Excerpt from the Gazette article by Pat Hickey:
The Canadiens are a good hockey team, but they are still a step or two away from being a Stanley Cup contender.
There was more evidence of that Wednesday night when the New Jersey Devils crushed the visiting Canadiens 5-2.
Losing in New Jersey isn’t a novelty for the Canadiens. They have won only one game in the Garden State since 2002. What was disturbing was the manner in which they lost. There was little in the way of effort. Head coach Guy Carbonneau noted that the Canadiens were facing a challenge and didn’t respond.
When it was suggested the Habs had lost to a better team, goaltender Carey Price replied: “I don’t think they’re a better team, they just wanted it more.”
That was clearly the case, but the results this season also indicate the Devils are a better team. They are 3-0 against Montreal and have outscored the Canadiens 11-4. There’s more than desire going on there.
Habster:
I couldn’t agree more with Pat Hickey’s assessment of the Canadiens recent play. He has “hits the nail on the head” when he states the Canadiens aren’t playing like Stanley Cup contender at this point in the season.
The team has been playing an undisciplined “run and gun” style of hockey without a defensive conscience. Basically, they aren’t playing a playoff style of hockey, something they will have to do before the “big show” starts.
Granted, they weren’t getting solid goaltending during Carey Price’s absence, but it goes beyond a few bad goals.
Bob Gainey and Guy Carbonneau were stellar defensive player who also thrived in the Stanley Cup playoffs, so it’s hard to understand why their team can’t play a more consistent two way system.
It’s great that Carbo gives his players the chance to free range and display their God given talents, but there also has to be more discipline and certainly a bigger commitment to playing defense, otherwise this team isn’t going very far into the playoffs!!
I don’t know that I would describe the Canadiens as a ‘run and gun’ team.
Discipline is certainly a problem. But the two major problems are the defense and the system of play.
The defense are weak in front of the net. They really need O’Byrne back and just let him play. The other problem is that the defense aren’t moving the puck well out of their own zone.
As far as systems, the coaches aren’t making use of the Canadiens strengths. The Habs could have an effective transition game but they aren’t allowed to forecheck. Carbo keeps insisting on a prevent strategy of 1-4 or 0-5.
The forwards are not coming back enough to help with puck support from the defensive zone. Your defense can’t get the puck out if their faces are pinned against the boards half the game!!!
Rocket, Carbo only uses the 0-5 when they get the lead (the exception was a game in Carolina) which I still think is a mistake.It’s probably the main reason why they have trouble holding a lead.
Using a 2-1-2 forechecking system is aggressive and used when a team is behind. It is risky but very effective in burst throughout a game.
If every forward forechecked with as much effort as Pacioretty or Lapierre, then there wouldn’t be a problem with offensive zone pressure.
I just hope Gainey and his suspect pro scouts do their homework and set their sights on 5-10 available defensemen to target for the trade deadline (or before!!).
Gainey can’t key on only 2 or 3 players and be left in the same situation as year when he focused too much on Marian Hossa or Sundin and was left with nothing at the end.
Well you are correct that certain forwards are guilty of not coming back to help the defense. But Plekanec, Koivu, Pacioretty, D’Agostini and Sergei Kostitsyn are very good at coming back.
Even when trailing in the third period, Carbonneau has chosen to employ a passive forecheck. It has happened many times but most recently in New Jersey when the Canadiens were down by two with less than 10 minutes left. The Habs were using a 1-4 system.
Lapierre has been lazy on the forecheck the past two games just waving his stick as he skates by.
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