Wednesday April 17th, 2013
Game Recap: The vulnerable Canadiens defensive system was victimized early and often by the Penguins attack.
| MONTREAL CANADIENS 26-12-5 57 POINTS 4th in the East |
PITTSBURGH PENGUINS 33-10-0 66 POINTS 1st in the East |
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6 |
| FINAL | 1 | 2 | 3 | OT | T |
| Canadiens | 0 | 2 | 2 | – | 4 |
| Penguins | 3 | 2 | 1 | – | 6 |
Top Scorers:
| CANADIENS | PENGUINS | ||
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Scoring Summary:
| G | Per | Time | Str | Team | Goal Scorer | Assist | Assist |
| 1 | 1 | 7:24 | EV | PIT | 16 B.SUTTER(10) | 2 M.NISKANEN(8) | 58 K.LETANG(27) |
| 2 | 1 | 9:30 | EV | PIT | 10 B.MORROW(10) | 9 P.DUPUIS(16) | 27 C.ADAMS(6) |
| 3 | 1 | 19:39 | PP | PIT | 12 J.IGINLA(11) | 14 C.KUNITZ(27) | 58 K.LETANG(28) |
| 4 | 2 | 4:07 | EV | PIT | 10 B.MORROW(11) | 19 B.BENNETT(10) | 2 M.NISKANEN(9) |
| 5 | 2 | 7:42 | EV | MTL | 21 B.GIONTA(12) | 8 B.PRUST(8) | 81 L.ELLER(17) |
| 6 | 2 | 10:30 | PP | PIT | 16 B.SUTTER(11) | 10 B.MORROW(9) | 58 K.LETANG(29) |
| 7 | 2 | 17:35 | EV | MTL | 27 A.GALCHENYUK(8) | 81 L.ELLER(18) | 32 T.MOEN(4) |
| 8 | 3 | 4:09 | EV | MTL | 37 G.DUMONT(1) | 51 D.DESHARNAIS(16) | 67 M.PACIORETTY(23) |
| 9 | 3 | 5:24 | EV | PIT | 3 D.MURRAY(1) | 12 J.IGINLA(17) | |
| 10 | 3 | 19:49 | EV | MTL | 79 A.MARKOV(9) | 51 D.DESHARNAIS(17) | 68 Y.WEBER(1) |
Shots on Goal:
| FINAL | 1 | 2 | 3 | OT | T |
| Canadiens | 11 | 11 | 13 | – | 35 |
| Penguins | 9 | 8 | 12 | – | 29 |
Goaltending:
| CANADIENS | PENGUINS | ||
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Record: 19-11-4 SA: 20 Sv%: .850 |
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Record: 22-6-0 SA : 35 Sv%: .886 |
Lineup Notes:
- Habs starting six: David Desharnais, Max Pacioretty, Brendan Gallagher, Andrei Markov, Francis Bouillon, Peter Budaj
- Scratched: Nathan Beaulieu, Tomas Kaberle, Mike Blunden, Michael Ryder, Alexei Emelin, Ryan White
What you need to know:
The Canadiens gave up two goals while shorthanded on six 5-on-4 opportunities by the Penguins. Montreal has just an 81.3 percent efficiency on the penalty-kill placing them 17th in the NHL, a ranking that has changed little over the season. Oh there was a brief up-tick after Jeff Halpern was acquired but the stat has settled back to its season-long level.
What does this tell us? The problem with the penalty-kill is not personnel, it is a failure of the system. And the Canadiens coaching staff has done nothing (but for a pep-talk the head coach keeps referencing) to fix the situation.
So why lead a game review with analysis of the Habs penalty-kill?
Because it is symptomatic of the biggest chink in the Canadiens’ armor. The philosophy being preached by the coaching staff for play in the defensive zone (whether short-handed or at even-strength) is not working. Whether it is easily broken-down by the opposition or not well-suited to the existing roster is irrelevant. It’s been a major failure this season.
So why are we now focusing on it with five games left in the regular season? Well, if you have been a regular reader, you are aware that we have brought your attention to it before.
The reason that these defensive issues have become a major problem now is because of a series of factors. Let’s be clear, no single item is being identified as the cause, but instead, the combination of factors is at fault. What was a problem that was not addressed all season long has quickly unraveled due to the following additional factors:
- The absence of Alexei Emelin. No one on the current roster or in the system brings what he can each game.
- Improper management of the defensemen. Andrei Markov and Francis Bouillon are breaking down because of overuse earlier in the season. Josh Gorges is struggling.
- Callups. It is unfair to put Nathan Beaulieu or anyone else in such big shoes.
- Ineffective addition. Davis Drewiske is a marginal-NHL defenseman. His limited assets are not a good match for what is lacking in the defense corps.
We’ve been told over and over again this season that the coaching staff has made every right move, has pushed all the right buttons. So Michel, look around you, push a button already!
But it’s not that simple, is it?
Has management made mistakes? Of course, it would be silly to say otherwise. Yet so far this season, coach Michel Therrien has led a charmed life. So what happened when, for the first time all year, a questioner or two started nipping at the pant leg of the man high atop the elevated podium?
On Tuesday, when announcing that Peter Budaj would be the Canadiens starter against the Penguins, Therrien said that Carey Price would be given time to regain his confidence. It was an astonishing thing for a head coach to say. Why toss his No. 1 goaltender under the bus? Other than two soft goals against Toronto, it was clear to anyone outside the lunatic fringe that the Canadiens had more serious problems than goaltending.
“I always believe that you see the true colours of people when facing adversity.” — Michel Therrien
Indeed Michel.
The statements and the actions by the Canadiens coach were heavily criticized by former NHL goaltender Darren Pang and analyst Aaron Ward on the TSN panel during the second period intermission of Wednesday’s game. They said that Therrien is undermining the performance and mental readiness of both of his goaltenders while ignoring the defensive problems that have highlighted the Canadiens three-day skid.
Accountability is supposed to be one of the hallmarks of the current management regime. Does that not include the coaching staff?
Look, I am not placing the entire blame for the Habs recent struggles on the shoulders of one person. The last time I floated the possibility that Therrien or Mark Bergevin had made even a single mistake this season some readers got their panties in a bunch. And it’s clear that players aren’t doing the kinds of things that brought them to the top of the Eastern Conference: being first on the puck, winning puck battles and putting opponents on their heels. However, when looking for ways to help right the ship, expecting strong leadership, effective problem-solving and sound decision-making from the coaching staff is not unreasonable.
Injury/Roster Report:
- No new injuries.
| NHL Three Stars | |
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| Post-game Chatter |
Coach Michel Therrien:
- “We have to tighten up our defensive game. It’s pretty simple. There’s too much distance between our forwards & our defense.”
- “We’re trying to prepare ourselves for the playoffs. Obviously we didn’t have a good night.”
- “I always believe that you see the true colours of people when facing adversity.”
- “We’re facing facing a difficult time and it’s time to regroup and make sure that we’re solid as a group.”
- “I thought tonight we had good intentions. Obviously we gave up some goals so that hurt our confidence.”
Josh Gorges:
- “When you get behind early in the situation that we’re in, you’re not just playing the game, you’re fighting against yourself. You’re fighting your own mental battle, and when things do happen as they’re bound to, you’ve got to find a way to stay resilient. You’ve got to find a way to be tough and fight through the tough times and get an ugly one.””
Lars Eller:
- “Guys are hesitating, not sure what to do. It’s the little things and once one domino falls, everything falls, and right now we’re not the same team we were for the first 40 games. We’ve got to find a way to get back to that. Once we get through this adversity, we’re going to be a hell of a team.”
Penguins forward Brandon Sutter:
- “I think we wanted to get in and finish their D. We know they skate well. We know they got some talent both up front and on the back end. We got to try and get body position on those guys and try to slow them down a bit. We did a good job of that. I think that’s kind of the main focus and it worked well.”
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