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Scoring and the Atlantic Division, by Andrew Saadalla |
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As the Montreal Canadiens face off against an Original Six rival in the New York Rangers tonight, there are a few telling stories that will define the Habs’ remaining 23 games. It’s no secret that secondary scoring has hindered their overall performances, though it’s hard to imagine that primary scoring would have been as lacklustre as it currently is.
Take a look at the number of players per team that have 15 goals or more:
The Habs find themselves amongst the worst teams of the National Hockey League, where the Detroit Red Wings are 15th in the Eastern Conference while Arizona and Colorado are both occupying the last spots in the West.
Granted, a player such as Alex Galchenyuk (12G) missed a fair chunk of the season while Alexander Radulov and Paul Byron both have 14 goals to their names. Moreover, Shea Weber has 13 tallies, and the team boasts seven players who have 10 goals or more. The Rangers, on the other hand, have eight players with 12 goals or more.
This week, the Habs also face off against the New York Islanders and the Toronto Maple Leafs. None of these games are to be taken lightly, and it will be interesting to see how new head coach Claude Julien prepares his troops and gives them the confidence they absolutely need in order to keep their lead in the Atlantic Division. If the Habs lose more than one game this week, it could be time to start worrying about whether they will make the playoffs or not this season.
Playoffs: Atlantic Division
Sadly, scoring is not the only concern for the Canadiens during this last stretch. The playoff race continues to tighten, and the Habs (2-7-1 in their last 10 games) are starting to feel the pressure in the Atlantic Division.
- The Ottawa Senators have two games in hand and are only two points behind the Canadiens for the Division lead.
- The surging Florida Panthers are 8-1-1 in their last 10 games, have one game in hand on the Habs and are only four points behind.
- The Boston Bruins are also four points behind the Canadiens, although they have played the same number of games. They are 7-3-0 in their last 10.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs have one game in hand and are five points behind the Canadiens.
Lineup changes
It looks like Nikita Nesterov will be sitting out tonight’s matchup as Greg Pateryn will be reinserted into the lineup:
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