I’m Glad We Didn’t Trade Price! Habs V Wings + Gallagher + News + Notes! (Price)

Price

I’m Glad We Didn’t Trade Price! Habs V Wings + Gallagher + News + Notes!

By Brandon Smillie

Dec 2, 2017 • 1:45 pm

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Well, I didn’t see this coming.

I wanted it to happen very badly, but I just didn’t see it coming. Ok, maybe I've said all year that the stats show that whenever Montreal can get some goaltending they would win games, but with the injuries they have suffered I'll admit, I was looking past the season.

But.......

The Montreal Canadiens currently holding 3rd in the Atlantic after sweeping back to back games against division rivals Ottawa Senators and Detroit Red Wings. After the worst start in ages, and injuries/under achieving galore, the Habs hold a play off spot. Kind of looks like they may just be the exception to the “US Thanksgiving… rule that suggests if you’re not in a playoff spot by the American holiday you might as well trade and fire everyone… Well, at least to maybe 40% of the Canadiens fanbase.

But here we are with the Canadiens holding 3rd, albeit precariously with the Bruins holding 4 games in hand while only being 1 point back. The Bruins seem to be more in the “Retool… state so it is entirely possible to believe the Canadiens can sneak away with 3rd place in the Atlantic. Hell, there’s even a chance the Leafs will fall like they have typically done (although I will admit that is less likely than Boston tumbling down the standings).

All in all, a pretty good week and a half with the Canadiens going 4-0-1 in their last 5 games against Nashville, Buffalo, Columbus, Ottawa, and Detroit. They have outscored the opposition 16 to 8 along the way and have given the Habs media fits. The negative slant isn’t really applicable right now, unless you want to listen to the folks insinuating that Bergevin is a bad GM for not landing 40+ point C Adam Henrique (who is a good hockey player, but is a low scoring 2nd line C AT BEST).

I also don’t see a top 4 PP specialist like S Vatanen on the Canadiens roster that could have made that trade happen, but that’s just me. I am admittedly a homer, but I do at least try to apply logic as to not look petty and foolish, but that must get subscriptions and clicks so….

ANYWAYS….

The Habs begin a 5 game home stand tonight on the second half of the Home and Home series with the Detroit Red Wings. Last game the Canadiens came back from a sluggish first period (after a Win the previous night against OTT) in which they were out scored 2-1 and outshot 13-6. The remaining 40 minutes saw the Canadiens cashing in on their chances against a declining Red Wings team resulting in a 6-3 win with each team going 2-4 on the PP. Detroit’s PP goal with 2:24 left in the game made this look closer than it was as the Habs really took it to the listless Wings.

With Montreal winning games without Weber/Drouin/Lehkonen, Schlemko stabilizing the D core, and Jerabek showing good offensive instincts and puck moving ability #optimism is beginning to bloom again (well, for some).

Two players are really helping this club succeed right now and while everyone has really jumped back on the Carey Price bandwagon, he’s been helped tremendously by the play of Brendan Gallagher. In Gallagher’s last 20 games he has produced 11 G and 5 A to go along with a sparkling 53.6 CF%, 54.6 FF%, and 100.0 PDO. He’s playing right about how he can and its paying huge dividends for the future captain and the Montreal Canadiens.

No one can question the heart, desire, and pain tolerance of Gallagher, but breaking his hand twice in about a year certainly led many of us to believe his offensive contributions may have become limited. In this season Gallagher has proven to everyone he has much more to give and his potential hasn’t been shown yet. The Canadiens can bank on Gallagher night in, night out and that’s not something that can be said very much outside of Price, Weber, and Drouin.

The Canadiens team shooting percentage (7.1), save percentage (.905), and PDO (97.6) are slowly creeping up and so are the Canadiens in the standings. Stats fans should be the first to tell you that if this trend continues in the stats, the rise in the standings should as well.

So we have that going for us, which is nice.

Weak Atlantic Division or not, the Habs are 3 points back from the 8th place NYR’s and 2 points back of the 9th place Capitals. The Habs needed a stretch like the last 5 games, and some luck, to claw their way back into the race and they have done just that. The future returns of Weber, Drouin, and Lehkonen should only help improve this teams chances of making big strides towards a playoff push.

Before I get too far ahead of myself, the Canadiens must make this game against Detroit count. The Wings are no doubt hungry and angry about their last game and will be looking to make a statement, the Canadiens have to respond with their own statement. A statement of purpose and intent to make playoffs and compete for a Stanley Cup. The playoffs have started early for MTL and the intensity level must as well.

LINES FROM PRACTICE

The information below was pulled straight from the Canadiens official site.

Pacioretty - Danault - Shaw Hudon - Plekanec - Gallagher Galchenyuk - de la Rose - Byron Deslauriers - Froese/Drouin - Carr

Alzner - Petry Benn - Weber Mete - Schlemko Morrow - Jerabek

Price Niemi

Brandon Davidson was not on the ice. He is expected to be placed on waivers at noon.

It would appear Davidson is heading to Laval after it was reported that Montreal was trying to trade him. I speculated in a previous blog that we were likely to see Davidson or Morrow moved with the return of Schlemko, emergence of Jerabek, and play of Mete. Looks like Davidson became the odd man out. I wish him the best wherever he lands.

With S Weber being listed as a game time decision I’m not certain who would be coming out, but I would pick Morrow to sit. I like Mete and want to see him on the lower pair with some sheltered time. I also like what I’ve seen from Jerabek so far and feel he must stay in and adapt his game as he has good offensive potential. What Julien and Co. does will likely be what’s best, but that’s just my two cents.

***Update @12:52 pm: Morrow scratched***

It's like they are reading these blogs or something ... ;)

I haven’t seen anything in the media regarding Drouin’s availability for tonight so if he doesn’t play, he may be close to a return.

Habs are playing well, reinforcements are coming, and Price is motivated again. The Christmas season may get a whole lot more merry in the next couple weeks and I couldn’t be happier. But I should refrain from celebrating too early with the Habs due to 7 game road trip after this 5 game home stand. While the impending road trip doesn’t include their typical positions on the whippings posts in California, it does include Ottawa, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Carolina, Tampa Bay, and Florida (in that order) to end the calendar year.

We will see if #Optimism makes it to 2018.

Go Habs Go!

COLLECT THE BEST! COLLECT UPPER DECK!

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Don't forget to check out Upper Deck products at your local hobby shops and online! This seasons Black Diamond is now available with the possibility of finding actual diamonds embedded in the cards! It’s a high end product for serious collectors so if you’re a big collector, or a new one, make sure you stop by your local shop and see if you can get yourself a box (or case).

I had the chance to crack open a Hobby box of the Toronto Maple Leafs Centennial set, as I was a big fan of the Canadiens version and I must say they did a great job from the design, subsets, and design of the Auto’d cards! Check out what I got here!

Was hoping for a Gilmour or Matthews auto for my collection but maybe next time!

Follow me on Twitter @BrandonSmillie where I mostly stick to hockey stuff.

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