1) I can't speak to how it felt for all of you, but this synopsis by Carey Price sums it up pretty well for me: "Those first 20 games go by fast. Those last 20 games go by fast. That middle 42--that's a grind."
Price and Gorges each took a couple of moments to reflect on the fact that another 82 games were under their belts, brimming with the satisfaction of having pushed through training camp, through a condensed schedule, through the Olympics and the Olympic break, through injuries, through one of the most tortuous Winters either of these Western Canadians have ever braved; on their way to the playoffs to try to make their dreams come true.
"Throughout the course of it, it seems long. Wow 82 games--this is a grind. It's a lot of hockey in a lot of nights, and yet, it goes by quick," said Gorges.
"Now the real fun begins," added Price.
You could say these Canadiens had a pretty fun time getting here, notching 100 points in a season; a fine result after many doubted their ability to remain in the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference after a superb rebound last season, coming off a 15th place finish in 2011-12. They played passionately, they battled for each other, and they grew as a team that seems more capable of handling the pressures of the post-season.
There were blemishes, hiccups, injuries, and all those gut-testing moments you can't avoid over the course of such a long season. They relinquished control of their ability to clinch home ice, though they pushed back at the last second to try to recapture it-- all for not, in the end. All in all, it'd be hard to imagine they have many regrets.
2) How does Michel Therrien see his team?
"Consistency and character--to be able to get the type of season we got. And we faced adversity through the course of the season--and a lot of teams did—with a contribution from everyone. Goaltending was a big part. We're approaching the playoffs with a lot of confidence, so that’s a good sign for me.
"The way that we finished the season, we peaked at the right time. I think that’s important for the confidence when you’re approaching the playoffs."
3) Let's talk about Therrien for a second; it seems like he's rarely the focal point of conversation around Montreal (I'm kidding).
No one accused him of being the best technical coach in the league. Out of 16 coaches participating in the playoffs, it'd be hard to argue he's among the best in that category. But to suggest this team doesn't take to his style of coaching would be outright false. He's found ways to keep them all on the same page, and he managed to extract commitment out of them on a daily basis. He managed the schedule well, he managed Carey Price's workload well, and he managed the lineup pretty well too, in the face of drastic criticism and complete skepticism. There's no doubt, he did it his way, attaining very successful results, breaching low expectations that GM Marc Bergevin floated before the season started.
John Tortorella carries a certain stigma around with him. People have their opinions on him, and he's done nothing to change them, both in his demeanor and in his coaching style. I'm not comparing Tortorella and Therrien, but I am suggesting
you watch what he has to say from 2:30 into this video until the end. His remarks on the challenge each team has--to play a hybrid system based on game circumstances--lend well to fighting some of the criticism Therrien faces on a daily basis.
There's no argument to suggest that Therrien's perfect and that his system is absolutely the best one for this team, or for today's NHL. We're aware that the Canadiens haven't managed to play the puck possession game with the same level of success that they had through most of last season's short sprint. But too many people took Therrien's "we are a grinding team" comment and turned it into his mantra. There were too many assumptions made that "we are a grinding team" translated to "we're a dump and chase team, no matter what the circumstances". The Canadiens won games they dominated, and they won games in which they were equal to their counterparts, and they certainly won games they didn't deserve to win via puck luck and a high shooting percentage. But they proved throughout the season that they could win in any way; that they could play a tight checking game, shutdown some of the best players in the world, and capitalize on great goaltending and quality scoring chances; that they could dominate with puck possession, opening up the shooting range; that they could maintain leads and build on them; that they could come from behind, even as the clock ticked towards certain doom.
Therrien's right. This team has character, and you know what, they were pretty consistent this season, no matter how they won. And Therrien did get them prepared to take 23 out of the final 30 points available to them, going 11-3-1 down the stretch. After clinching a playoff berth, they didn't play spectacularly well in the final week of the season, but it would be nearly impossible to suggest they backed into the post-season. They had a great effort in Chicago without their top defensive pairing and their number one goaltender, they played a stinker against the Islanders, and they were far from perfect against the Rangers. But hey, they won their last game of the season in dramatic fashion--a game they needed to win to keep their hopes for home ice alive, and that perfectly embodied the type of character they have.
4) Brian Gionta, scoring that beautiful forehand shake, forehand-backhand goal--roughly 62 minutes of game-time after receiving an award for being the team's unsung hero--was some kind of poetic justice. Carey Price notching the shutout--41 saves later--was more of it.
5) I made some predictions before the season started, so let's revisit them, shall we?
The caveat was as follows: All of the following predictions are contingent on the given health of a player. If an injury occurs, averages and projections will have to serve as the result.
a) P.K. Subban will lead the Habs in scoring. Alright, he had this covered for a fair portion of the season, but we all know how it ended. I was wrong. Still, Subban was pretty close, a mere seven points from Pacioretty, and had Vanek not joined the fray, he'd have likely made good on this.
b) Pacioretty will score more than 30 goals. Yep.
c) Price will record more than 30 wins for the second time of his career. 34 to be precise, and six of them by shutout. Not too shabby, considering he missed eight games after the Olympics and only ended up appearing in 59 when all was said and done.
d) David Desharnais will score at least 55 points (there's a bolder one). That's a no, but I can't really beat myself up on this one. If he hadn't started his season at game 19, he'd have easily eclipsed this total, and considering that no one believed he'd be able to, I'm almost considering this a win.
e) Alex Galchenyuk will score at least 55 points. Wrong. Didn't expect to be wrong about this. It started off promising. It was a tough season for him. Anyone concerned about his future? Didn't think so...
f) Daniel Briere will score at least 50 points (BOLD). No discounting how bad the beginning of this season was for Briere, but he showed some flashes that would have one believe he might be valuable in the playoffs. But yeah, this was ambitious.
g) At least six Habs will score 20 goals or more (boldest). Certainly was the boldest, and yes, it was very wrong. But, seven players scored 40 points or more. Not too bad!
h) Andrei Markov will finish top 3 in powerplay points. If the Canadiens powerplay hadn't hit the freezer for the second half of the season, I believe this could've been attainable. Either way, Markov had a pretty exceptional season. And for what it's worth, he finished tied for the 7th most powerplay points among defensemen, notching 21, alongside Duncan Keith.
i) The Habs will make the playoffs. Yes they will.
g) Brian Gionta will score 22 goals or more I meant 22 assists. The 18 goals were more than most would've given him.
I'm okay with being wrong on a lot of these. I was close on a lot of the ones I was wrong on.
Playoff breakdown comes tomorrow. No predictions--aside from the series outcome--I promise.
Montreal Canadiens Blogger • 
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