Habs Mid-season Props & Flops Part II - Flops & News From Practice (Habs)

Habs

Habs Mid-season Props & Flops Part II - Flops & News From Practice

By Jennifer B Cutler

Jan 12, 2016 • 2:00 pm

0comment-bubble

Part II of Props & Flops:

In a way it is difficult to say that the below are complete flops. Most have had their share of good days as well as bad. However, in my opinion the negatives outweigh the positives which is why the following have landed in the ‘Flops’ section:

Flops: Off-season Moves Alex Semin & Zack Kassian - Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin took calculated risks signing and trading for these Semin and Kassian during the off-season. I liked that Bergevin went for it and tried these low cap roster fixes. However, neither player has panned out and the Canadiens are still weak on the right side. They lack the depth of a player that is ready to play 100% in the top 6 of forwards. Sven Andrighetto and Daniel Carr have filled in admirably and are seemingly rotating in there but for this season, they are not the permanent solution. As well, they are both natural left wingers. It was rumoured that Bergevin tried hard to sign RW Justin Williams in the off-season but that Williams decided to sign with the Washington Capitals for less money. His 27 points this season would surely have helped the Canadiens, especially during their recent struggles.

Andrei Markov - During the 2015 playoffs, it was evident that Andrei Markov did not have very much left in the tank. Coming into the 2015-2016, it was obvious that his minutes would need to be managed in order for Markov to contribute to any Canadiens success. He came out of the gate flying with 17 points in the first 22 games. However in the past 21 games Markov has only 5 points. Through 43 games this season, Markov is averaging 23:58 minutes of ice time a game compared to 24:54/game last season. While Markov is playing just under a minute a game less, that is not enough to make a difference throughout 82 games and (hopefully) playoffs. Markov is being asked to play too much in various situations, from the penalty kill to power play to 3 on 3 overtime. It is simply too much. Markov does not have the foot speed to recover from mistakes and his decision making has been baffling at times. This is not the Andrei Markov that we are used to seeing. Michel Therrien finally recognized this and bumped Markov off the 1st pairing but has now reunited Markov with Subban, even with Jeff Petry expected to back in the lineup for Thursday. Markov needs to play no more than 20-22 minutes a game to be at his best and this especially has to be monitored in back to back game situations… David Desharnais/Alex Galchenyuk Ice Time Management - Desharnais has averaged 15:48 minutes a game while Galchenyuk has played almost a minute less at 14:58 a game. Despite Galchenyuk’s emergence as a true NHL centerman, Desharnais has received more playing time, especially at even strength when he is outplayed Galchenyuk by 1:12 minutes a game. Galchenyuk though is outscoring Desharnais with 27 points to 21, has more powerplay points of 9 to 4 and has won more faceoffs as well. Desharnais has thrived as a 3rd line center mostly playing with Tomas Fleischmann and Dale Weise. When he has been asked to do too much he has faltered. Galchenyuk needs to be given additional ice time and responsibilities. His 2:29 powerplay minutes a game is a good start, but he still needs more even strength time in order to keep up progressing.

Leadership Core On Ice Performance - The Canadiens have a leadership core led by captain Max Pacioretty and assisted by Andrei Markov, Tomas Plekanec, P.K. Subban, Brendan Gallagher and unofficially Carey Price. With Gallagher and Price out with injuries at the same time, the rest of the leadership core needed to step up on the ice and lead the Canadiens. Unfortunately they collectively went into a slump and with it came the Canadiens struggles. I do believe that this was a learning experience for Pacioretty and Subban and they will be better for it. But the Canadiens are entering crunch time and the time to truly step up is now.

Canadiens Power Play - The Canadiens started off the season unable to score on the powerplay, caught fire and climbed to the top 5 in rankings and have now fallen back to 18th in the league. Even without Gallagher, the Canadiens still have top end talent and should be stronger with the man advantage. Subban, Markov, Petry, Beaulieu and Barberio is almost an embarrassment of riches in terms of mobile defencemen who can move the puck and make crisp passes. Yes without Gallagher the forwards are a little weaker as the talent level drops off after Galchenyuk, Pacioretty and Plekanec, but Carr and Andrighetto have talent and with the man advantage could be very effective. Even Desharnais and Eller are capable of contributing on the powerplay. The 4 forward strategy certainly did not work. The Canadiens need to get more shots on net and create traffic once again. The goals will come.

Neither Here Nor There:

Tomas Fleischmann - The first quarter of the season Fleischmann looked to be one of the best off-season acquisitions and it was hard to believe that so many teams were not interested in him. He was recently a healthy scratch for two games but I believe that Therrien was likely sending a message to the team rather than it be a reflection on Fleischmann’s actual play. Despite not contributing on the scoresheet, Fleischmann is still an excellent backchecker and leads all Canadiens with 28 takeaways. He has developed chemistry with Desharnais and struggled without him as the line blender went into overdrive. Fleischmann should get back into the lineup for Thursday’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks playing with Desharnais and Paul Byron. Hopefully the time off will rejuvenate him…

Lars Eller - One of the most controversial players on the Canadiens. It seems as though fans either love him or hate him. Eller is not a true top 6 forward but he has some offensive instincts and potential. He is a strong forechecker and responsible defensively. Ideally he is a 3rd line center capable of shutting down opponent’s top lines and chipping in with 15 or so goals. However, this season he has been thrust into a new position and for the most part been okay. Eller can create space for Galchenyuk and help cover in the defensive zone. Eller is playing about as well as can be in this new position but eventually Galchenyuk needs to be with a true top line left winger (cough, cough Max Pacioretty). How much longer can Eller and Desharnais both be a part of the Canadiens?

Dale Weise - The Dutch Gretzky got off to an unbelievable start of the season but it was obvious that he would not be able to keep up his pace. Too much was being asked of him and perhaps he puts unrealistic expectations on himself. Weise is a very good 3rd line player and by all accounts a quality person. However, he does not belong on the 1st line or 1st power play unit, even if Brendan Gallagher was injured… His presence will certainly be welcomed once he returns from his Winter Classic injury.

--

As for the Galchenyuk drama that was discovered this morning, I will wait until more information comes to light before passing any judgements. For now, this is what is known:

Lines at practice were:

Of course the best news from today was:

Cheers & Follow Along!

Show Comments
Loading...
Loading...
0
Show comments for this article