1) No better way to undo back-to-back wins than with back-to-back losses. You could call it a tough week for the Canadiens, I'd sooner suggest it was an average one.
The team put together tight and impressive wins over New York and Dallas, but the general consensus will be that they failed against much tougher competition this weekend, in Minnesota, then in Colorado thereafter.
2) You're never going to play mistake-free hockey, but the Habs had too many breakdowns in their own end over the weekend.
Douglas Murray on Nino Niederreiter's goal, Francis Bouillon on Jason Pominville's game-winner, Murray again on Gabriel Landeskog's game-opening goal, and P.K. Subban on the insurance goal from Ryan O'Reilly-- these were all examples of lack of attention to detail.
I doubt the players would use the father-son factor as an excuse that led to a bit of distraction for them.
And they battled hard in both games, having given themselves a chance to win both. Sometimes you have to look at what the opponent did right, and there were lots of things you could point to in these two games.
3) Carey Price has been magnificent in every game this year, but when Jason Pominville came barreling down on a breakaway and beat him five-hole to open the scoring for Minnesota, Friday, he didn't rebound very well from it. Not that you're expected to make the stop on a breakaway from the opposing blue line, but Price wasn't happy to be beat in such a fashion.
It was a comedy of errors, from Ryan White to Subban to Markov on the play... not much for Price to beat himself up over.
4) Early in the Colorado game, Brendan Gallagher has a 2-on-1 with Lars Eller, and Gallagher pops one wide right, trying to go short-side shelf with the shot.
I never have a problem with a goal-scorer shooting to score. You definitely have to hit the net, but it's normal that you're going to miss once in a while.
On that specific play it made me think, guys rarely go for the simplest play available to them in a scoring situation. They used to do it far more often, but it's so tempting to snipe one upstairs.
Truth: Eller beat his man so cleanly to the net, and the pass wasn't available to Gallagher. Giguere was solid on his angle. So, the best chance at a goal was for Gallagher to sweep the puck along the ice to Giguere's right pad--that leaves Eller with an easy tap-in.
I was remarking this to my friends when Gabriel Landeskog came in 2-on-2, ripped one across Peter Budaj's body to his far-side pad, and Nathan MacKinnon shoveled the rebound in.
I got no problem with shooting to score, but smart players recognize high probability plays and execute them like Landeskog did with MacKinnon on that one. And no, I'm not saying Gallagher isn't a smart player. If I get a chance, I'm going to ask him about whether or not he'd have done something different on that particular play...
5) A lot of people were really upset with the way Michel Therrien played his bench on Friday. Three goals went in against the Canadiens fourth line. One not going in would've made a difference-- and for at least one of those goals, Therrien had Parros, White and Blunden out there with Murray and Bouillon. Playing with fire, got burnt.
I can understand why people were upset.
6) It's hit the fan for David Desharnais. Officially. It doesn't matter that he played great against Minnesota, he didn't do what the team needs him to do. And on his best scoring chances, he couldn't even out-muscle the competition for a shot on net.
Francois Gagnon had a whole piece about Desharnais this weekend that's worth reading.
Max Pacioretty has often come to his buddy's defense. It's never easy to see a friend struggle to the degree Desharnais has, and to see him ripped apart virtually everywhere.
But you can't say the ripping is unjustified. And Desharnais knows it's justified as well as anyone else, though I doubt he'd admit it's helping him. It's certainly not.
7) Prevalent thought watching Galchenyuk play Minnesota: How do you get this guy the puck more often?
Answer came Saturday when Galchenyuk took over at centre between Bourque and Pacioretty, then with Gallagher and Pacioretty.
Therrien will take his chances with this. The team becomes stronger with Plekanec, Eller and Galchenyuk up the middle.
Lines at practice: Bournival-Plekanec-Gionta, Pacioretty-Galchenyuk-Gallagher, Bourque-Eller-Leblanc, Desharnais-White-Parros
Let the "free Eller" comments rain...
8) Brandon Prust and Travis Moen took a skate today.
9) Daniel Briere was on the trip this weekend, and has been headache-free for a few days.
Astute reader Pat Dussault asked a couple of weeks ago (I paraphrase):
With $60M+ earned over his career, three concussions in three years, three kids to worry about, does Briere pack it in?
It's a good question. Why should he risk anything at his age?
I don't have the answer, but I don't believe retirement is something Briere is thinking about right now, and I don't believe this is the end he has in mind for his dream of being a Montreal Canadien.
Update: Briere skated today.
10) The Habs called up Martin St.-Pierre, who's been on a hot streak in Hamilton. He's practicing on the bubble of the fourth line.
Blunden was sent back to Hamilton over the weekend.
The possibility of Desharnais watching from the pressbox tomorrow is very real. The one thing that might keep him in the lineup is the idea of having him as insurance up the middle, against a Blues team that we know is insanely hard to beat.
If he gets the chance to play, albeit in a majorly reduced role, now would be a really good time for him to break through.