Ek's Note: As you Habs fans know Eric Engels has moved on to become a Habs writer for Sportsnet and we couldn't be more proud. Eric's passion and commitment made him a MUST read and we will continue to read him in his new endeavor. This leaves us with a MAJOR hole to fill and there is no team with better options to fill that hole than Montreal. There are so many great and passionate writers out there. We have been getting inundated with sample blogs and resumes. In picking Eric's replacement I feel, more than ever before, it is important for our Habs community to be involved. The Habs community is so amazing and you all, way more than I, know what you want. Here is your first option...John Weins...I personally really enjoyed this...let us know what you think with your comments. We need a new writer in place by the time the first playoff puck drops next week

For a team continually getting kicked in the Corsi, the Habs sure have a great regular season ranking, don’t they? And for a team with such a great ranking it is amazing to think about how they have done it. They have done it without their much vaunted top 4 centermen all playing at the center position. No top 4 on defense until just a month ago, and no bonafide top line center or right winger. With Carey Price facing a barrage on most nights, you wouldn’t think they would be where they are. They are winning the battle in the only real area where you must succeed in the NHL – Goal Differential.

Lately even that is starting to slide, and in the midst of this latest slump there are questions that should be asked. Here are some of them.

1. Did the team get better at the forward position in the last two months? It is hard to say, but that in and of itself is pretty telling isn’t it? So no, let’s go with no. They are not better.

2. They have more depth of moderate usefulness. There are injuries we don’t know about which this depth is helping with, that is my assumption. The main differences between Malholtra and Mitchell are wheels, lefty vs. righty, and being homegrown. I don’t think that translates to a 1.75 million dollars more per season, do you?

3. DSP – Is he a big game guy? So far he is being defined by many of us as a role-player. As much as Sekac was found money, no-one is crowing over DSP right now.

4. Thankfully, the Habs are clearly better at the Defensive position, which has been a priority since training camp. Petry has been a huge upgrade to the second pairing, and unbelievably didn’t cost a first round pick. The Habs got Petry for much less than the Rangers spent for Yandle or the Kings for Sekara. Petry can do alot more than Gorges did, and Gorges was a top 4 guy last year, so Bergevin and company really took care of business there. Petry can also score, something that Gonchar and Beaulieu can’t seem to do. So the question is : Will they take advantage of those matchups or not? Therrien’s history suggests not.

5. And if the defense is so much better, why are the Habs on a losing streak? Are they actually better, or just better on paper?

6. I don’t know about you, but I think the Habs defense next season should be excellent. P.K. and Markov will be joined by Tinordi, Beaulieu, Pateryn, Emelin, and Gilbert, and many fans of the blue, blanc, rouge are pulling for Petry. Can he be resigned for a digestible number? No wonder Nygren went home. His chances at this point really are nil if Petry stays. And, this is one of the reasons I don’t feel that the Habs are this years team. I think they are next years team.

7. Nathan Beaulieu’s best assets are his skating and passion. He could be one of the better skating defensemen in the league and a constant threat if he would skate the puck more aggressively. Why doesn’t he? For him I believe this is the next step. Petry and Beaulieu would make a great 3-4.

8. Speaking of Nygren, does he have any value in the NHL? For someone who has plenty of upside left he seems to be at conflict with this organization at the wrong times. He either needs a new scene or a different attitude, or both.

9. Has Alex Galchenyuk really done much in the last 3 months to warrant a large salary increase? I understand asset protection, but next year Ellers contract will either be genius or it will really, really hurt. Galchenyuk is a good player, but not a great one yet. So what kind of money can he get?

10. And while we’re at it, can someone please ask Galchenyuk to keep his head up and just play the game? He’s got great instincts and he is not using them.

11. Much is made about the youth of this team, but their elite players – Max Pacioretty, P.K. Subban and Carey Price, all elite, are approaching the peak of what they can do. If they can sustain it for the next 4 years, I would say that this is the championship window. Price might be able to extend that, the others will have to continually prove themselves.

12. This is the elephant in the room. Can chip and chase, the system the Canadians use so successfully in the regular season, really take a team to the cup? We’ll know in a month, but I bet you already know the answer.

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