Habs Can Kiss Playoffs Goodbye, Following Loss to Caps
by Kevin van Steendelaar on Feb 4, 2012 7:34 PM EST
in Habs Game Recaps
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PrintSo let's toss aside the optimism and denial and call it just as it is. The Montreal Canadiens are not a playoff team in the 2011-12 NHL season. It's over folks. This is not a club capable of overcoming an 11 point deficit in the final 0 games in a league that offers a three-point game. To do that they would have to be a team that can finish an opponent handily in regulation, and these guys can't.
Later this evening, the Habs could find themselves dead last in the NHL's Eastern Conference. It falls on whether or not Kirk Muller and the Carolina Hurricanes salvage a point against the Los Angeles Kings.
Abe Hefter, on CJAD's new program "The Locker Room", asked if fans can sit through the remainder of the season with listless, lethargic hockey. Can you?
One has to wonder what the Canadiens will do as a team and what management will do as the Trade Deadline approaches. Sell now, or play out the season and deal with it later?
Will Pierre Gauthier, or whomever is GM at the time, blow up the team and start all over again, just three years after Bob Gainey attempted the same thing? It could very well happen, and if so would push the Montreal Stanley Cup gap past a quarter century. Somehow fans may not be that patient, but given the current state of affairs they may just be expecting it. We now know what fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs have endured the last 44 years.
The Canadiens chances at the playoffs all but died this afternoon, following a 3-0 loss to the Washington Capitals. It was the second time the Caps blanked the Habs at the Bell Centre this season and the third straight dating back to last season. Washington is 5-0-1 in their last six visits to Montreal.
What made this game peculiar was the fact that the Canadiens managed 30 shots agains Tomas Vokoun, yet their scoring chances could be counted on just one hand. Perimeter shots won't get many wins, especially at this stage of the season. By comparison, my daughter's soccer team had just two scoring chances this afternoon and at least cashed one.
On the opposite site of the coin, the Capitals had only a dozen scoring chances from their 23 shots which would make Jacques Martin happy, if he were still coach. He's not and Randy Cunneyworth is, and it has not been a great three months for the interim bench boss.
To put it into perspective, regular MathMan put things into perspective, during the game thread, with how things have gone under Cunneyworth since Martin's dismissal.
"20 games into his coaching career, Randy Cunneyworth is 6-12-2, giving him a full-season points pace of 57.4 points.
"Obviously this is a small sample, so the following comparison must be taken with a generous helping of salt, but nevertheless: only two teams, the Blues in 05-06 (57 points) and the Flyers in 06-07 (56 points), have maintained a worse pace over 82 games.
Our avid and educated follower then cut RC some slack, removing off the first four games to allow him to get his feet wet,. "This makes him 6-8-2. Good for 71.75 points. The 29th overall team this year is on pace for 72 points. That’d be the Edmonton Oilers.
"Even with the non-existent 2nd pairing, the Habs were a top-10 defensive team under Martin. They could paper it over pretty well so long as they had Gomez to keep the puck at the other end.
"Then Scott Gomez went down, the second pairing was exposed, JM started scrambling to shelter everyone who needed sheltering, PG decided that the team had been playing poorly despite its record in December, and the rest is history."
Speaking of Gomez, the Habs forward has now gone 365 days without scoring a goal. The fans at the Bell Centre were cheering him Saturday afternoon each time he touched the puck. I's debatable if they were meant to be encouraging or sarcastic.
The train wreck that has been the Montreal Canadiens season continues tomorrow afternoon when the host the Winnipeg Jets in the Sunday Superbowl matinee.
Advanced Stats: Shift Charts / Head to Head / Corsi & Fenwick
More Links from Saturday's Game
Winning reaction from Japers Rink
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Let’s hope the next GM opts for a retool as per the Flyers or Bruins and not a blow up like the Oilers which would waste half a decade to get us to the same point.
by MathMan on Feb 4, 2012 8:07 PM EST via iPhone app reply actions
Oh, good ole built-in excuses for always losing. “We planned this! We’ll try in a couple years, we promise!”
Since this season is a bust, I’m going to complain about old seasons. On Twitter the other day, Andrew and I were talking about the 2007-08 team, and how it wasn’t a good even strength team at all, but looking at that roster, it should’ve been better…
I remember never understanding the constant hatred of Streit on D… the Habs were relying on Brisebois as their 2nd best puckmover back then and Streit was obviously ahead of him whenever he played. This has always been a gripe of mine, but the discussion this time was sparked by Grabovski as a rookie as some Leafs bloggers were pointing out the Habs poor possession rates back then. That team was ridiculously healthy and there is no way they should’ve been chasing the puck as much as they did.
Basically, I said that if the team had used Streit on D (paired with Gorges), and by doing so improving their transition game, they could’ve freed up a forward spot for Grabovski as an exploitation centre with wingers like Latendresse and Ryder.
A Kostitsyn – Plekanec – Kovalev
Higgins – Koivu – S Kostitsyn
Latendresse – Grabovski – Ryder
Begin – Smolinski – Kostopolous
Markov – Komisarek
Hamrlik – Brisebois
Streit – Gorges
Anyways, not sure it would’ve worked to the degree one might think with hindsight, because that was a lot of young forwards, but it would’ve been nice to see if it had worked.
Puck Worlds: Chasing Pucks from here to Turku.
For Twitter Updates on Puck Worlds, follow @puckworlds. For updates plus additional witty banter from yours truly, follow @saskhab.
Well, at least we can say one thing- its not the player development, its how we use the players on the NHL level…
by westcoasthabs on Feb 4, 2012 10:03 PM EST up reply actions
It’s looking increasingly likely as though Martin might be our next GM, and if he is, I think it’s a fair bet that we’ll see a retool and not a blowup, as he knows exactly what kind of team we have and what he needs to do to fix it.
Martin’s been universally panned as a GM, but what has he done except not trade Bouwmeester which might have been an owner decision?
Didn’t he make the Luongo for Bertuzzi and Auld deal?
Co-editor of Eyes on the Prize
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by Andrew Berkshire on Feb 5, 2012 12:37 AM EST up reply actions
The really bad Rusty Olesz deal was Martin’s.
Puck Worlds: Chasing Pucks from here to Turku.
For Twitter Updates on Puck Worlds, follow @puckworlds. For updates plus additional witty banter from yours truly, follow @saskhab.
Though, to be fair, the really good Stephen Weiss deal was also Martin’s. He also was the man behind Keith Ballard’s deal, the Bryan McCabe trade, acquiring Vokoun, trading Jokinen, and I believe Horton’s extension as well.
He did like paying youth on their 2nd contracts, which would be a big difference from the current management.
Puck Worlds: Chasing Pucks from here to Turku.
For Twitter Updates on Puck Worlds, follow @puckworlds. For updates plus additional witty banter from yours truly, follow @saskhab.
JM? Why?
He’s been going around dissing the team on TV.
Why would he get the job?
by HighFructoseCornSyrupSince72 on Feb 4, 2012 9:53 PM EST up reply actions
He’s still on their payroll
Kevin van Steendelaar
http://www.twitter.com/kvansteendelaar
but don't forget...
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by Kevin van Steendelaar on Feb 4, 2012 10:05 PM EST up reply actions
It’d be nice to have both new GM and new HC. Its tempting to think that JM would be a great GM based on his familiarity, but we burned that bridge, and its time for some new eyes for the franchise. A thorough search from outside the organization should already be started up.
I feel bad for Randy and JM. JM should never have been fired, and Randy was put in a position where he was almost guaranteed to fail (way too early for him to be given the NHL reins). Until the decisions from the top are more dispassionate, there’s going to be struggles.
Oh, and the Cammalleri trade just smacks of an organization thinking in petty and spiteful terms. A competitive player speaks out and you dump him because he didn’t tow the company line? More things should have been kept in house, but this is horribly indicative of how decisions are being made.
by westcoasthabs on Feb 4, 2012 10:01 PM EST up reply actions
But the Cammalleri deal was weeks in the planning, remember?
Which would have put that even before JM was let go.
Kevin van Steendelaar
http://www.twitter.com/kvansteendelaar
but don't forget...
http://www.twitter.com/HabsEOTP
by Kevin van Steendelaar on Feb 4, 2012 10:04 PM EST up reply actions
Pfft…that’s some good sarcasm there Kevin ;)
by westcoasthabs on Feb 4, 2012 10:05 PM EST up reply actions
If JM gets the job I think we can all agree it’s all about cash for Geoff Molson. There are better candidates out there, even Francophone ones. Hiring a guy because he’s already on payroll is horrid.
Co-editor of Eyes on the Prize
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by Andrew Berkshire on Feb 5, 2012 12:38 AM EST up reply actions
If there was a “players revolt” with Martin as a coach just what in the hell is going to happen with him as GM. Guess we can forget about FA’s coming aboard. We’re going to turn into a laughing stock or basically a bilingual version of the Leafs over the last 40 years. Although under BB they are taking the baby steps necessary to crawl back from the abyss. Whereas us…..“We’re on an express elevator to hell” if Martin becomes GM.
"It's only through change we learn to grow".
Well, he’s also a francophone with actual experience as an NHL GM. Not too many of those kicking around.
I’d rather go with the young hotshot though. Brisebois for me please.
The more I look into it the more I like Brisebois as well.
Co-editor of Eyes on the Prize
Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/andrewberkshire
by Andrew Berkshire on Feb 5, 2012 12:07 PM EST up reply actions
Agreed. The players haven’t given up yet. There’s still a good effort every night, and more importantly, good plays being made. I think even an outsider would see the good pieces in place here. The team just needs a consistent strategy, players need clear roles, etc.
by westcoasthabs on Feb 4, 2012 10:05 PM EST up reply actions
Party time
We now have the lowest point count in the eastern conference. Oh wait, this isn’t a golf tournament.
We're #15 !!!
Wooo hooo!
Kevin van Steendelaar
http://www.twitter.com/kvansteendelaar
but don't forget...
http://www.twitter.com/HabsEOTP
by Kevin van Steendelaar on Feb 4, 2012 10:02 PM EST up reply actions
With some luck, Edmonton might win tonight.
by fsaintjacques on Feb 4, 2012 10:09 PM EST up reply actions
What really kills me is watching a team regress over the course of a season. We were a competitive team suffering from some bad luck in November/December. Now we’re a team at sea staring at a lottery pick. Genius.
by westcoasthabs on Feb 4, 2012 10:10 PM EST up reply actions
And we are healthier than ever.
And Desharnais, Diaz and Emelin have clealrly progressed.
Quite a feat.
The silver lining to the season. I’ll give Gauthier the benefit of the Cole pickup as well. Pacioretty has fully come into form as well. Moen’s been a bit of an overachiever as usual.
I still get frustrated every time I look at the roster, and see the results. This team is so much better than this.
by westcoasthabs on Feb 4, 2012 10:42 PM EST up reply actions
And Eller! Don’t want to leave him out!
by westcoasthabs on Feb 4, 2012 10:43 PM EST up reply actions
if you want to take Devils assistant coaches, you can have Adam Oates.
Hell on Ice/In Lou We Trust/Twitter
Everyone has more goals than Scott Gomez
by Kevin Sellathamby on Feb 6, 2012 12:06 PM EST up reply actions
Well RC installed the 2 man 4chq. It’s his “coaching” innovation over Martin’s style. I do like that but eveything else about him is crapola. He doesn’t know how to manage during the game. He can’t make the necessary changes/adjustments that need to be made. Great example this week with Buffalo. Lindy Ruff just schooled the hell out of him and left him lying in the dust and showed him for what he is. A one trick pony. Take it away and he flounders hopelessly. The man is outside his element.
My concern is after this weekend. Why are we allowing PG to be around to make trades and decisions that affect our immediate future if he is not to be a part of it? Are we just allowing for a built in excuse for the years ahead that Feb 2012 PG mismanaged the teams assets once again and set us back? Why aren’t we making a bold and needed decision today on what needs to be done with “Mr. Dithers” and get on with it.
"It's only through change we learn to grow".
At this point you either keep going with Gauthier under a narrow directive or you fire him and have Gainey on an interim basis through the end of the playoffs. You aren’t going to get a number of quality candidates mid-season since teams just won’t make them available.
It’s not like the job to do is that complicated. Attempt to re-sign Kostitsyn at (hopefully) about the same money for a couple years, dump the UFAs for futures (using input from Timmins and his department). Mike Milbury could handle that without screwing it up if you didn’t let him do anything else.
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