After game one in the second round matchup between the Montreal Canadiens and the Tampa Bay Lightning, Michel Therrien joined with the media for his post-game scrum, as per his usual duties as a head coach. Having dropped the first game by a score of 2-1 in double overtime, Therrien opened up his thoughts with this gem:
“It’s really frustrating to lose a game on an offside. Those things aren’t supposed to happen.”
He’s right. They aren’t supposed to happen. Mistakes are often made in every sport and most of the time, head coaches and the players involved in the play get over it and continue to try to win the game.
Mistakes are always made. Sort of like when Chris Lee blew the whistle with the puck still alive and in play, during game six of the first round matchup between the Montreal Canadiens and the Ottawa Senators. To Lee’s credit, from his positioning the puck was not visible, not to mention Carey Price‘s body language (where the puck hits him and he squeezes his body) screamed that he had the puck. But the puck was still, in fact, playable and the Senators were disallowed a goal off of a mistake made. By a referee. In a playoff game.
Sort of like last night’s mistake. A mistake made that ended up costing the team a game.
Sort of like game one’s borderline call when Nikita Kucherov streaked in on a breakaway in the first overtime period of game one and scored. Only he didn’t because while the puck crossed the line, so did Price’s body, which was pushed into the net by Kucherov’s stick. How did head coach John Cooper respond? He thought the call was fair and he played on.
Okay, the Montreal Canadiens couldn’t “play on” after an overtime goal, obviously, but they sure can move on. But they didn’t.
This isn’t about the error made or the excuses being echoed by both the head coach of the Canadiens, or the fans for that matter. This also isn’t about game two’s fiasco of “he said, she said” drama, or elbow pads being tossed at opposing team’s benches. This is about the big elephant in the room that nobody really seems to be talking about, thanks in part to all the shenanigans taking place.
The Montreal Canadiens powerplay is an absolute joke, and Michel Therrien opened his post-game thoughts with an error, rather than holding his team accountable. Again.
On Friday night, the Canadiens and Lightning played game one. To put things into perspective on why the Habs should have won this game, let’s take a look at their schedule. The Canadiens defeated the Senators, eliminating them in six games on Sunday, April 26th. They then had Monday off.
Tampa Bay did not have the day off.
Coach Therrien decided to take the Tuesday off as well, allowing his team some extra rest after successfully making it to the Eastern Conference semi-finals. The Lightning did not have Tuesday off.
On Wednesday, the Canadiens practiced their powerplay, which has been abysmal for the entire post-season. They practiced after two days off. Tampa Bay entered game seven of their first round matchup with the Detroit Red Wings. A game they had to play after NOT taking any days off.
On Thursday, the Canadiens continued to find ways to get their powerplay working. Tampa Bay was also back at work, practicing, running drills, and studying tape of their second round opponents. No days off for either team.
On Friday night, the Canadiens and Lightning faced off. Credit to the Canadiens for taking over 40 shots on goal and dominating the play 5-on-5. It wasn’t even close. But they still only got one goal in on goaltender Ben Bishop, and was it ever a gift. Their powerplay? It went 0-for-3. That’s one, count it ONE, powerplay goal in seven playoff games. A powerplay that NEEDS to score, because they aren’t getting things done 5-on-5. They got the effort, but they didn’t get the result.
Against Ottawa, they scored four goals in game one. Three of those goals were gifts. In game two, they scored three and all three were gifts. In the next four games, they scored two in game three, got shutout in game four, scored one in game five and scored two in game six, one of which was in an empty net with less than a second left in the game.
Twelve goals in six games against the Ottawa Senators. Against an untested playoff performer in Andrew Hammond and a cold as ice goaltender in Craig Anderson. They averaged two goals a game.
The Montreal Canadiens are supposed to replicate this feat against the Tampa Bay Lightning, a team better offensively and defensively than Ottawa. A team that has Bishop, who is twice the goaltender than Hammond and Anderson combined. And quite frankly, a better team than the Montreal Canadiens.
You want to win games three and four? Get your powerplay breathing, because it is currently on life support with a terminal illness. This may be the worst powerplay in the last ten years. In 2008-09, they put up a 0.0% efficiency rate, but that year they were swept and only received five opportunities on the man advantage, so I think we can put a nice little asterisk next to that post-season. Every other playoff run? Here’s the last ten postseasons, including the two years they failed to make it to the dance.
2014-15: 3.8% through 8 games
2013-14: 19.7 through 17 games
2012-13: 15.8 through 5 games
2011-12: Did not make playoffs
2010-11: 22.6% through 7 games
2009-10: 16.4% through 19 games
2008-09: 0.0% through 4 games (they had 5 PP opportunities that series)
2007-08: 14.6% through 12 games
2006-07: Did not make playoffs
2005-06: 22.2% through 6 games
The Montreal Canadiens current 3.8% efficiency rate is laughable. It’s a comedy fest with someone telling jokes that aren’t funny by any nature, but they’re so bad you can’t help but laugh.
But you’re not laughing with the powerplay. You’re laughing at it.
Alex Galchenyuk, the skilled forward that was selected third overall. Brendan Gallagher, the feisty little winger that refuses to stay down. Tomas Plekanec, one of the better two-way forwards in the league. Lars Eller, the best puck possession player for the Habs in the postseason. Max Pacioretty, he can sort of score goals too. On the blue-line? You have PK Subban, Andrei Markov and Jeff Petry, all of whom know how to work a powerplay. Sure, Nathan Beaulieu would be a nice addition, but you still are icing three players with the potential to put that puck in the net. Repeatedly.
So why is it not happening? Because head coach Michel Therrien refuses to hold his players accountable. He’d rather complain about a call instead of beheading the elephant that continues to stomp around the room. Brandon Prust prefers to talk about a referee with a potty mouth rather than the undisciplined play of his entire team that stunk up the joint. But the problem remains the same. The powerplay consisting of minimal work down low and continuously trying to set up Subban for the bomb from the point has become predictable. To call it predictable would be an insult to the word predictable.
Wake up and smell the coffee. The Lightning’s powerplay did in game two, when they pumped Price for four goals. Now it’s time for the excuses to end and your special teams to respond.
