One would think an opponent that is ranked 29th overall in the National Hockey League in goals per game with an average of 2.06 might not prove to be the biggest challenge of the Montreal Canadiens’ schedule. With Carey Price set to mind the net tonight as the Habs take on the Ottawa Senators, there’s a slight chance that head coach Guy Boucher’s team could fall to the 30th overall position in scoring.
That is, if their two-game losing streak doesn’t motivate them to bring their A-game against the league’s best team.
The Senators have managed to kill all 24 of their penalties through the month of November, which has helped propel them to the 3rd overall position with an 88.5% success rate. They have not allowed a goal shorthanded since October 22nd, which speaks highly of the system that Boucher is trying to implement. The problem is that their scoring prowess, which was lauded during the offseason especially thanks to Derick Brassard’s acquisition via trade, has been underwhelming.
Though Kyle Turris leads the team with eight goals, Erik Karlsson only has three as do Mark Stone, Mike Hoffman, and Bobby Ryan. Ryan Dzingel has five to his name, while Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Tom Pyatt and Brassard only have two tallies each. A lack of scoring depth has caused this team to find itself in the 9th position in the Eastern Conference and fourth in the Atlantic Dvision with 21 points and a 10-7-1 record. I would expect that all to change as the season progresses, for the Senators should find themselves in the playoffs next Spring. Goal-scorers in the NHL tend to be streaky, as they go through waves of scoring droughts only to find themselves filling the back of the net regularly after overcoming slumps.
Just ask Max Pacioretty, who will line up alongside Torrey Mitchell and Andrew Shaw tonight.
Taking it in stride, Pacioretty told reporters:
“I’m excited to play with Torrey. He’s one of the guys I haven’t played with yet,… the captain said with a smile on his face. “He’s got great energy and he’s a great skater so we’ll see if we can put something together……
While Pacioretty reminded everyone that he’s tried to be more defensively sound recently, he added: “I’m trying to do whatever I can to help the team win. Every night it’s going to be different, and I’m excited for a new challenge.…
And the truth is, he’s right. He has 13 points in 19 games while being limited to only four goals thus far. As it stands, he is not on pace to hit the 20-goal mark this season, but that won’t distract a professional like Pacioretty. He knows very well that if something isn’t working out as planned, it’s time to try something different. When the goals aren’t coming, playing an intelligent two-way game often yields the desired results.
And in Pacioretty’s case, an intelligent two-way game is something he can certainly pride himself on, as he leads the team with recovered pucks on the forecheck:
Baon, j'ai mal classé mon tableau. Le revoici: pic.twitter.com/dvW0TVXkEV
— Olivier Bouchard (@oli_bou) November 21, 2016
It’s only a matter of time before the captain starts lighting the red lamp again. Slumps are a part of most snipers’ game, and Pacioretty has demonstrated countless times that he has the (strong) mindset to bounce back in the face of adversity. The 2016-2017 whipping boy of the Montreal fanbase seems to be ignoring the negative noise surrounding him, and could perhaps start turning it around tonight if given ample time on the power play.
Finally, in other news, Daniel Carr will replace Charles Hudon tonight:
Daniel Carr prendra la place de Charles Hudon face aux Sénateurs. / Daniel Carr will take Charles Hudon's spot against the Sens. #GoHabsGo
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) November 22, 2016
Check back tomorrow for my recap and my thoughts on tonight’s matchup.