For those of us wondering just how effective the Zack Kassian trade for goaltender Ben Scrivens will be, I say you’re not alone. While Marc Bergevin might’ve pulled off a miracle in getting rid of Kassian, who had clearly fallen out of grace with the organization, it was obvious that the Montreal Canadiens were desperate for better goaltending. What’s also clear is that although Scrivens is by no means a number 1 goalie in the modern-day NHL, he is offered the opportunity to replace Dustin Tokarski who was sent down to St. John’s earlier today. The Mike Condon-Ben Scrivens tandem won’t necessarily strike fear into the hearts of nor intimidate opposing players, but I’d rather take my chances with the former Oilers goaltender rather than keep waiting on Tokarski to find his game.
Tonight, the Habs face off against the Tampa Bay Lightning and will try to avoid losing 7 in a row for the first time in over 20 years. They’ve already lost their first place standing in the Atlantic Division when the Florida Panthers overtook them yesterday evening, and desperately need their veterans to start pulling their weight. Daniel Carr, called up from the Habs’ AHL affiliate on November 29th, leads the team in scoring during the month of November with 4 goals. Paul Byron is second with 3 goals, and Brian Flynn and Max Pacioretty have two goals each.
Evidently, significantly more production is expected of players such as Tomas Plekanec, P.K. Subban, Pacioretty, Andrei Markov, Tomas Fleischmann, David Desharnais, Alex Galchenyuk, Lars Eller, etc…. a list this extensive goes to show just how much the team has struggled to provide support to their struggling goaltenders, of which Mike Condon could potentially lose his eighth start in a row.
Nothing is going well for the Canadiens in recent times, but the team is simply not as bad as their month of December has demonstrated. A significant trade could be in the works, and that might potentially be exactly what the Habs need to turn their season around. The challenges that lie ahead before the Winter Classic are not to be taken lightly, as the Lightning have won four of their last six games thanks a to rejuvenated power play that has gone 6 for 21 in the past three games alone.
Perhaps the visiting team will want to exact a little revenge on the team that eliminated them from the playoffs last Spring. Personally, I don’t see the Habs winning tonight, but I’ll look forward to being corrected.