Wanna blog? Start your own hockey blog with My HockeyBuzz. Register for free today!
 

THE SKY IS FALLING! Habs Losing Streak Giving Fans Fits...

February 19, 2019, 2:28 PM ET [370 Comments]
Brandon Smillie
Montreal Canadiens Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
The social media sentiment right now is that the Habs need to drop out of the playoffs, trade everyone, and even trade our best PP weapon J Drouin...

Well, not everyone thinks that way, but that's the kind of bipolar reactions I'm seeing to the Canadiens recent 4 game losing streak.

I wrote not long ago that the 4 games against Winnipeg, Toronto, Nashville, and Tampa Bay would be incredibly difficult and that if they ended up with 4 points that we should consider ourselves fortunate. Well they took 3 points of 8 so really, it wasn't THAT bad a stretch, but the back to back losses against Tampa and Florida triggered many a Habs fan this past week...

The Tampa game hurt because the Habs had played really well and took the lead only to be overturned by an offside that happened way before the puck went in. Then the Lightning got some favorable calls to get the PP on the board and it was tough for MTL to come back against the best team in the league. To follow that up with a stinker on Niemi's part against Florida to throw them behind the 8 ball immediately and a tired team just looked even more tired.

Kotkaniemi appeared ready to break out but he has hit a little wall. Drouin appears to be the only guy capable of carrying the puck in on a PP but can't get the puck to anyone effectively because they key up on him knowing he's the distributor with not many other options (or at least not many other options being tried). Domi and Tatar have cooled off significantly after torrid starts and guys like Lehkonen and Armia are all but useless at putting the puck in the net.

The D has been doing its best but the need for a top 4 LD is becoming more evident every game and so is another massive hole on RW. After Gallagher there is no one that is a shooting threat from the right side and its likely another reason why our PP is so poor, it's simply predictable and lacking dynamic finishers at the moment.

I would love to see the Canadiens take a run at Mark Stone but the cost is likely going to be a lot more than most fans would want to hear. You're talking a 1st, 2nd, and roster player or prospect just to get the conversation moving and most fans don't want to talk about dealing 1st round picks. I would be more interested in deal the 2021 1st round pick as it seems the Habs might be picking between 12-19 and A Kaliyev is a prospect the Canadiens NEED. He is catching flak a bit for work ethic but he's a 17 year old, 6'2", 199 lbs dynamic scorer who has 47 G and 44 A in 57 games for the OHL's Hamilton Bulldogs and his ranking for this draft is everywhere from 11th (NHL Central Scouting: NA) to 31 by ISS Hockey and everywhere in between. If the Habs could add a scoring winger with size to the prospect pool that include deft playmakers like Kotkaniemi, Poehling, Suzuki then we would likely be set for the next 10 years up front with an incredible nucleus.

So if the big deal is to be made, I doubt it would include this years 1st rounder. The chances of landing this kid are too great at the moment.

So what can they do to help the biggest needs? I'm not sure what to tell you. I'm reading that the Habs have been working hard to acquire Burakovsky, a 6'2" LW/RW who weighs in just under 200 lbs and has lots of upside despite having a down year. He is making $3 mill against the cap and is an RFA at the end of the season so the Caps are likely looking to gain some assets for a player they might not want to pay. Sounds like a good fit for the Habs, but he isn't a Mark Stone on the wing...

As far as the Defense goes, I've read the Habs have been scouting Minnesota and LA almost regularly and sometimes send 2 reps to the games so there's smoke there. Although with the addition of Thompson might have been the extent of the Habs interest there so we will have to see if there are any more deals to make in LA.

Bottom line is this team has to stick to the pack mentality and shake off some tough games where they played well against really good teams and came up short. The Florida loss probably stings quite a bit but with 23 games left and 27 points remaining before they reach the coveted 96 point mark there is lots of time. Teams behind the Habs were afforded a chance to catch up due to the losing streak, but a 2-3 game win streak makes all that a distant memory and may even put them back into home ice conversation in the Atlantic.

So I would say that the sky isn't falling and we don't need to trade our most creative and dynamic offensive player due to a couple bad passes. I'm sorry but Drouin didn't lose those games, it takes a team to win and a team to lose. If one guy struggles, the others should be skating that much harder to win and support each other through the peaks and valleys of a season. Especially considering this Habs squad is so young...

Don't jump off the bandwagon yet folks, lots of hockey left to play.

Go Habs Go
Join the Discussion: » 370 Comments » Post New Comment
More from Brandon Smillie
» Acquiring Laine Would Exceptional... But At What Cost?
» Is 29 Year Old Jake Gardiner The Only Option For MTL?
» Big Game Hunting
» Habs Give A Glimpse Of Great Things To Come In Bittersweet Finish
» Habs Ink World Jr Stars Poehling and Primeau to ELC Deals + PLAYOFFS?!?