Explain to me, what happened to the team?

[huzer]

First off, Carey Price is quite obviously (even before injury) the MVP of the team. Heck, as evidenced last year, of the league as well. It's tough to maintain a torrid pace like the Canadiens had when your MVP goes down. The loss of Gallagher is felt as well. That's apparent just in the loss of seeing his smiling face in nearly every scrum. So those are the 2 main players lost to injury.

There are a lot of complaints around the usual, DD back with Pacioretty. Eller working hard, but not an effective scorer. But something else HAS to have happened. The structure changed? The system changed? The players just aren't that stinkin' good? A collection of bottom 6 players that unfortunately get played in roles that they are not suited for.

I know the big guys are firing blanks right now. It seemed people kind of threw a red flag up at the start of the year, that Plex and Patches points seemed to have come from a fair amount of empty net goals. Subban has but 1 goal. It seems moreso that the secondary scoring (15-51-22) has fallen off and thus exposed a weakness in the "primary" scoring that was already there, further exasperated by Gallagher's absence.

While I enjoy watching hockey, and have done so for a fair number of years now, my eye just isn't drawn to "system" on TV. I can more easily discern what a team is attempting to do when I see it in person. As such, I couldn't tell you trap from left wing lock, to whatever other "systems" there are out there. Have the Habs changed what they're doing from that aspect, or is it as simply put as mismanagement of personnel, and putting players in the wrong roles/situations? Obviously it's easy to tell dump and chase from carrying the puck in. One thing that appears apparent is that the Habs have reverted to retrieval play, and it isn't working. They're trying to use speed players for retrieval, but those speed players aren't the greatest when it comes to figuring out what to do when/if they get there. The only players that seem effective at carrying the puck in are Galchenyuk, and Subban. Although Subban only gets on that horse in the last 5 minutes or so of a game after they're losing. Can't he be unleashed to do that more often?

It appears that everyone, including the coach, are grasping at straws.

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

I will leave discussion of systems to the better informed. I doubt that there was any big change, however.

The obvious answer to your question is: injuries happened, specifically to Price - the team leader and goalie supreme - and Gallagher, whose injury has really revealed the extent to which he is our team's offensive catalyst. We can argue either that it's terrible luck that these two absolutely key players happened to go down with long-term injuries at the same time. Or we can argue that a team that can't survive the loss of two players is not a good team to begin with. (It's an interesting question: say the average team has 3-4 'key' players; how many teams could thrive with the loss of two of these?).

I want to offer a different theory here, however:

What if key players suddenly got old?

Pleks is our most important C, playing in all situations and scoring 26 goals last season. Yet he is 33 - I don't think fans realize how old he is - and has something like two even-strength goals in his past 40 games. And I must say, in watching him I don't see that extra burst of speed he once had. It is more than possible that this is not just a slump - that he is hitting the downside and can no longer do all that he once did for us. If so, that is a huge loss.

Markov is 37. We were fortunate that his decline from a #1 defenceman coincided with Subban's emergence. But now he may be permanently slipping below the level of a viable #2 man. Neither Petry nor Beaulieu are equipped to replace the offence he represents. That is also a huge loss.

If you add these considerations to the injuries, it would go a long way to explaining the struggles. It would also raise serious questions about whether we're really built to contend even when we get Price and Gallagher back. IF these speculation are correct, MB has a bit of work to do.

[Commandant]

4% shooting percentage for the month.

[Machine of Loving Grace]

One of the worst months in the history of the Montreal Canadiens.

[Guest Stogey24]

You know that song by Drake? Well we're doing the opposite.

[BCHabnut]

4% shooting percentage for the month.

This.

Short and sweet

[BlueKross]

CC- You raise some great points. Will the real Henie Youngman please stand up. In regards to injury, I believe the anomaly has been the past two years when we have stayed relatively healthy generating better results. This in turn, raises our expectations. This year may be more of the norm, and more telling of who we are. Obviously the attempt to bring in scoring punch on the right side has failed . When you revert back to Little Davy as your top line center, its clear you still have issues down the middle.

[DON]

Well, when DD actually becomes the #1 centre we can panic , but he never has been and only played 14:10 last game. So actually he is becoming the 3rd centre again, just need Galchenyuk to suck up to Therrien (buy him some smokes, hot wings or something to keep playing him 17minutes/gm).

Plekanec plays 3minutes/gm more, takes twice the faceoffs (both even strength and pp) and both Plekanec and Galchenyuk play more PP time.

SO its not all doom and gloom for DD haters out there.

[BlueKross]

Well, when DD actually becomes the #1 centre we can panic , but he never has been and only played 14:10 last game. So actually he is becoming the 3rd centre again, just need Galchenyuk to suck up to Therrien (buy him some smokes, hot wings or something to keep playing him 17minutes/gm).

Plekanec plays 3minutes/gm more, takes twice the faceoffs (both even strength and pp) and both Plekanec and Galchenyuk play more PP time.

SO its not all doom and gloom for DD haters out there.

I would argue that other than Galchenyuk, he gets the lion's share of the power play and usually get equal or better minutes on ice even strength than most. Yeah, I am not a DD fan but he is fine as long as he is not your go to guy.

[dlbalr]

I would argue that other than Galchenyuk, he gets the lion's share of the power play and usually get equal or better minutes on ice even strength than most. Yeah, I am not a DD fan but he is fine as long as he is not your go to guy.

Actually, Desharnais is 3rd among the centres in PP TOI per game. Plekanec is at 2:42, Galchenyuk 2:22, and Desharnais is 2:11, ranking them 3rd, 4th, and 5th amongst Montreal forwards respectively. (And before someone asks the inevitable question, Eller is at 0:48.)

In terms of ES TOI, Desharnais is #2 when it comes to centres. He's 48 seconds per game behind Plekanec and 1:13 ahead of Eller. Desharnais is 4th on the Habs in ES TOI/game for forwards.

[KoRP]

Right now DD can't even stay on his feet, so any ice time is sketchy... he looks like it's playoff time.

But hey, at least Plek had one good game this last week

[DON]

I still think we will see Galchenyuk with increased workload going forward, unless he really cant handle the defensive side of being a centre vs top opposition.

[hab29RETIRED]

DD has been getting ice time on the PP even when he isn't the centre

Actually, Desharnais is 3rd among the centres in PP TOI per game. Plekanec is at 2:42, Galchenyuk 2:22, and Desharnais is 2:11, ranking them 3rd, 4th, and 5th amongst Montreal forwards respectively. (And before someone asks the inevitable question, Eller is at 0:48.)

In terms of ES TOI, Desharnais is #2 when it comes to centres. He's 48 seconds per game behind Plekanec and 1:13 ahead of Eller. Desharnais is 4th on the Habs in ES TOI/game for forwards.

[BlueKross]

Actually, Desharnais is 3rd among the centres in PP TOI per game. Plekanec is at 2:42, Galchenyuk 2:22, and Desharnais is 2:11, ranking them 3rd, 4th, and 5th amongst Montreal forwards respectively. (And before someone asks the inevitable question, Eller is at 0:48.)

In terms of ES TOI, Desharnais is #2 when it comes to centres. He's 48 seconds per game behind Plekanec and 1:13 ahead of Eller. Desharnais is 4th on the Habs in ES TOI/game for forwards.

I used the word "revert" in reference to DD playing time on the powerplay. I admittingly do not distinguish between two centers on the same powerplay, one playing at a different positions. Since this thread is about what happened, I am wondering if your centers PP TOI rankings hold for the last ten games or maybe the last 5 games. What I am really asking is your numbers (Dlbair) relative to the start of year or related to the slide or the trending?

[DON]

last 5 gms, DD on the PP

2:51, 1st of centres vs Florida

1:05 2nd

1:38 2nd

1:00 4 centres same PP icetime

2:57 1st vs Nashville

Overall TOI DD has been playing more in past month or so vs October.

Habsprospects.com lists games played and TOI for each game

NHL.com has more in-depth stats

[Lovett's Magnatones]

Well, when DD actually becomes the #1 centre we can panic , but he never has been and only played 14:10 last game. So actually he is becoming the 3rd centre again, just need Galchenyuk to suck up to Therrien (buy him some smokes, hot wings or something to keep playing him 17minutes/gm).

Plekanec plays 3minutes/gm more, takes twice the faceoffs (both even strength and pp) and both Plekanec and Galchenyuk play more PP time.

SO its not all doom and gloom for DD haters out there.

C'mon Don. David Desharnais is some pretty lame smoke. Anytime he's near a first line or first line player this team is in trouble.

[BlueKross]

last 5 gms, DD on the PP

2:51, 1st of centres vs Florida

1:05 2nd

1:38 2nd

1:00 4 centres same PP icetime

2:57 1st vs Nashville

Overall TOI DD has been playing more in past month or so vs October.

Habsprospects.com lists games played and TOI for each game

NHL.com has more in-depth stats

C'mon Don. David Desharnais is some pretty lame smoke. Anytime he's near a first line or first line player this team is in trouble.

Don was just bring to our attention the availabity of better stats. I think the thread begets a certain time frame

[DON]

I am not advocating for DD to be the #1 centre and 3rd line centre/wing seemed to suit him.

I am just saying he really isn't the #1 centre, but some stats do seem to show he has played more during slump time than October.

[Lovett's Magnatones]

I am not advocating for DD to be the #1 centre and 3rd line centre/wing seemed to suit him.

I am just saying he really isn't the #1 centre, but some stats do seem to show he has played more during slump time than October.

He's one of the best scapegoats since Gomez.

[sbhatt]

He's one of the best scapegoats since Gomez.

When a guy produces nothing, it's deserved.

[DON]

DD's full seasons with Habs

60

52

48 and

on pace this year for 40, or same as strike season

(43gms-22pts vs 39gms-19ptsnow)

2pts in last 17gms...UGGGG.

[Guest Stogey24]

DD's full seasons with Habs

60

52

48 and

on pace this year for 40, or same as strike season

(43gms-22pts vs 39gms-19ptsnow)

2pts in last 17gms...UGGGG.

It's not just the point production though. He constantly gets pushed off the puck, or soley looks for the pass entering the offensive zone, which leads to a turnover

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

I'm more worried about Plekanec. There's no reason to think Desharnais is in anything other than a bad slump. Pleks's age worries me, though. 5 points in his last 16 games, 1 goal in his last 22...and he's just about at the age when you would expect a player's production to drop off. It's too soon to cry Chicken Little - could just be a slump too - but we perhaps need to be thinking about a world in which Pleks's offence becomes replaced by Galchenyuk's. It's not clear that Therrien has made that transition yet. At some point he'll have to.

[norm 50]

A lot of Hab haters talk about the problem being French coaches , French GM and maybe even French players. If so how come all the other Canadian teams will all be out of the playoffs. Must be the Anglophone coaches, GMs and players. That argument holds no water.If it did one of the these teams would have a Stanley Cup not just the Habs in the last 23 years.

[hab29RETIRED]

The problem isn't French coaches,gms or players. The problem is limiting the talent pool to select your GM and coach.

All the other Canadian teams have their own leadership problems.

Oilers have had the same problem. Their difference is the talent limitation for their talent pool has been ex-oilers and cronies of Kevin Lowe making all the decisions.

The flames problem is that they hired an idiot in Burke.

The Canucks, having meddlesome owners.

The Jets and send issue is being budget teams with cheap owners.

The leafs, are well the Leafs. They are supposed to suck.

A lot of Hab haters talk about the problem being French coaches , French GM and maybe even French players. If so how come all the other Canadian teams will all be out of the playoffs. Must be the Anglophone coaches, GMs and players. That argument holds no water.If it did one of the these teams would have a Stanley Cup not just the Habs in the last 23 years.