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Two and a Half Men: Cole, Pacioretty and Desharnais |
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As expected, the Canadiens' Masterton nominee this season is Max Pacioretty. The award is given to the player "who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to ice hockey".
If coming back from a broken neck and severe concussion to score 30 goals doesn't fit the bill, I don't know what does (pardon the pun).
As for sportsmanship, even though Pacioretty was suspended earlier in the year for his hit on Kris Letang, I think if you polled the league's players, they'd tell you he's a class act, all the way.
A few years ago, Chris Higgins set his career back dramatically by exclaiming he could be a 40/40 guy in the NHL. This was after three straight seasons of scoring 20 or more goals. He had 22, 23, and 27 respectively, before making the claim.
Max Pacioretty set the bar a little lower and overachieved. When he told Tony Marinaro that he felt 25/25 were good targets to aim his sights on, there were many who felt that was a bit lofty coming off the injuries he had sustained.
More than the injuries, the mental strain of returning to the fastest game on Earth never seemed to be an obstacle for Pacioretty.
With 12 games remaining on the schedule, Pacioretty will surely add to the 30 goals and 27 assists he's put up so far. And over the next couple of seasons, we'll see how consistently he can achieve this kind of success.
How about his linemate, Erik Cole, who came to the Canadiens after scoring 26 goals and 26 assists one year ago? People lamented the length of his lucrative contract but conceded the Canadiens were adding a piece they'd desperately been longing for, for too long.
Would either player have enjoyed as much success, away from David Desharnais and each other? Probably not?
Would the team have been better served if their two, pure power-forwards could've been separated to balance out the scoring? Probably so. But given the team's standing, it's clear that with the injuries, and the blown leads, and the confidence hits throughout the year, it wouldn't have made much of a difference.
With 26 goals and 25 assists, with 12 games to go, Cole has already surpassed expectations. That he's played in all 70 games is a testament to his mental and physical fortitude, because for at least a month, the whole city's been made aware of the fact that he's been nursing several minor injuries.
Diminutive David Desharnais is the reason Montreal's most successful line has been dubbed "Two and a half men". His height listing is the smallest part of his game. It seems likely he'll reach 20 goals this year, sitting with 15, with 12 games remaining.
Desharnais hasn't just been a product of his environment, he's been the stimulus to the entire line's success. Most of his goals came on great individual efforts. He's been as much a part of the cycle as either of the big bodies he plays with, but none of that speaks to the level of impression he's made on Montreal and their fans.
Best faceoff percentage on the team 50.2%.
Best shooting percentage on the team 18.3%.
In the Canadiens first eight games this season, Desharnais was under 42% in the dot for six of them. Under 36% in three of them. This is cold, hard proof that he's the kind of player that works on his deficiencies.
Desharnais' put in the work, and it's paid off. So have Cole and Pacioretty, and it wouldn't be surprising at all to see all three players representing their respective countries at the upcoming World Championships of Hockey. All three should at least be expecting a call, whether they can participate or not.
You can talk about the penalty kill's success, Carey Price's play, or Josh Gorges' shot-blocking, but the Canadiens are indisputably drafting Nail Yakopov if not for the success of Cole-Desharnais-Pacioretty. Some might consider that a shame, but when this team returns to a form that doesn't resemble insufficient--as it did for most if not all of this season--they'll be thankful these three players had a confidence-inspiring season. They'll be a big part of turning this ship around.
No question, they've been the most positive elements of a failing season.
Montreal Canadiens Blogger • 
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