The last West Coast trip of the season couldn’t have come to an end any sooner for “Les Glorieux”.
With only a single win by means of shootout, albeit against arguably the top contender for this year’s Lord Stanley’s Cup, the Habs have struggled mightily during this four-game road trip. Perhaps “struggled” is an understatement considering they were outscored 15-6 in that span, going an abysmal 1 for 18 on the man advantage. Add to that the fact they are a disappointing 28th in the league in 5 vs 5 goals for and it’s no wonder they come home to the Bell Centre licking wounds.
Historically speaking, the Habs have had their fair share of struggles against the West coast in recent years and this year’s edition has been no different. To compound their troubles, they have had to tackle their demons face-on without their MVP and saviour between the pipes, Carey Price
As far as Eastern teams go, the Habs have a 13-12-1 record against the West, making them middle of the pack in the conference. Compared to an overall record that has them sitting third in the conference (before Monday’s games) it hasn’t been the team’s bread and butter to the say the least. Big losses such as the one in San Jose, the one in Phoenix, and earlier blowout losses to the Blues and Kings this year have gone to add to the perception that the Habs struggle mightly against the other conference.
With 16 games left in the regular season and with just a three point lead on the newly added wildcard spot and just six points up on ninth place, the Habs still have some work to do this season. With every year being a tight race until the bitter end,the Montreal Canadiens cannot afford to slip into a bigger rut than the current two game losing steak.
As of now, and especially with the much anticipated and welcomed return of Price, the GA column will likely benefit. That’s not to say Budaj or rookie Tokarski can’t do the job well, but considering the activity in front of the Canadiens net this season they have had to rely on spectacular goaltending while at this point can only be offered by Carey Price – it’s amazing how much change can occur in just one year.
It has definitely been worth the “Waite” — pun intended. With Price getting the green light, so too has 300-style warrior Brandon Prust, who appears ready for action. The team seems to be getting healthy going into this last stride, which seems to be perfect timing. And what better way to get back on track then in a home match against bitter rivals from Boston?
On Tuesday though it is back to the grindstone as the team will work to develop some chemistry with newcomers Thomas Vanek and Mike Weaver in their first full practices with the club. With Josh Gorges out for the next four weeks, Weaver may prove to be a more important acquisition than Habs fans first anticipated. What better time for Vanek and Weaver to start showing some chemistry with their new teammates than in Wednesday’s game versus the Bruins.
Looking at the stretch run though, the Habs are a good bet to get a ticket into the post-season. They need to get everyone on board though to do damage. Getting Price playing his usual lights out hockey, PK Subban returning to Norris Trophy form, the powerplay clicking consistently, keeping Pacioretty (who already has 30 goals) scoring and effectively integrating Vanek into a scoring line. If they can do this and the team remains relatively healthy the will be in good shape. While the story of the post-season remains to be seen, and with arguably the best goalie in the world in their net, and the addition of Vanek, the sky is the limit, and anything is possible in Montreal.
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