It was an interesting night for the Montreal Canadiens, who fell at the hands of the Pittsburgh Penguins by a score of 4-1. What was originally touted to be a speedy showdown between two Eastern Conference powerhouses turned out to be a heavily lopsided affair in favour of the reigning Stanley Cup champions.
Despite long stretches of puck possession and ferocious forechecking well into the second period, it seemed as though nothing was clicking for head coach Michel Therrien and his Habs. Defensive breakdowns in the neutral zone led to several counterattacks by Sidney Crosby and company, although there are several positives to take out of last night’s game.
For instance, the combination of Tomas Plekanec, Artturi Lehkonen and Sven Andrighetto was once again the most dangerous of any on the roster, and that bodes well for the veteran Plekanec who has struggled mightily this season unlike anything we’ve seen before. Lately, he seems to be playing with more confidence, as is evidenced by his three goals and four points in his last seven games.
I’m not ready to talk about a youthful rejuvenation in his case just yet, but you will recall that
I had proposed that the Habs organization trade him away in August of 2015.
His $5 million salary cap hit on the last year of his contract (before signing an extension) along with a previous campaign which saw him score 26 goals and 60 points had me believing that perhaps it was time to part ways with a highly dependable veteran two-way center whose value was certainly at its highest.
Fast forward to January of 2017, and the Kladno, Czech Republic native boasts only six goals and 20 points 46 games into the regular season schedule along with a $6 million cap hit until the end of 2018. In short, you can forget about trading him now because his value is low, his contract is expensive, and what he’s got left in the tank is anybody’s guess. Still, he did an exceptional job of shutting down Sidney Crosby last night and helped in keeping the NHL’s leading scorer to a single non-threatening shot on goal.
On the other hand, Andrighetto is finally starting to get comfortable once again at the National Hockey League level. He scored the lone tally last night on a wraparound, and seems to understand that he is counted on to make a difference. He is skating with his head held high, is defensively responsible, and is beginning to show signs of the puck handling, passing and shooting skills that captain Max Pacioretty alluded to during training camp. It’s only a matter of time before he finds himself a permanent spot on this team’s roster. He has four points in his last five games.
Of course, not enough can be said about Lehkonen and his exceptional hockey sense. A highly intelligent player who is wise beyond his NHL experience, the 21-year-old has everything he needs to be a top-six forward on this team for years to come, and he added an assist to his name last night on Andrighetto’s goal.
Note: A smart pinch by defenseman Alexei Emelin led to the primary assist, and notice that Plekanec, ever the responsible forward, smoothly skated over to the point to cover for no. 74.
TRADE PROPOSAL
The Canadiens will take this loss and move on, as they continue to sit atop the Atlantic Division with 60 points. Still, it’s becoming increasingly clear that a few additions to this team could help put them over the top amongst the NHL’s elite.
Earlier today, I read an interesting trade proposal which would send Nathan Beaulieu, Mikhail Sergachev and Michael McCarron over to the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for Anthony Duclair and Oliver Ekman-Larsson.
I don’t usually put much weight into this type of speculation, but this trade sounds very fair to me and personally, I would pull the trigger.
Montreal Canadiens Blogger • 
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