Montreal Canadiens News and Notes: Winless out West
News
The Montreal Canadiens dropped to 1-6-1 on the season this week. After losing all three games on their early west coast trip. The Habs fell to the San Jose Sharks, 5-2, making it 18 years in a row without a win. The next night they faced the Los Angeles Kings. While they played well in the first two periods, it all fell apart in the third. The final score was 5-1. Friday, the Habs headed an hour south to face the Anaheim Ducks. After a poor first period, the habs found their legs in the second. Once again, the pressure in the third period proved too much. The Ducks scored three goals and won the game 6-2.
A bright spot this week was Paul Byron who scored in LA and again in Anaheim. This goal involved a rebound and a diving shot. Habs fans will take it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nluox0KMqfE
In other news, the long wait to see the Montreal Canadiens full defensive line up just got a bit longer. David Schlemko will be sidelined for another three to four weeks after he underwent hand surgery in New York to remove a bone fragment.
The injury news continued this week. As friend of the LWOH Pod, Omar White reports, Ales Hemsky is out with an upper-body injury after taking a couple of hits in the first period of Friday’s game, against the Ducks. Hemsky signed a one-year, $1-million contract with the Canadiens this summer, and entered Friday with no points in six contests.
The Montreal Canadiens have recalled Nikita Scherbak and Michael McCarron from the AHL.
Nikita Scherbak and Michael McCarron called up from Laval.
DETAILS -> https://t.co/wX1JxlbGDh #GoHabsGo
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) October 22, 2017
Scherbak has been one of the top producers in the AHL, with one goal and eight assists in six games. McCarron has added four points in that time. Both may be in the Canadiens’ lineup this week.
Commentary
A string of articles this week focused on Marc Bergevin. Marc Garriott in the Ottawa Sun concludes:
The finger is being pointed at Bergevin because the hiring of Julien was supposed to be the solution. The decision to get centre Jonathan Drouin from the Tampa Bay Lightning was a good step, however, at this point, Bergevin has to find a way to throw his club a life preserver.
Stu Cowan in the Gazette has some tough words for Bergevin as well.
Six years into his five-year plan, this is Bergevin’s team from top to bottom because he has had more than enough time to keep the players he wanted and get rid of the ones he didn’t — and he has already fired one coach. Right now, this is a broken team.
Marc Dumont also writing in the Gazette observed that the Habs are missing a puck-moving defenseman who can transition from defense to offense and get the puck to the forwards quickly. He points out, two-thirds of Pacioretty’s goals over the last three years came from an offensively minded defenseman who set him up on a rush with a quick outlet pass. The only problem? None of these players play for the Habs anymore. He concludes:
Pacioretty needs to help the Canadiens win and the team needs to give him the right tools in which to help them win. You won’t get one without the other. You’re up, Marc Bergevin.
Speaking of Captain Max, a debate of sorts broke out in the pages of LWOH concerning his responsibility. LWOH’s own Connor Lapalme first laid out his case against Max Pacioretty. In sum, he argues that Habs need their captain to take charge, find his game, and score. Johannes Wheeldon offered a defense of Pacioretty suggesting that placing the responsibility on Pacioretty’s shoulders obscures deeper problems including the general manager’s failed off-season, the current makeup of the team, and the approach of the coach.
Predictions and Previews
In The Athletic (subscription only), the Montreal Canadiens now have just a one in three chance to make the playoffs, a drop of 30% in the last two weeks. Losing all your games will do that of course. The Habs are predicted to win less than 40 games, amassing just 89 points. Quelle horreur.
The Montreal Canadiens are at home this week after a series of poor performances out west. First up is the Florida Panthers on Tuesday, October 24. The Panthers have a 3-4 record but are without Roberto Luongo. Game time is 7:30 pm (EST).
Next, the Canadiens face the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday, October 26. The Kings beat up on the Habs last week, so here is hoping they can return the favor at home. Game time is 7:30 pm (EST).
Finally, the Habs face the New York Rangers on Saturday. The Rangers had been struggling of late but managed a convincing win against the Nashville Predators this weekend. Game time is 7:00 pm (EST).
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