January 12, 2011


Canadiens Mid-Season Report

As the season rolls on Les Habitants have had their fair share of lumps and bruises, to both body and ego, but continue to push forward. A recent string of losses was followed up by a string of wins and things seem on the upswing. With the emergence of young players to fill the void left by injuries, we may be seeing the beginning of the next era of Canadiens. In this report we’ll explore in more depth the make up of the team and where they are going.


Offense: B-

Despite being at the middle of the pack overall,  the Canadiens are having problems finding the back of the net. Currently sitting three spots ahead of the lowly New Jersey Devils in last place for goals per game it looks like the Bleu, Blanc et Rouge are starting to feel the sting of losing star puck moving defenceman Andrei Markov. Also to be noted is Montreal’s lack of big bodies in front of the net which, if left unaddressed, could be a problem come playoff time. To his credit, Brian Gionta has shown us that he does not shy away from his opponent’s defensive bruisers regardless of being outmatched in size and finds his way to the front of the net quite well. Not to be forgotten is the play of Max Pacioretty of late. Pacioretty is beginning to look like the the man Montreal needs in front of the net, but as we’ve seen before with P.K Subban and Yanick Weber there’re bound to be a few more false starts before he’s a bonafide NHLer.


Players to watch: Max Pacioretty, Benoit Pouliot, David Desharnais


Defense: B+

Credit must be given where it is due. Regardless of the fact that Andrei Markov and Josh Gorges are gone for the season the Habs defensemen keep finding a way to keep the puck out of the net. Boasting the leagues third best goals against per game, and the leagues best penalty killers, the Canadiens defense scene is getting more interesting. With the emergence of youngsters like P.K. Subban, and Yanick Weber, as well as the addition of James Wisniewski, the Canadiens defensive corp is getting more exciting by the day. Also to note is the play of Wisniewski who came over in a trade, for essentially a bag of pucks, but has shown he can get the job done time and time again.


Players to watch:  James Wisniewski, P.K. Subban, Yanick Weber


Goaltending: A

When the year started there were more than a few naysayers who were doubting that Price could bounce back from a horrible 13-20-5 season. With Halak headed to St. Louis after stunning Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals as well as Sidney Crosby and the Penguins the Habitants faithful had all but forgotten about the diamond in the rough they had in front of them. As of today Price is Montreal’s goaltending Iron Man. He is currently second in games played, and games won and sports an impressive .921% save percentage. Alex Auld has put in spot duty this season but has been solid under pressure. It remains to be seen if Jacques Martin will play Auld more in an attempt to rest Price in the lead-up to the playoffs.


Player to watch: Carey Price


Overall Team Grade: B

Montreal has had ups and downs this season and it remains to be seen if they will be a serious playoff contender. With the team currently sitting in seventh place in the east, only time will tell if they're able to muster the fortitude to make a run at the cup. As we saw last season though, this team has the ability to shock us when the odds are against them. Watch for Montreal to acquire a top six forward before the trade deadline.

Jeff McTiernan

East Coast Correspondent

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