Do you remember the Montreal Canadiens back in 2010?
Scott Gomez was the first line center, Andrei Kostitsyn and Mike Camalleri were playing alongside Tomas Plekanec, and Brian Gionta was the team captain. P.K. Subban was making his National Hockey League debut by being thrown into the mix during the playoffs. Hal Gill was blocking shots and killing penalties like he was born to do so, and Yannick Weber was chipping in with the occasional clutch goal. Jacques Martin was the head coach, and with a 39-33-10 record to close off the regular season, I’m sure even he was surprised that the Habs went on to defeat the Washington Capitals in the quarterfinals and the Pittsburgh Penguins in the semifinals, considering just how star-studded both of those teams were.
I was 22 years old, and a ball hockey goalie. I never played for a top-tier league, and being below 6’ tall, I had to come out and challenge shots practically every single time in order to ensure that I closed off the angles. I had to be quick and agile, and relatively flexible to make the right saves at the right time.
My biggest inspiration at the time was Jaroslav Halak.
His outstanding performances during those playoffs will stay with me forever, because it was the first time I had witnessed something of the sort. Being a Habs fan at that time was the most amazing feeling, and I recall travelling to Toronto with my younger brother (as I often do) to visit my cousins. We all watched the playoffs together, and couldn’t believe our eyes. The fact that both of those series went to seven games was even more outstanding, and we were all kept on the edge of our seats as Halak would sprawl across his crease in a perfect split to rob players like Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin of sure goals.
Despite the tremendous play of the Slovakian goaltender, the Habs would eventually be completely outmuscled and outplayed by the Philadelphia Flyers, losing 4-1 in the eastern conference finals.
As is customary in Montreal, the offseason meant it was time for the media and the fans to spread rumors, debate player roles, and question the credibility of the Bob Gainey/Pierre Gauthier organizational era. The longstanding debate was clear, and fans and media members all chose their sides when it came to the burning question:
Who was the future goaltender of the Montreal Canadiens: Carey Price, or Jaroslav Halak?
Who was worth more on the market at that point, and how risky would it be to trade either of these goalies? Clearly, there would be no room for both on the roster, and something had to give.
The division caused by this issue was a strong one, with a select few who somehow continue to argue against trading away Jaroslav Halak. He would go to St-Louis, Washington, and eventually found himself a home with the New York Islanders. He boasts a career SV% of .917 and a GAA of 2.38.
While Carey Price did not play last night as he continues to nurse a lower-body injury, his comparables are 2.43 GAA and a .920 SV%. Evidently, this does not take into consideration his past three years, where his SV% has not gone below .927. Those are very good numbers, considering he’s only recently entered his prime and continues to improve year after year, not to mention the incredible season he had last year, taking home the Jennings, Hart, Vezina and Lindsay awards.
I don’t particularly miss Halak, and I assume not many people do either. He’s done well for himself five to six years later, has remained a true professional and continues to give his team a winning chance every night.
Unfortuantely, he was left out to dry last night as the Islanders lost 4-1. It was a boring game- let’s just say it how it is. There was nothing overly exciting about the contest, as both teams played a conservative brand of hockey, opting to counterattack and focus on defense more than anything.
Max Pacioretty notched two assists to help him break out of his funk, while Tomas Plekanec, Brendan Gallagher, David Desharnais and- you guessed it- Dale Weise scored goals in securing the Habs’ 12th win of the season. Mike Condon continued his hot start, and is 5-0-1 in his rookie season. He’s helped his team get 11 out of a possible 12 thus far, and I wonder if he’ll become part of the rookie of the year talks in a few weeks…
With such a balanced attack, it’s hard to imagine where Alexander Semin fits in anymore. I would personally love to see him back in the lineup, as I’m sure he must have learned his lesson by now… right?
The only real question mark heading into the matchup between the Boston Bruins and the Habs tomorrow is what will it take to help Alex Galchenyuk achieve his potential? It’s becoming clearer and clearer that he needs a right-winger who will bury the chances he’s creating, but who is being shopped in the NHL?
Who do you think would be a great addition to Galchenyuk’s wing, and at what cost?