There is panic in the air the Montreal after the Canadiens (8-3-1, 17 points) got blown out 6-2 by the Calgary Flames on Sunday night. The loss was Montreal’s first on home ice this season. Mike Therrien’s mind was focused on his D pairs on at Monday’s practice. In an effort to put an end to the nonsense, Therrien paired his top two top D-men together. Andrei Markov and P.K. Subban can cause fits for opposing forwards and D to compete with. Therrien likes to play Markov with Subban at junctures in games. They duo has yet to play a game together this season.
Therrien is demanding that his team improve its overall D structure moving forward. He ran his forwards and D through an intense, physica; practice on Monday.
l Thanks, Canadiens.com
“When you play solid defensive hockey, it creates chances offensively,… said Therrien. “When you don’t play solid defence, you find yourself a step behind and you take penalties.…
That may change on Tuesday night when the Chicago Blackhawks take on the Canadiens. Carey Price told NHL.com that the Markov-Subban create matchup nightmares for opponents.
"They're a threat every time they're in the opposition end. There's no question," Price said. "[Markov's] vision is second to none and he finds P.K. all over the ice. P.K. obviously has the lateral ability and the shot to get it on net. So I think if we're using those two guys [Tuesday], they need to do what they need to do, and that's get pucks towards the net."
The blessing for Therrien in playing Markov (+3, 21 shots, 25:36 TOI) with Subban (even, 24 shots, 24:56 TOI) is that the pair can create brilliant plays and can light the lamp. The bad news in loading up an uber D pair leaves the Canadiens compromised on its other two D pairs. Alexei Emelin (+3) skated with Tom Gilbert (+4) on Monday. Emelin has been running with Subban and Gilbert with Markov. Youngster Nathan Beaulieu (-5) should play Tuesday night and will be playing with Mike Weaver (-5).
If these D pairs bear fruit for Therrien against Chicago on Tuesday night, you can expect to see the same lineup Wednesday night against Buffalo. However, a loss to the Hawks might prompt Therrien to scramble his D pairs again for the Wednesday night tilt against his former defensive stalwart Josh Gorges in Buffalo. Habs GM Marc Bergevin and the Habs brass decided to move towards its youth. Bergevin wanted to work Nathan Beaulieu and Jarred Tinordi into the D mix in Montreal. The tandem of Beaulieu-Tinordi is a combined -10 this season.
In 12 games played, the Habs have scored 28 goals (2.33 per game).
The Habs have allowed 35 goals against.
Losing 7-1 to Tampa, 6-2 to Calgary and 3-0 to Edmonton has skewed Montreal's goal differential.
In July, Gorges was traded to Buffalo after he gave the double thumbs down to a trade to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Gorges played seven exceptional seasons in Montreal and was a reliable, steadying influence on the ice and in the room. He’s become a team leader in Buffalo and is playing on the Sabres’ top D pair alongside Tyler Myers. Gorges is averaging 22:12 TOI. Don’t let his -6 rating fool you. He’s been playing superbly for the offensively challenged Sabres who have scored only 14 goals in the first 13 games of the season. Gorges has already blocked 56 shots and has landed 19 hits.
Gorges will be fired up to face his former teammates on Wednesday night. Losing record notwithstanding, the Sabres are 2-2-1 in their past five games and are feeling better about themselves after beating Detroit 3-2 in the shootout on Sunday night.
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