Is it time for Montreal Canadiens’ fans to kiss the 2014-2015 season goodbye? Down 3-0 in the Eastern Conference semifinals against a raging Tampa Bay Lightning, one would be encouraged to think so. It’s beginning to look like Michel Therrien has exhausted all of his resources, being severely outcoached by a Jon Cooper who seems to do everything right without needing to shuffle his lines.
It’s not to say that the Habs did not put up an amazing fight during last night’s heartbreaking 2-1 loss with the game-winning goal coming with 1 second left in regulation. Statistically, the Habs were better in every category except for hits (24 to Tampa Bay’s 28) and blocked shots, with the Bolts blocking 17 shots to the Habs’ 10. This last stat does not tell the entire truth, as I believe that I saw Tampa Bay block significantly more than 17 shots. That was their game plan- force the Canadiens blue liners to take shots from the points and from the perimeter and block everything. I rolled my eyes at how often shots were hitting legs, and not Ben Bishop’s net.
Moreover, the biggest concern is a lack of finish. None of the Habs’ players are capable of scoring on a regular basis come playoff time. Through 9 games, only 11 different players have scored goals. This list excludes David Desharnais, Devante Smith-Pelly, Andrei Markov, and Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau. Out of these 11 goal scorers, P.K. Subban, Torrey Mitchell, Tomas Plekanec, Brian Flynn, Lars Eller, Alex Galchenyuk and Jeff Petry each have only a single tally to their names. All of them have participated in each of the 9 playoff games, except for Flynn who only took part in 6. No one on the roster has more than 5 points.
I’m still amazed at how Jeff Petry has played, and he should be signed to a long-term deal regardless of the asking price. Shift after shift, he provides the Habs blue line with the steadiness of a veteran and the motivation of a rookie. He’s a keeper.
Tampa Bay has fared significantly better overall. They’ve scored a total of 27 goals, with 15 players contributing with at least a goal or more. Tyler Johnson has 8 goals and 3 assists for 11 points, with Nikita Kucherov and Alex Kilhorn each putting up 3 goals and 4 assists. The team no longer needs to count on a Steven Stamkos to produce, even if he is in a slump. Unfortunately for the Habs, Stamkos’ “slump… consists of 1 goal and 6 assists in 10 games.
I’m not sure what to expect of tonight’s game. The Habs have proven over and over again that they are capable of bouncing back from adversity and overcoming their biggest challenges. This is what I’ve maintained from the beginning of the playoffs, though I seem to have been proven wrong. They’ve buried themselves within a deep hole, and climbing out of it will be the biggest challenge Michel Therrien’s troops have faced all season. At this point, one sees a deflated and discouraged team hitting the ice…
In the history of the NHL, only 4 teams have ever overcome a 3-0 series deficit. The Habs are hoping that they can at least bring the series back to Montreal, and Carey Price is going to have to be even better than he has been. Montreal was supposed to have the advantage in goaltending during this series against the Bolts, but that hasn’t been the case as Ben Bishop has been beyond impressive. He has 5 straight wins, with a 1.12 goals against average.
If the Canadiens can start burying their chances, who knows where they will go. The atmosphere in Montreal is tense, and it seems like all hope is lost on an amazing 2014-2015 season. Let’s just wait to see what the Bleu Blanc et Rouge will bring to the table tonight, it what is their most important game of the year.