Game 6: Listless Habs fall to Penguins
by Kevin van Steendelaar on Oct 20, 2011 10:30 PM EDT
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The Montreal Canadiens got to Pittsburgh, they just forgot they had a game at 7pm EST. A confused, disarrayed and listless team has now gone four games without a win, falling 3-1 to the Penguins.
The lackluster effort spoiled what was an excellent performance by Canadiens goalie Carey Price. The Habs netminder made 29 saves on a night that could have easily been 5-0 by the midway point.
Despite the return of Mike Cammalleri, the Habs offense couldn't get anything together. They did have a total of 28 shots, but much their loss to Buffalo Sabres the bulk were to the perimeter, or even from their own end. Those that were in close were easy to see and handled by Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury.
After maybe their best overall game of the season on Tuesday, Habs coach Jacques Martin screamed at his team during Wednesday's practice. With Thursday's result, is it possible that the bench boss has lost the respect of his team?
Pittsburgh opened the scoring at 8:55 of the opening period. The hot James Neal flung a flutter ball that deflected off the leg of Josh Gorges. The puck struck the post, then hit the back of goaltender Carey Price's leg and just rolled over the line.
They opened their lead to a pair of goals in the second period. A turnover by Alexei Emelin, and some puck watching by defense partner Yannick Weber, led to a Joe Vitale tip-in at 2:38.
While Hal Gill had the spotlight, playing his 1000th career NHL game, it was also a milestone for the Penguins Arron Asham. The Penguins forward celebrated his 700th career game with the third goal of the evening, at 5:20 of the third period, skating in unattended and batting a high puck into the net.
Brian Gionta spoiled Fleury's bid for his first career shutout of the Canadiens, with a late goal at 18:24.
The Canadiens next game is Saturday against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Blue and White suffered their first regulation loss, a 6-2 pasting at the hands of the Boston Bruins, so expect them to be in tough at the Bell Centre.
Scott Gomez left the game during the first period with ans upper-body injury, and did not return. Max Pacioretty left the bench momentarily in the same period, but returned to finish the game.Pacioretty also had a four-game point streak snapped.
Scoring Summary from NHL.com
Three Stars:1. Marc-Andre Fleury 2. Deryk Engelland 3. Arron Asham
Advanced Stats: Shift Charts / Head to Head / Corsi Fenwick
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What is the life span of a hockey coach these days… This is Jacques Martin’s third season and it seems his players are not responding to him. A team this talented, even with injuries should not play so incosistently and lifeless.
The past two seasons, despite losing key players the Canadiens battled and never had a prolonged slump. Martin did a good job of coaching a depleted line-up that played hard and made the play-offs and gave every team a run for the money.
The scenario seems similar to Jacques Demers reign as coach. His first year his players played like champs and won the Stanley Cup. By the 3rd year he lost the room.
Now it seems the players are not listening to Martin.
However is there a new coach in the horizon? He has to be bilingual and the Canadiens are the only NHL with this problem…
Not responding? Against Buffalo they dominated the shot clock, scoring opportunities and time of possession. That was ONE game ago.
As for no prolonged slump?
2010-11
Dec 11 to Dec 30 the Habs went 2-8. 4 points out of 16. For this early season slump to match that ineptitude they would need 1 point in their next 4 games.
Feb 6 – Feb 20 the Habs went 1-4-2.
2009-10
Oct 1 to Oct 17 the Habs started the season 2-5. Pretty much the same as this season and that season finished with a trip to the Conference Finals.
Perspective is the key word. 6 games doesn’t make a season. Martin hasn’t lose the room and this isn’t proof that Kirk Muller was the genius behind Martin. All of that is confirmation bias, fans waiting to prove their theory and looking for evidence to push forward such a theory.
Things like hot and cold streaks are always much more flagrantly visible when they happen at the start of the season, yet they are not more significant than the same streaks in the middle of a season.
I am not worried overmuch about the results of six games, especially since the Habs should have won several of them. I am worried about all the injuries, however…
Our coach lost this game. With the score only 1-0, he began changing the lines furiously. I am sure that part of the reason was due to the loss of Gomez, but that is no reason to change the D pairings like he was. You could see that the players had no sense of comfort once the juggling began and the chemistry evaporated quickly. I wish they could get Muller back. You can really see the differnece Kirk made to special teams. If the Habs lose on Saturday night to the Leafs the rumor mill will begin with allegations of Martin’s dismissal. I for one do not think that this will happen. Unfortunately I believe that we are stuck with JM at least for the reaminder of this season.
The only times I notice the D pairings get juggled is immediately following a PP or PK because certain D get a lot of those minutes and he wants two rested D out there.
As for the line juggling, the Gomez departure had a LOT to do with it, as he had to switch Eller to C and then get someone to take Eller’s spot on the top line. And then he had to respond to the players getting absolutely killed out there, like Desharnais.
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by Bruce Peter on Oct 21, 2011 10:22 AM EDT up reply actions
We Have The Wrong Jacques...
bring me Lemaire !
Nothing Is Fool proof if you have the right fools.
by GiantsCauseway on Oct 21, 2011 11:54 AM EDT reply actions
We can agree that Muller likely isn’t the only factor in the difference. the younger guys may be comfortable with The Randy’s, but they aren’t pulling strings on the shifts.
I do believe we have Martin’s fearless belief in his system confusing the players. How could you gel with a line you play with once in a game?? Martin is looking more and more like Chicago Bears Offensive Co-ordinator “Mad” Mike Martz. He serves up the quarterback every play, but the system works…. Martin and Martz need to listen to their teams and simplify.
Straight up and down hockey, let the skaters skate and the bangers bang, enough with the micromanagement.. allow the players to play to their skills…. not their current stats.
by Cruisin4aBruisin on Oct 21, 2011 1:08 PM EDT reply actions
I like your comparison of JM to Mike Martz, except Carey Price becomes Jay Cutler in this scenario. I’ve watched Carey keep his team close in the last 3 games, and I agree players are not comfortable floating through lines. I watch Cole skate around every night and he looks lost. He is not comfortable…….yet.
I do hope that, if we’re about to be given a brutal object lesson in the importance of Scott Gomez, that it won’t last for too long.
The Habs’ luck with injuries has been perfectly ridiculous. Their two highest-paid D-men are on IR, and the game their second-highest paid forward gets back, they lose their highest-paid forward.
The way they’ve played with a team that’s starting to scrape the salary cap floor is actually quite impressive.
Against Buffalo I would agree, but nothing outside of Eller and Price against Pittsburgh was impressive. That was an exercise in being pathetic worse than anything since the 2009 sweep by Boston.
Last night was embarrassing.
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by Andrew Berkshire on Oct 21, 2011 1:40 PM EDT up reply actions
I tought Pleks was his usual self. The problem is that Martin doesn’t trust Engqvist for anything but offensive zone faceoffs and also didn’t seemed ready to give Eller defensive zone faceoffs. Which means he couldn’t hide the little fella, who got pounded by Neal’s line.
Man that was ugly.
Just read your scoring chances. 11-22… Ouch. I’m actually surprised it wasn’t worse.
Pleks was okay, but he didn’t get much help from his linemates. This Gomez thing couldn’t come at a worse time.
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by Andrew Berkshire on Oct 21, 2011 2:44 PM EDT up reply actions
Despite all the screaming about him, Gomez is absolutely, utterly essential to the Habs. Y’know, the fact that he wasn’t benched last year despite it being SOOOOoooo obvious to everyone, that might have been a good clue.
Without him the Habs have only one tough-minutes center, and that’s just not going to cut it since the guys behind Gomez can’t even fake it for a short period. The only way this could have been more damaging to the Habs is if Pleky had gone down instead. Otherwise, they have a spare winger or two.
Really, it should be obvious by now that DD can’t do that job yet. Watch most French-language media still crowing about how he needs to be given that chance and how it’s going to be awesome and help the Habs, and not mention one bit if he doesn’t cut it.
Sigh.
Eller might be able to handle Gomez’s job with support of two very good wingers but I’d expect a brutal adjustment period if it was tried.
by Stephan Cooper on Oct 21, 2011 4:50 PM EDT up reply actions
Looks like Martin is going to use Moen-Eller-AKost as a defensive line.
Those three are pretty good defensive players so it will probably work as well as anything they could put together.
No better option unless they put Gionta with them instead of Moen but that leaves either the 3rd or 1st line weak.
by Stephan Cooper on Oct 21, 2011 10:42 PM EDT up reply actions
Habs will be fine
Just inconsistent. Like they’ve always been. Habs can’t play consistently, or rather, the players can’t.
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You just described every team ever in every professional and amateur spotting discipline. The Red Wings don’t play consistently and even the Oilers last year could consistently suck which is much easier.
by Stephan Cooper on Oct 21, 2011 4:48 PM EDT up reply actions
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