By J.D. Lagrange, Senior Writer, All Habs Hockey Magazine

PENTICTON, BC. — Here are a few thoughts on different topics surrounding the Habs’ and the NHL as the team fights to stay alive in the playoffs. Feel free to post your comments as they are always welcomed.

1- There is no denying that Max Pacioretty has not been the same since his last injury, which leads us to believe that he’s playing hurt. Game four was the first game in these playoffs where we saw him be more himself, driving the net and taking quality shots. Here’s hoping that his right hand, which he hurt when blocking a shot on the penalty kill, is not too damaged as his shot is his best weapon.

2- One has to wonder why many Edmonton Oilers’ fans were ready to drive Jeff Petry to the airport the past couple of seasons. He has been rock solid since joining the Habs and provides the team with some much needed quality help on the right side behind P.K. Subban. As a matter of fact, he and Alexei Emelin form a very good second pairing, with styles and skills sets that complement each other quite well. While I knew about his great skating and his passing abilities, Petry is a lot more physical than I remember him in Edmonton. Will the Canadiens be able to re-sign him and if so, for how much?

3- Veteran defenseman Andrei Markov is having a tough series against the Lightning, a fast team taking full advantage his limited mobility. Subban is faster but while he isn’t bad defensively, he’s not known for his defensive play. One also has to wonder if his partner’s lack of foot speed plays in the back of Subban’s mind when he’s thinking of taking chances and joining the rush… I still think that Michel Therrien made a mistake by not resting Markov at the end of the season, when the playoffs’ spot was secured.

4- Tom Gilbert has had his ups and downs since signing with the Canadiens but we must admit that he’s played much better in these playoffs, particularly against Tampa Bay. He leads the team in blocked shots and he is third on the team in scoring with five points, while leading the team with plus-6 differential. It will be interesting to see what Marc Bergevin decides about his defense for next season, particularly if he wants to re-sign Petry who won’t come cheap.

5- Speaking of defense, it’s fair to say that Greg Pateryn has earned a serious look, or perhaps even a spot on the Habs’ blue line for next season. Unlike Jarred Tinordi, Pateryn has taken a huge step forward this season if we compare to his stint with the team at the end of last year. To be fair, Tinordi is a year and a half younger than Pateryn. The 6’2” 222 lb. defenseman makes good decisions with the puck, he is a physical presence on the right side and he is a lot more composed than he was. For those who might have forgotten, he was part of the trade that saw Grabovski heading to Toronto a few years ago.

6- Many people overlooked the acquisition of Torrey Mitchell at the trade deadline but Bergevin knew what he was looking for: a right-handed centerman to take key face-offs in his own zone, a restless worker who can skate and who is responsible in his own end. Mitchell has responded very well in these playoffs and he might have earned himself a contract offer this summer and one would think that he would relish the idea of playing at home in front of family and friends.

7- Watching him play in those playoffs, can anyone believe that Jacob De la Rose is only 19 years old? Not only does the guy skate like the wind, but he has the physical attributes, the size to play at this level against full grown men when they play their hardest. Rare are players at his age who understand the game the way De la Rose does and playing in the Swedish Elite League might have prepared him for that. He battles well along the boards, seems to always be in good position defensively and his powerful stride makes him a great skater. Imaging when he adds another ten pounds or so to his frame… All he needs is to find his scoring touch. He has a very promising career in the NHL this one.

8- It is so great to see David Desharnais come back in the last two games and not only compete, but contribute. He has shown a lot of character coming back from his illness and we saw that his energy level wasn’t all there in game three, the CBC cameras catching him with his head on the boards at the bench. People too often forget that he’s a $3.5 million hockey player and they seem to expect him to play and produce like a $6-7 million player and that’s unfortunate. Because the team doesn’t have a true first line center is not a reason to pound on Desharnais and what he does. He certainly deserves better, in my humble opinion.

9- In a league that is trying to get rid of embellishment, it is hard to understand why Lightning goaltender Ben Bishop has yet to be fined. The guy is 6’7” tall, and he goes flying more than Brendan Gallagher who truly takes tons of abuse. While I understand that the league must protect goaltenders while in their crease, there is no reason to tolerate goaltenders acting as if they got shot everytime they get touched. On a different topic, Bishop has had a lot of puck luck so far against the Habs and the bubble finally busted in game four. Here’s hoping that it keeps going for the rest of this series.

10- If the debate for the next team captain focussed on Pacioretty and Subban, my personal opinion has changed in these playoffs. There’s a third very serious candidate in the mix and if playoffs’ performances are part of the equation in the selection process, Brendan Gallagher should be a serious candidate to become the team’s next captain. When you talk about what he represents, the spark plug to any line he’s been asked to play on, the character, dedication, determination and the work ethics, I don’t know how anyone can compete with Gallagher. He is however younger than both Pacioretty and Subban and that might play against him.

11- These playoffs have been a big disappointment for Tomas Plekanec as far as I’m concerned. He’s still playing quite well defensively and on the penalty kill, but he is definitely not the same offensive player that we saw in regular season. He simply doesn’t seem to be able to raise his play during the playoffs and I’ll go as far as saying that if the Canadiens are looking at clearing cap space to sign a prominent goals’ scorer, he could very well be the one sacrificed if he doesn’t start producing offensively in these playoffs. I like Pleky as much as anyone, but in a cap world, decisions are often made for business purposes.

12- Watching the Chicago Blackhawks play, I was paying a particular attention to UFA to be Antoine Vermette. While he didn’t play well since acquired at the trade deadline, to the point of being a healthy scratch, he is playing some very good hockey in the playoffs, much better than his numbers are showing. Only Teuvo Teravainen is being used less than Vermette by coach Quenneville and he hasn’t touched the ice on the powerplay or short-handed in these playoffs. Yet, he was leading all forwards in Arizona in icetime and he was a key contributor on special teams. I have no doubt that Bergevin will be interested this summer… and as the Blackhawks will need to shed salary and the Habs will be looking for scoring, expect the talks between the two teams regarding Patrick Sharp to resume.

The Canadiens deserve so much better than trailing 3-1 in this series against the Lightning. While they got what they deserved in game two, the same cannot be said about game one and three, when they controlled the play and contained Tampa Bay’s offense. The old expression “the puck didn’t roll for them” certainly applied and as we saw in game four, a little puck luck goes a long way. There is no doubt that they are in a deep, deep hole but the way this series has gone, and while they have no room for mistakes, the Canadiens will take it one game at a time… but they can come back.

Go Habs Go!!!