FEATURE | Key to Overcoming Canadiens Injuries

by Blain Potvin, Staff Writer, All Habs Hockey Magazine

It was bound to happen, an injury befell a star player wearing the Bleu, Blanc et Rouge. Despite the best efforts of some, that player was thankfully not Carey Price.

Unfortunately, Alex Galchenyuk will require six-to-eight weeks to recover from a knee injury after a collision with Anze Kopitar of the Los Angeles Kings in a game that the Canadiens were able to win 5-4 in a shootout. In the next game versus the St. Louis Blues, David Desharnais suffered a similar knee injury and will also be out for six-to-eight weeks.

This means that the Canadiens will be without their top center and Desharnais, who does have some offensive abilities and was supposed to fill the role of top-six center. This leaves Thomas Plekanec as the defacto top-line center.

With players such as Brian Flynn and Phillip Danault also able to play center, there was no need to rush a call-up to fill the position. This is good news, considering that prior to the game versus the New Jersey Devils, Charles Hudon, Mike McCarron, Nikita Scherbak were also injured (two of the three are now back ready for action.)

The timing of these injuries for all of the NHL-calibre players with the ability play center is less than ideal. This is partly to due to development, which has been leaving fans and the organization wanting more. The developmental team has been unable to prepare players for the NHL in a reasonable time frame.

This sudden wave of injuries is not as crippling as some would believe. The team is still led by MVPs Carey Price, Shea Weber and Max Pacioretty. The captain seems to have rediscovered his confidence after joining Alex Radulov on the top line and has recovered from a broken foot he played with in November. With this group, the team should be able to weather the storm and stay relevant in the playoff race. That said, there will still be some challenges.

An upside to this adversity is that Michel Therrien will allow younger players to take larger roles and prove what they can do.

McCarron was recalled after a strong return to play for the IceCaps. After Sven Andrighetto was returned to the IceCaps on Tuesday, McCarron will get a chance with the Canadiens later this week. The openings on this roster provide some players the opportunity to show that they belong with the big club.

Strong first game back for Mike McCarron with a goal on 8 shots. #IceCaps

— AHL Report (@TheAHLReport) December 10, 2016

He returned to his signature style of strong board play and net presence. He will get his regular season debut in the near future, but not likely versus the Colorado Avalanche as Therrien rarely makes changes to the roster after big wins, which we witnessed against the Devils.

If he is able to provide the level of play he did at the start of the season once he returns to the lineup, we will see McCarron solidify himself as the third-line center. He may also be able to progress further up in the line-up over time.

Lost in the noise of losing Galchenyuk, Desharnais and then Greg Pateryn, was the return of Nathan Beaulieu and Zach Redmond. The two have formed an excellent third pairing prior to the Boston game. They were able to move the puck well and minimize errors, which has been highly effective.

Redmond quietly debuted while providing strong and steady veteran play. But against the Bruins, Redmond showed some flaws that place him on the 6-7 bubble when the Canadiens are healthy.

If Beaulieu is able to consistently provide a stable level of play, there would be no talk of upgrading the Habs’ top-four defence. Nonetheless, this should make it possible for Therrien to ease up on the ice time that would normally be shared by the pairing of Andrei Markov and Shea Weber.

While the most optimistic fans will look at the bright side of the injuries giving opportunities, this leaves one glaring issue that cannot be glossed over: scoring.

Where will the lost scoring come from? Will the young guys be able to pick up the slack? Not likely, although they may be able to offer some help. That said, the real key will be how well the power-play can produce and how the veteran players respond. On Monday’s game against the Bruins, it was abundantly clear that the Canadiens miss Galchenyuk especially with the man advantage.

Part of the response goes to Plekanec. The heavy defensive load that he shoulders needs to be redistributed. Last season, Lars Eller was the player that the responsibility fell to. Danault and others are needed to shoulder this load. In doing so, Plekanec will have the opportunity to focus on his offensive game, which seems to have begun to show signs of life in these last few games.

With the Weber trade this summer, it puts Montreal into the “win now mode.” Despite a great start and holding first place in the conference, the loss of so many players will impact them in the standings. This points to Marc Bergevin pushing as hard as he can to land a second line centerman to add improved scoring depth to the top six. This depth would be able to provide the scoring necessary to keep the Canadiens in the playoff race and near the top of the standings.

In spite of this, Bergevin should avoid a desperate and panicked move. There is no question that he still needs to address upgrading the second line center position. However, overpaying on a panicked trade can be far more damaging than his lack of movement we saw last season after the December collapse. Because of this, we will likely see him tread far more carefully, as NHL general managers are in the habit of throwing a peer an anchor before they would throw a life jacket.

As long as the Canadiens remain in the playoff picture, the pressure to make a large move should be minimal. The key to improving this team via trade is to pay the right price.

To be able to have success in the playoffs, teams must learn to adjust to and embrace adversity. Losing a top center is never easy to deal with, but it does happen to teams and they are still successful.

For instance, the Tampa Bay Lightning lost Steven Stamkos, and the Chicago Blackhawks lost Jonathan Toews. Be that as it may, losing three players in two games will test the team’s depth and provide key veterans the opportunity to learn to adjust their games to these situations. This is an experience that will provide the confidence needed to rise to the challenge.

During this adversity, we will see players step into larger roles and some players may displace established NHL’ers. We will also see the team improve immediately upon Galchenyuk’s return. Yet, all can agree that all roads to glory in the games that matter most, are navigated by a healthy Carey Price.