|
The Habs were a Loveable Team this Season |
|
|
|
|
|
Coaches often preach that the process matters just as much as the result. The Ottawa Senators are more focused on the latter, as they move on to greener pastures of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but for the Montreal Canadiens, the process they undertook since January set them ahead in their plans to build a Stanley Cup contender.
Michel Therrien took the Habs from 15th to 2nd place in the conference, and Marc Bergevin and his expanded bureaucracy did a lot to restore the franchise values so deeply distorted towards the end of Pierre Gauthier's regime.
The Canadiens were a loveable team this season, climbing from the basement in most offensive categories to the league's penthouse. They played with character, skill and speed, and they brought excitement to the Bell Centre audience as well as to their global following.
We can focus on the adversity they eventually succumbed to down the stretch and in the playoffs. It's clear that the injuries they sustained disabled them from justifying their seeding in the playoffs. There's plenty of evidence to support the argument that they didn't have the lineup composition to sustain the style of game that would've netted them post-season success, regardless of the injuries they suffered.
The areas for improvement were magnified in the final days of this storybook season. Without Alexei Emelin and without Brandon Prust, without Lars Eller and with a banged up Max Pacioretty, the Canadiens size and physicality didn't stack up with Ottawa's. Given that the Senators are hardly the most intimidating team in the Eastern Conference, the Canadiens' chances beyond round one didn't seem favorable.
Carey Price played a very respectable part in the Canadiens success this season, and too much of the blame fell on his shoulders for the team's shortcomings, especially when you consider all of the above.
Nonetheless, Price had a chance to prove he was ready to give the Canadiens their best chance at an extended run, and his performance left much to be desired, provoking more questions than answers regarding his ability to fill the role he's being paid for.
Another year of experience for Price and his teammates will serve them well in the long run.
Alex Galchenyuk, Brendan Gallagher and Jarred Tinordi accelerated their development dramatically with what they experienced this season. These are three players that figure to be a big part of the plans from next season to the foreseeable future.
Nathan Beaulieu and Greg Pateryn both got a taste of what NHL hockey commands, and they will be much better suited to handle the load if called upon next season.
Lars Eller's story is perhaps the most compelling given his breakout performance and the way his season ended. Eller has given the organization a lot to think about in regards to their plans at centre, and they may not chose a direction until they see how he recovers from the devastating injuries he suffered. You hope his physical recovery goes off without a hitch. You hope even more that his psyche hasn't been effected to the point of it altering his style of play.
There were other players that gave Canadiens fans a taste for what the future holds. Most notably, P.K. Subban, who elevated to the league's hierarchy with a Norris-worthy performance. And when it came to the playoffs, count Subban among those that found the necessary extra gear.
Raphael Diaz and Alexei Emelin played great hockey for the Canadiens when they were healthy.
Diaz's post-season performance was hardly commendable, but to step into such an atmosphere having never played a Stanley Cup playoff game, coming off a concussion that robbed him of more than half of the games his team played this season--he's earned a pass. Even if it didn't go well, the experience was a valuable one for him.
Rene Bourque rose above every critique leveled at him from last season. He played inspired hockey, giving the Canadiens reliable offense while providing some of the physicality the team desperately needed. He too will be a part of this team for the foreseeable future.
Tomas Plekanec, Brian Gionta, Andrei Markov, Francis Bouillon and Josh Gorges showed great leadership. Considering that two of the five came off of terrible injuries, their accomplishments were impressive.
Gionta produced at his career average, and Markov finished fourth in powerplay points, second among defensemen, trailing only Subban.
If there was one leader that made a dramatic difference for the Canadiens this year, it was Brandon Prust. He exemplified the heart and character the Canadiens dominated the majority of their opponents with for a large portion of the season.
There were disappointments too.
After career years, Max Pacioretty and David Desharnais never seemed to find the chemistry that lent them so much success last season.
Pacioretty's accomplishment of leading the team in scoring notwithstanding, he struggled to find the consistency that many expected from him. His first playoffs were marred by a separated shoulder in game one, though he was unwilling to use that as an excuse for not scoring any points in the four games he appeared in.
If Pacioretty fell short of the mark, little Desharnais lent credence to the doubts he's faced throughout his career. While secure with a four-year contract, Desharnais' place on the team has come under question--and that has as much to do with his spotty performance as it does with the composition of the lineup.
Ryan White failed to straddle the right side of the discipline line at times this season. White's future is entirely in his hands, as he proved during the playoffs he can be a more effective player if he keeps his emotions in check.
Carey Price and Peter Budaj were certainly good enough to put the Canadiens in such a strong position for the post-season, but clearly not good enough to propel them to further heights.
All in all, you couldn't say that any one player was an unmitigated disaster for the team. We'll have the whole summer to dissect things in greater detail, and to assess the imminent changes Marc Bergevin may exact in short order.
*****************
-A Norris nomination for Subban.
-A Calder nomination for Gallagher.
-Surely, a Jack Adams nomination for Therrien will follow.
-Andrei Markov appeared in every game this season, and he had a pretty formidable return to hockey, all things considered.
-Alex Galchenyuk led all rookies in even-strength scoring, and finished near the top of rookie scoring having played more than a minute less than any other rookie on average.
Unsung Hero: Geoff Molson. People often take for granted what it means for an owner to reach into his pocket and pay players to leave their team or station themselves in the pressbox for the season.
He got rid of Scott Gomez on the first day of training camp. He parked Tomas Kaberle ahead of what's sure to be the team's second and final compliance buyout in accordance with the allowances of the new CBA.
He went on an exhaustive search in a limited market to find the most suitable candidate to be the team's GM. He boldly hired Marc Bergevin, who had never sat in that seat before, to handle one of the toughest markets in all of sports, and then he got the hell out of the way.
Bergevin could be considered executive of the year. His restoration of the hockey department was swift and necessary. His bold decision to bring Michel Therrien back was a stroke of genius no one anticipated. The atmosphere he established was symbiotic with the team's approach on the ice. The Canadiens made decisions in concert, and for the most part, they turned out well.
Bergevin's handling of the Subban contract negotiation was masterful, and hindsight provides the view that he managed to secure the best value player in the NHL when you look at what Subban did for the money he was being paid.
The trade of Erik Cole for Michael Ryder was a financial accomplishment that paid unheralded dividends during the regular season. We'll await news on Ryder's physical condition during the playoffs, as he proved largely ineffective when the team needed him most. But, the expected clearance of cap space once Ryder hits unrestricted free agency in addition to the money discrepancy between Cole and Ryder's contracts gives the Canadiens much desired flexibility.
Some may say the contracts awarded to Bouillon and Desharnais blurred the tremendous success Bergevin had in his first season with the Habs, but it would be premature to judge that.
The Canadiens own five picks in the top 60 of this year's draft. Most of that comes from Gauthier's work, but the 3rd round pick the Habs got from Dallas in the Cole trade is another feather in Bergevin's cap.
Molson, Bergevin and Therrien promised a team that would compete with passion. They delivered. Big-time.
Montreal Canadiens Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»