~Statistics be Damned~

by Daniel Maloney, AllHabs.net

They still don’t get it.

Most hockey pundits projected the Montreal Canadiens to barely make the playoffs, or miss it altogether this season.

If they had known of the offensive struggles of Scott Gomez and Brian Gionta through the first month of the season, the expectations may have been even lower.

Combine that with a league-worst power play, an aspect considered essential to Montreal success, and said experts would likely tell you that les glorieux would be in a major hole to start the season.

They absolutely would NOT be telling you that the Canadiens, despite having Andrei Markov out of action the entire first month along with the ‘all-important’ off-season trade of Jaroslav Halak, would still be capable of leading the Northeast Division.  It just wouldn’t be possible, right?

Except it is…and they are.

After an impressive 3-1 road victory in Boston Thursday night, the Montreal Canadiens are 10-5-1, four points ahead of the rival Bruins atop the Northeast Division.

Thanks to the continued commitment to Jacques Martin’s system, the bleu-blanc-et-rouge have picked up right where they left off last season – proving their critics wrong.

Team Concept

Possessing depth throughout the lineup, the Canadiens play a complete team game.

In a hockey world that is becoming increasingly obsessed with individual stars and individual stats, where the line between hockey pool junkie and hockey analyst is becoming increasingly blurred, this can’t be over-emphasized.

Yes, Carey Price has been very impressive.

But he’s had help, and some of it unappreciated.

The Canadiens aging defense has struggled at times this season- whether it is Jaroslav Spacek’s giveaways, Roman Hamrlik’s poor positioning, or Hall Gill’s lack of foot speed.

As a group they’ve all struggled with moving the puck up-ice at times, and no one emerged as even a semi-suitable temporary replacement for Andrei Markov on the power play during his absence.

Yet despite the adversity, as is the hallmark of any successful team-they’ve managed to hold things together.

Carey Price has eased the pressure by smothering rebound opportunities.  When they’ve had defensive breakdowns, unlike last season, Price has consistently been there to answer the call.

Up front, while key players have struggled through the first five weeks of the season, Montreal’s depth players have picked up the slack.

Given the struggles of Scott Gomez and Brian Gionta, the third line of Jeff Halpern, Benoit Pouliot, and Mathieu Darche has been paramount to Montreal’s success.

Halpern’s been an ideal third-line centre, providing timely scoring, face-off efficiency, and defensive responsibility.

Darche continues to play a solid all-around game, and Pouliot, in what could be seen as a demotion to the third line, has accepted his role, and thus far flourished in it.

This is exactly the system that Bob Gainey envisioned, and Jacques Martin implemented from the beginning.

Relentlessly repetitive defensive execution is a TEAM focal point-and when it’s on, their offense need only be opportunistic – a concept lost on those who believe the only way to be successful in the post-lockout NHL is on the backs of the Sedins, the Crosbys, and the Ovechkins.

So forget your statistics.

Individual numbers are misconstrued by hockey analysts every day.

In the end, team is all that matters-and this team is greater than the sum of its parts.

(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)