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Edit: Gilbert and Lessio in tonight's lineup,Take Two, by Andrew Saadalla |
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Edit: Lucas Lessio has confirmed that he will be in tonight's lineup:
Edit: Tom Gilbert makes his return from injury, as per Michel Therrien:
With the All-Star Weekend celebrations coming to an end last Sunday, the Montreal Canadiens claim to be ready to take on what they surely consider to be the second half of the 2015-2016 season. Two months of poor hockey were thought to have marred the confidence of the entire organization, but the players continuously find ways to stay positive. At least, that’s the impression they give when conducting interviews with members of the media. Habs fans have endured 25 games of shoddy performances and analysts continue to be baffled by the collapse of the team that had a franchise-best 9-0 start to the season. It’s no wonder then that we’re all a little reluctant to believe captain Max Pacioretty when he says that the team believes in itself and in its individual players. He acknowledged that the way the team is perceived by everyone has changed drastically since the start of the season yet he doesn’t pay attention to the negative criticism. As far as I’m concerned, it’s hard to ignore it if you’re hearing it, even more so if you’re experiencing it and often having fingers pointed directly at you…
It’s hard to believe Brendan Gallagher when he says the team is hungry and shows a lot of character, essentially singing the same song as his captain. Still, they deserve a little credit for at least saying the right things. After all, confidence is something you develop with time, and I often joke that you have to “fake it ‘till you make it”. Either way, it must be somewhat reassuring for the team to know that they can turn the page on the last 50 games and focus on the next 32. They’re not officially eliminated from playoff contention, but they’ll certainly have to win at least 19-20 of the remaining games in order to make it to the Spring dance.
The question is, what’s the point of making the playoffs this year? The team has clearly demonstrated that it’s incapable of stringing together 2 victories (!) without its starting goalie, and that they win a little over ¼ of their games without Carey Price. Did Geoff Molson et al. take the time to analyze the situation over the course of the All-Star break? Do they realize that “tanking” is a legitimate option, and that they can sacrifice one postseason’s worth of profits for the future of the organization? Perhaps they’re as hard-headed as some of the most passionate and loyal Habs fans who still believe that they will make the playoffs this year. But is this team truly built for a long run? Let’s face it, even if Price returns to rescue the season à la Andrew Hammond of last season’s Ottawa Senators, the Habs will be eliminated in the first round.
Which begs the question that’s on everyone’s lips: what is the plan for the Montreal Canadiens this year?
Tonight, they face off against a Philadelphia Flyers team that’s 5 points out of a playoff position. They’re directly competing with the Bleu Blanc et Rouge, as the Flyers have 3 games in hand and are two points behind Montreal in the Eastern Conference. Mike Condon is expected to be in net, and Pacioretty is will play despite having taken a slap shot to the face last week.
They’ll certainly need him, as the Habs have been averaging 1.8 goals per game over the last 19 matchups. Lucas Lessio was called up from the Ice Caps, but it’s unclear whether he’ll be in the lineup tonight.
Check back in for my recap!
Montreal Canadiens Blogger • 
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