Everybody relax. Take a deep breath, and close your eyes.
And acknowledge that the Habs have lost two games out of eleven. They’ve picked up 18 out of a possible 22 points thus far. They’re still the highest scoring team in the NHL, and their +18 goal differential as well as their overall record has them in the number one position in the league.
They’ve allowed a grand total of 21 goals over the course of the young season. Only the Florida Panthers (18), New York Rangers (20), Pittsburgh Penguins (20), Nashville Predators (17), Chicago Blackhawks (19), Los Angeles Kings (18), and San Jose Sharks (20) have allowed the opposition to score less goals. All of these teams have 2 games in hand over the Canadiens, with the exception of the Blackhawks who have only one.
Carey Price has let in 9 goals over the course of the past two games, yet his GAA is 2.01 and his SV% is a remarkable .936. Only six other goalies have played nine games or more, and Marc-Andre Fleury of the Penguins has a GAA of 1.90 and a .937 SV%. Carey Price still leads the league in wins.
Ask yourselves, is it really time to start criticizing the team that’s given Habs fans everywhere a spectacular season? Let’s not hit the panic button. This is an excellent team, and the one to beat this year. In Montreal and across the world, fans expect absolute perfection from this team night in and night out, and they’ve come very close to delivering just that.
The past three games have raised important question marks surrounding the team. Alexander Semin has predictably become the scapegoat due to lacklustre performances, and many in the media are questioning the efficiency and reliability of the Alex Galchenyuk trio. Some are even calling for Tom Gilbert and Alexei Emelin’s heads, given that Jarred Tinordi and Greg Pateryn have yet to lace up for the Habs and are patiently waiting their turns. Dale Weise is being labelled as a player with a lack of finish (granted, he has missed most of his chances), yet he still managed to score 3 goals and add two assists.
The Habs face off against a struggling Calgary Flames tonight, and backup goaltender Mike Condon is expected to be in net. He has looked good so far, and will have to bring his A-game as the Flames are on a three-game losing streak. They’ll be hungry, just as the Vancouver Canucks were earlier this week, to put an end to their downward skid.
What will it take for the Habs to bring it to a team that is inferior in many ways? Leadership.
And I’m not just talking about Max Pacioretty, P.K. Subban, Andrei Markov and Tomas Plekanec.
I’m talking about the unusual suspects, such as Brendan Gallagher who struggled for the first two games of the season but has really shouldered the weight of leading by example through his endless work ethic. Tomas Fleischmann has not looked out of place on a single shift this year, and Jeff Petry continues to impress with his hockey sense and complete game. David Desharnais might have caused the turnover that led to the Edmonton Oilers’ game-winning goal, but let’s give credit where it’s due: he was behind Price’s net, backchecking and supporting his defensemen as he was recovering a loose puck. He was simply outmuscled, and the Oilers pounced on the opportunity to bury the Habs. Desharnais has looked very good this year, and the fourth line- if we can even call them that anymore- has been on fire, with Torrey Mitchell (!) scoring his fifth goal of the season last night.
The two-game losing streak might turn into a three-game or four-game losing streak. Maybe the Habs will even lose five in a row, and pick up a single win after that. That means their record would potentially be 10-5, given the hypothetical situation.
Personally, I’d take those numbers any day.