll see by 3.

Comments

Tonight's game felt weird as, for some reason, 2 weeks can, sometimes, feel like a very long stretch. I think that I got so into the Olympics that I almost forgot about the Habs. So, I went into this game expecting very little and even thought that a loss, on the road, wouldn't be a huge deal. We started the game nicely, but despite 2 decent enough periods we were down and were once again shooting at a wall of a goalie. After 40 minutes, however, things changed and we stopped playing as well as Boston and instead started playing better. 4 goals and a doubling in shots (14-7) gave the Habs what I consider to be unexpected, yet welcome, points. Tonight marked the return of Andrei Kostitsyn and of Benoit Pouliot. Neither player had a great game, but their presence meant that we could take 2 Hamilton players off the team and ice 4 competitive lines. Both players will only get better and one can only imagine the impact the Cammalleri will have when he is back in mid-March.

So soon after the Olympics comes another big hockey event - the trade deadline. As exciting as this day is always made out to be (with the potential of picking up Hossa for Higgins) it is usually a bust for the Habs. We have made moves during this time in recent years, but there hasn't really been anything earth-shattering. The last move involving a big-name Hab was, of course, the trade that got us a very important (cough) 2nd round-pick for an All-Star goalie. I guess that I am hoping not to be disappointed yet again with a repeat performance of that move as I think we all know what happened a few weeks later. Right now goaltending is not an issue, but is instead is a strength, so addressing that now may be as foolish as it was when we were a top-placed team who decided they didn't need such a good goalie in order to go deep in the playoffs. Picking up a Ray Whitney or a similar type player wouldn't be the end of the world, but if we are to rent I just hope that it doesn't cost us too much. I just look at tomorrow as survival day, as in can we get through the day and, at the end of it, not say that we are a worse team than when we started? A lot of teams can't, I hope that we can.

Game #61Habs Put An Unlikely End To Caps' Streak

Details

Date: 10/02/10
Opponent: Capitals
Location: Montreal

Win: 6-5 (OT)

Habs Goalie: Price (W)
Opposition Goalie: Neuvirth, Theodore (L)

Habs goalscorers: Gomez, Pyatt, Metropolit, Lapierre, Plekanec (2)
Opposition goalscorers: Laich (3), Backstrom, Green

Play of the game

I had a few choices for this play, but, I am happy to say, that I kept being surprised by each new goal. The play that takes the cake for me, though, has to be the OT goal. I bet everyone in the world (except Habs fans of course) thought that, once they went to OT, Washington would be a lock. Our winner, however, proved a lot of things and showed me that we can beat any team, on any night. The play itself started with more hard work up the boards by Sergei; as he had done most of the night. He then made a great move and an even better pass to Pleks in front of the net. Tom had no trouble tapping the perfect feed past a well out-of-positioned Theodore.

Dome hockey team

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


Forwards

Sergei Kostitsyn - Game Puck
Cammalleri, Andrei and Pouliot gone, who will step up? How about Sergei, how about the boy who had so much promise 2 years ago? Well, if tonight was any indication, he is certainly up to the task. To play such an important role (3 great assists on goals 4, 5, 6) on 3 such big goals meant that we were able to knock off a team that no one thought would fall tonight.

Scott Gomez
I could have given this spot to Pyatt, Gomez's winger, but settled on Scott as I felt it was his goal, within the first minute of the game, that set the tone that we needed to overcome this team. He followed up on that goal with more hard work at the start of the next period by assisting on Pyatt's first career goal. Aside from the 2 points he led the team in face-offs at 59% and logged over 25 minutes of ice.

Tomas Plekanec
Wow! 8 shots and 2 goals from a player who is very interested in being considered elite in this league. There is, therefore, no better stage than against the league's best to show that you belong. Tonight he worked so well with Sergei which is very encouraging as both of those players, right now, are critical to our success. Scoring that goal in OT, his 17th, blew the roof off the building and has Habs fans everywhere thinking more than just playoffs.

Defencemen

Andrei Markov
It was horrible to see Gorges go down with what looked like a potentially devastating shot to the head. He was having a good game till then and had even been working with Andrei in various situations (including when he got hit). It was, however, up to players like Markov to pick up the slack in Josh's absence and I felt that Marky, in particular, answered the call. He played over 30 minutes tonight (including almost 10 minutes of special teams) and ended at +2. Surprisingly he was held off the scoresheet, but I am happy that he focused more on his own end once Gorges went down.

Roman Hamrlik
Hammer, again, jumped up into the attack tonight with quite a bit of effectiveness. He managed a single assist, but I felt that it was his transition play that was key to the attack. Like Markov he played an obscene amount of minutes (28+); exactly what you need from your top 2 in a time of need. A special mention has to go to Hal Gill who, I thought, played a great game, especially on the PK. 11 blocked-shots and an assist meant that this was a very, very tough choice to make.

Goaltender

Carey Price
I can't ask for more than beating the best team in the league. I don't care how many goals he let in, how they went in (let's face it though, most were great as that team is ridiculously talented) or what he really looked like. What I am looking for in a game that should have been a loss is some fight. He showed all this by never putting us behind in the game and by giving us that chance to win. Sure it would have been nice to hold onto the 5-2 lead and see some dominance down the stretch, but, for once, dominance wasn't needed, and that is fine by me.

Comments

The Habs started well, but so did Washington. This game really could have gone either way in the end as both teams got very creative and exciting offence and non-dominant goaltending. The good news for the Habs has to be, though, that we even were in this game in the first place. After the game on Sunday most people thought that a loss tonight was a certainty. People, more interested in being right than supporting their team, were writing the Habs off and predicting 2 points, max, from this week. I can't, however, stress it enough how the Habs are the type of team that can do this. They can lose to the worst and can beat the best. I have preached this time and time again and this is one of the reasons I will always love this team - so I am not that surprised. When you break down the Caps you see stunning offence, average D and below-average goaltending. When you make a game-plan against a team like that you must exploit those weaknesses - and that is what the Habs did. They found the chink in the armour and exploited it very well. What the Canadiens realized is that you can't really stop the Caps' offence. You can get up by 3, but you can't stop them. You can have Brodeur in nets, but they will not cease. So, the only way to beat a team like that is to open up and to try and out-score them. Kudos then to the Habs who went for it, right away. They opened this game up and showed how talented they can be. We have 2 more games before the break and 2 points would be great. I think that we have a large group of players that, despite the results, have worked hard and deserve a break. Let's have a great weekend and then we can all cheer for Halak, Pleks, Markov, Weber and the brothers.

PP Problems? How Much Will Bergeron Be Missed?

It appears that we can add Marc-Andre Bergeron to the list of walking wounded on this Canadiens team.

With the cannon shot from the point being withdrawn from the lineup, thoughts naturally veer to doom and gloom scenarios for the PP. When I saw Arpon Basu's tweet earlier today literally tying this injury announcement to a forecast of PP demise, something didn't compute. I decided to have a closer look.


Bergeron's contribution

Before getting to the impact that the loss of MAB will have to the lineup, I thought it first important to recognise what the guy did for the team in its hour of need.

Perhaps it's hard to remember now, but October was a horrible month for the Habs. So horrible in fact, that it has been a cloud over the whole season since, in the standings, in the GF column, in the GA column, in the goalie stats – everywhere. Back then the PP was not a bright light on a middling team, it was just another dysfunctional element with no upside in sight. That was, however, until MAB started to turn things around.

Marc-Andre had a couple of goals in game 2 and then went quiet for a bit. But when he re-awoke, he ignited the PP and Andrei Kostitsyn with it. From the Phoenix game in Novemeber to the end of December, MAB was a machine, and he can probably take credit for at least a 5-point share of what the team gathered over that month and a half. Furthermore, he made taking penalties against this small team a bad thing – something that was and always will be critical to success.


Goals created

As I have done a few times in the past, when I start looking to offensive generation in the past, I look to the record that the collaborators at LIW have gathered this season. Goals created tells us not only how many times MAB got an assist or a goal, but how important we all thought that assist or goal was. And, since Goals Created is a proportion of Goals, we can also easily derive what portion of the offense MAB (and all other players) were directly responsible for creating.

When it came time to look at Bergeron's importance over time, it seemed to me that there were a few clear junctures this season where things changed. First, of course, is the addition of Bergeron to the lineup. Second, the point where he was removed from the lineup. And to split the time in two: the date Markov returned.

Looking at it this way, there are two chunks: Pre-Markov and Post-Markov. It's interesting how things break down.

Pre-Markov

Player	GC	PPGC	% PPGC
Marc-Andre Bergeron	6.21	3.96	23%
Tomas Plekanec	9.54	3.54	21%
Mike Cammalleri	13.46	2.38	14%
Roman Hamrlik	3.29	1.50	9%
Andrei Kostitsyn	7.29	1.17	7%

Post-Markov

Player	GC	PPGC	% PPGC
Andrei Markov	6.63	4.25	18%
Scott Gomez	8.75	3.54	15%
Tomas Plekanec	9.38	3.50	15%
Marc-Andre Bergeron	3.21	2.54	11%
Glen Metropolit	2.29	2.29	10%

There are a few things to note here:

– First, MAB was fabricating nearly a quarter of PP goals before Markov came back. With Plekanec, the two were near 50% of the output. Since #79 is back, the point of attack has changed

– Since Markov has returned, the PP is better (as seen by Plekanec's identical absolute production as 21% then 15%). As such, a loss like MAB's 11% can be more easily absorbed

– Since Markov has come back the attack is more evenly spread. I would suggest this is because Markov thinks more on the fly, whereas the PP success before relied on a shot from #47


All of this shows that MAB will be missed, but perhaps not as much as he would have been had Markov recovered from his Achilles injury at the speed of a normal human. As it stands, it is entirely conceivable that the PP sans MAB will just slot in Spacek or Hamrlik (previous impact) and keep going at a similar rate.


The past 17 games

Even that split doesn't really tell us exactly what to expect. However, there is another interesting split that I found in the data. As important as MAB has been, in terms of GC, he has not really made a massive contribution to a PP goal, or any goal since Game #43 (17 games ago).

From this, I suggest that the Canadiens have adapted their play following a brief Bergeron/Markov honeymoon (an unsustainable 11/24 on the PP).

It will be of some comfort to everyone to know that Bergeron's 17 game stretch with about 1.2 GC was not exactly one of trouble for the PP. During that time, different players again picked up the slack (and the supply from Gomez, Pleks and Markov. The PP since Game #43 has performed nicely at a 13/54 pace – or just under 25%.


So, will Bergeron be missed?

Of course, he'll be missed a bit. However, if the stats above show one thing, its' that the Canadiens PP has diversified since Bergie had to jump start it in October. I think the PP will be fine.

What's more, MAB's decline over the past 17 games or so has meant that the team has been carrying a 4th line winger who isn't adapting well, and not even putting out in his specialist trade. Overall, the trade off in losing MAB at this time might mean more effect from the 4th line proper at ES and a welcome rest for Bergeron in preparation for the playoff drive when an extra weapon in the arsenal will be most welcome.


Conclude what you want from the numbers. After taking a look, my forecast for the PP is far less gloomy than those before me.

Game #58Halak Hands Bruins Ninth Straight Loss

Details

Date: 04/02/10
Opponent: Bruins
Location: Boston


Win: 3-2 (SO)

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

Habs goalscorers: Metropolit, Hamrlik, (Gionta-SO)
Opposition goalscorers: Recchi, Wheeler

Play of the game

This one was a no-brainer for me and, again, it was series of saves. These particular saves took place after the Habs went down 0-2 and looked lifeless at the beginning of the 2nd period. Halak, a bit despite himself, saved Ryder and then Wheeler pointblank on what were lucky, but well-positioned saves. Without those saves we lose the game, with them we got to see Boston crumble.

Dome hockey team

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


Forwards

Brian Gionta
Brian really saved his best for last tonight when he went upstairs to become the unique goalscorer in the shootout. It was a nice goal and one that I felt the Habs needed. Throughout the game he was pretty decent and was definitely one of our top 3 forwards, but I was actually hoping for a bit more from him and his line.

Scott Gomez
Scott, like Gionta, was pretty decent tonight, but not at his best. He was, however, able to pick up a couple of assists and actually played over 21 minutes. I liked when Martin put Darche up with him and Gionta as I felt that made it a much more competitive line than when Maxwell was there. Scott's face-offs were bad tonight, but other than that his stats looked fine, especially the team-high 4 shots.

Glen Metropolit
Glen has certainly seen his ice-time and responsibility go down a lot over the past few weeks, but I still think he has an important role to play. With all the injuries we really need Metro to be able to find a way to score once in a while and to contribute on the PP. I don't need 15+ minutes, but a consistent contribution from him and his linemates will go a long way. His goal tonight was sweet to see as that is exactly the type of thing we needed to get us going. The fact that it was on the PP has, hopefully, secured his spot for games to come.

Defencemen

Andrei Markov
Markov could have won the game-puck tonight had it not been for Halak's play. He was solid enough in his own end, but it was his offensive play that really stood out to me. In fact, he came very close to winning the game for us in the third and in OT with some dazzling moves. He led the team tonight in a few categories including shots, ice-time and hits.

Roman Hamrlik
Like we need our 3rd and 4th line to produce for us we also now need our defencemen (mainly Hammer and Spacek) to get in on the act too. So, I was happy to not only see Hammer play solid in his own end, but was ecstatic to see him score the tying goal. Hopefully he'll have a good ten days and then he'll get a nice two weeks to rest after what has been a hard 60 games for the veteran.

Goaltender

Jarsolav Halak - Game Puck
Wow! Are you kidding me? Halak, again, was too good and is the reason we won this game. It was another 45 save performance and another 2 points courtesy of him. There were spectacular saves and crucial penalty-kills, there was solid play and superb rebound control. With Jaro playing this well you just never know what could happen this season. Would we be higher in the standings had he started 20 more games? Would we be lower? Can he win us a playoff series? Can he even get us there? Will he be given the chance to answer those questions? Or, will he be traded? All stuff that we can't answer, but as long as the Habs win I can't say it really bothers me anyway.

Comments

Montreal looked bad tonight and, again, it looked like we were waiting for the PP. Whatever defensive style that Martin has us playing doesn't seem to work and the fact that he was angry about our open style on Tuesday (which was enough to beat the Northwest Division leader) tells me that something is wrong. It seems that the Habs actually opened up towards the end of the second and into the third and it looked like that was when we got a handle on a game. Boston, luckily, is going through a rougher patch than us right now and their delicate confidence really showed when we did get that first PP. I honestly think that it is a joke that we hardly get PPs anymore as I see no real difference between our play and that of our opponents (if there is a difference it certainly isn't to the order of us being 3x as dirty each game). That said, however, we know we won't get PPs so we have to stop waiting for them and we have to learn to score another way. It would also help if we could learn how to not take so many penalties ourselves. I often feel that we deserve ours, but that the refs are simply not calling enough in our favour. This weekend, Super-Bowl weekend, promises to be a good weekend, as it always is, and nothing would be better than bagging 3 points. It may be a long shot, but if we can put 6 more points (5 games) in the bank before the Olympics then I think we'll all have an easier 2 week layoff than expected.

Game #39Ward And 'Canes Get Into The Spirit Of Giving

Details

Date: 23/12/09
Opponent: Hurricanes
Location: Carolina


Win: 5-1

Habs Goalie: Halak (W)
Opposition Goalie: Ward (L), Legace

Habs goalscorers: Markov, A. Kostitsyn, S. Kostitsyn, Metropolit (2)
Opposition goalscorers: Sutter

Play of the game

Gomez took a penalty when the Habs were up 2-0 and added 2 minutes to the call when he mouthed-off at the ref. That meant the Habs had 4 minutes to kill and that the 'Canes had ample time to get right back into the game. Before the first 2 minutes had elapsed Carolina scored which ensured that they would get another two full minutes with an extra man. It was the Habs, however, that had the next best chance. Plekanec led a 3-on-1 rush and Markov ended it by ringing the puck off the crossbar. Then the Hurricanes came down our way on a 3-on-1 of their own. They threatened to tie the game at two, but it was Halak that had the last word as he made an incredible blocker (or shaft) save on Matt Cullen. Disaster averted, game won.

Dome hockey team

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


Forwards

Tomas Plekanec
Within 10 minutes Pleks had 3 points and I was actually wondering if Sittler's 10 in 1 game had a chance of falling (he was on pace for 18). Well, that was all Tom got tonight, but he did play quite well for the balance of the game. His 36 assists now place him second in the league and his 43 points place him in the top 10. He played like our best, most complete and most confident player tonight as he has done for most of the year.

Scott Gomez
Call it coincidence, but after Gomez's penalty he picked it up. In all he also picked up 3 assists as he was able to find Metro with 2 very good passes and sent Pleks up the ice after he came out of the box. He may not be the #1 centre we had hoped for, but with Pleks playing the way he is I can say that Scott is a fine #2. Tonight was his first chance to play with Pouliot and they did an OK job; he does, however, miss Gionta like crazy.

Glen Metropolit
From waivers to occasional player to 4th-liner to prominent 3rd-liner Glen has done well. Tonight, before the midway point of the season, he chipped in his 9th and 10th goals. He showed again tonight that he has some good touch around the net and that he has hands that you wouldn't expect. Martin took a leap of faith when he took Metro off the PK (where most of us would assume a player like him should play) and put him on the PP - until now I can't say that I argue one bit with that call.

Defencemen

Andrei Markov
Andrei got the ball rolling tonight with a perfectly timed pinch and a well taken pass. That was his 3rd goal and 4th point in his 3 games since his injury. His value to the team is evident now more than ever as he once again was our best defender. I did notice a couple of giveaways/miscues, but overall he did do quite well for a guy who has missed so much hockey. I liked how he worked with Spacek and can only hope (and assume) that that pairing remains upon Hammer's return.

Marc-Andre Bergeron
In a game when we let up 47 shots I decided to go with offence rather than defence for this dome spot as I felt all defenders were bailed out by Halak more than usual anyway. He only picked up a single 2nd assist in this game, but did do a very good job on our Power-Plays all night. Once again he didn't look too different from the rest of our defenders in our own end as he continues to hold his own.

Goaltender

Jaroslav Halak - Game Puck
Another great game from Halak as he stopped 46 of 47 shots - that takes his numbers to 9-5, .923, 2.57. His wish was to be a starter and one has to wonder if the Habs have granted him that wish. He may be beating the weaker teams, but considering that he has faced over 135 shots in his last 3 games and only let up 4 goals I can say that he isn't getting easy wins. He was our best player tonight as this game could have, believe it or not, gone the other way. Better goaltending by Ward and average goaltending by Halak could have easily made this about a 3-3 toss up. I really liked the way he attacked shots tonight and how he was always in the right position. I would continue to ride Jaro while he is hot as it seems that, once again, we are asking the oldest question in Montreal: who is our #1?

Comments

Things are going well for the Habs and this is a great way to start the Christmas (2 day) break. We have one of the hottest goalies in the league, 2 of the hottest defencemen (Bergeron is leading the NHL in goals), one of the hottest passers and, believe it or not, just about the best PK and PP combo. When you add it all up you have to wonder a) why we are still struggling to get into a playoff spot? and b) can we keep it up? Tonight showed that even with all of those things clicking we do have deficiencies, though, as our defence and coverage in general is not where it should be and our offence is good, but we do lack the balance of a great team. The positives, however, are too hard to ignore and the fact that all of this coincides with the return of our best player makes me wonder if we can indeed be a great team. Let's not forget that right now we are missing two major pieces in Gionta and Hamrlik that would immediately address my two areas of concern; we could be even better. So, tonight showed me that we are good, but things may not always be this rosy. It also showed me that there is a better team in us than the one that we saw tonight. With 4 games to play in December I am curious to see if we'll meet our goal of 7 more points, because even though we have won 3 straight we can't forget what preceded those games - let's not get wrapped up in the winning and forget the losing.

Game #38Montreal's Stars Complete Unlikely Comeback

Details

Date: 21/12/09
Opponent: Thrashers
Location: Atlanta


Win: 4-3

Habs Goalie: Halak (W)
Opposition Goalie: Hedberg (L)

Habs goalscorers: Plekanec, A. Kostitsyn, Bergeron (2)
Opposition goalscorers: Kovalchuk, Antropov (2)

Play of the game

Halak made some game-savers in the third and OT and our OT goal was quite something, but, for me, the play of the game was the tying goal. I could sense that the Habs were going to score midway through the third and I thought that all they had to do was avoid letting Atlanta go up by two. Andrei Kostitsyn, therefore, cut it very close by taking a slashing penalty with 4:32 to play. Luckily our penalty-killers got the job done, again, and we now had a 2-minute window. Furious at himself (I hope), it was Andrei who, fresh out of the box, drew a PP of our own. We then went to work, our 5 best players, and it didn't take long. The goal itself was a bomb from the point (Bergeron's 8th) which was the end result of some very slick passing from Plekanec and Markov.

Dome hockey team

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


Forwards

Tomas Plekanec - Game Puck
4 more points for our top player and all of a sudden he has outscored his last year's self. Last season he put up 39 points and wasn't half the player that he is now. Was it because Koivu left? Kovalev? Did he need a player like Cammalleri? I have heard them all, but I don't think those are why. I believe the reasons are that he is finally using his speed, his coach is finally using him in more key situations and he is super confident in himself. It would be nice to see him get 80+ and even better to see Gainey sign him soon.

Mike Cammaelleri
Mike picked up 2 assists tonight, both of which were world-class passes. He seems to know exactly how to find his linemates on the ice as all three seem very comfortable with each other. He only had 2 shots himself and didn't quite look like he was going to score, but you can rest assured that he was a big part of all 4 of our goals as he is lending quite the hand to Plekanec as they guide our offence.

Andrei Kostitsyn
Kostitsyn ended the game with a single point, a goal, but was right there for goals 1 and 3. On our first goal he made a very nice play to let a pass go right by him towards Pleks. Many players may have stabbed at that loose puck, but Andrei didn't and the result was a confused goalie and a tie game. He was later in front of the net, causing problems, creating a screen and waiting for a potential rebound when the third goal went in. So, you can see how points don't always tell the whole story; they often miss the subtleties that help to create the goals.

Defencemen

Andrei Markov
Markov was on the ice for 3 of our goals and 1 of theirs, but, whenever he is on, I feel more confident than I have all season. Tonight he really did it all as he hit, led the team in takeaways, led the team in ice-time, picked up his first assist of the year and was, quite simply, our best all-around defender. It is quite something to have him back as this year really felt like the new Habs and that, for the most part, hadn't included him.

Marc-Andre Bergeron
He may have seen some time as a forward tonight, but it was as a defenceman that he shone. He very nearly took game-puck status as he managed to score both the tying and winning goals - both in dramatic fashion. His shot from the point continues to be a major threat and has to be placed amongst the best in the league. It may not have the power of a Souray shot (although I would bet he could go 98.0+ mph), but boy does it get through. Accuracy and timeliness are his main strengths and, unlike some players, he doesn't always try the shot. His OT goal showed that he is more than a shot, that while playing offence he has the skating and hands to get it done.

Goaltender

Jaroslav Halak
There were 3 goals against and 3 posts, but let's not forget that there were 50 shots. That means that in 2 games he has saved almost 97% of his close to 100 shots; not too shabby. I am not, however, basing this on last game, just this one. He was good enough for the dome, though, and could have been a game-puck recipient had it not been for Plekanec's heroics. He made a plethora of great saves and managed to keep us in the game when we needed it the most. I would like to see him get 1 or 2 more starts (at least) before 2010 as I feel he seems to be finding a way to win despite how poorly the team in front of him may play.

Comments

Tonight Atlanta, as a team, were stronger than us, but our secret weapon happened to be a certain 6 players. They were more balanced than us, had better core defence, but we were able to get the most out of our best players and they weren't. It is great to see your top line click like that and great to see your PP work, thanks in large part to the solid work of your two point-men and it is great to see your 'back-up' play so well. So, the one question has to be - where were the other 13 guys? Certain players like Gorges, Spacek, Gomez, Lapierre, Metropolit, Sergei etc. had moments, but honestly guys, come on. You can't always expect one line to do everything and you shouldn't just accept losses when they aren't having a good game. Players like Gomez and Lapierre and Metropolit have to step up and they have to be consistent. I don't need to see goals from those players every game, but I need to know that they can be trusted. Right now we are getting a lot out of our best players and I feel that there is only one way for their production to go. It is great to think of Plekanec as an 80-point man and Camms as a 40-goal sniper, it would be amazing if Bergeron and Markov were better than point per game, but we cannot expect it, nor should we be surprised if none of that happens. Tonight showed that winning in this way does take it's toll as certain players are getting over used, are getting fatigued and eventually they will get hurt or play worse.

So, I am thrilled that we won and pumped that Plekanec and Bergeron and Halak could play such big roles, but we have to start getting more out of the rest of the team because even if one line can get you points and wins and maybe a playoff spot, they probably can't get you a cup.