Saturday Habs Headlines: A failure to execute on the power play

Montreal Canadiens News and Notes

• While many key players remain injured, perhaps a bigger role for Tomas Plekanec could yield positive results. [TVA Sports]
• Head Coach Michel Therrien was quick to point the finger to his team’s powerplay as the reason for Thursday night’s loss against the Minnesota Wild. [RDS]
• Another reason for Thursday’s loss was Carey Price being outplayed by Devan Dubnyk. [TSN 690]
• Mikhail Sergachev’s blue line activation is impressive. Keep an eye out for an in-depth article from Mitch that will be published at 10 AM ET today. /

Quick #Habs prospect play breakdown: Sergachev's blue line activation. Here's the clip. Watch his body positioning, strength, and edge work. pic.twitter.com/ZeeG8wt2HO

— Mitch Brown (@MitchLBrown) December 19, 2016

• Jaromir Jagr is an influential player; one NHL veteran in particular was inspired by his hometown colleague, Montreal’s Tomas Plekanec. [LNH]
• Even the world’s best goaltender allows goals - see where Carey Price is most, and least effective this year. [imgur]
• Pierre McGuire thinks Price should be considered amongst the greatest [TSN 690]
• There are a lot of positive things about the Canadiens’ AHL team moving closer to Montreal, but it will leave a big hole behind in St. John’s, and Andrew Abbott wants a new home team for Christmas. [Montreal Gazette]/

Around the League and Elsewhere

• Ranking NHL teams’ top four players under 24 years of age right now. The Habs are 13th [TSN]
• Steve Dangle believes Jarome Iginla needs to be rescued. [Sportsnet]
• Roberto Luongo says Jaromir Jagr owes him a ‘thank you’ after the latter became the second highest scorer of all time in the NHL. [NHL]
• Bob McKenzie shares his thoughts on the future of offer sheets, and whether Jonathan Drouin could receive one. [TSN 690]
• The Pittsburgh Penguins have a choice to make with Marc-André Fleury; Elliotte Friedman shares his thoughts. [Fanrag Sports]
• Guy Boucher is looking forward to a very special Christmas. [La Presse]
• While New York Islanders fans don’t have much to be excited for, there was a hilarious fan giveaway at Barclay’s Center. [The Score]
• Down Goes Brown feels a little Christmas spirit in the latest grab bag. [Vice Sports]
• The IIHF World Junior Championships have been a tradition for decades, but the importance of the tournament is still increasing. [SI.com]
• For every Carey Price who donned Team Canada’s jersey at the WJC, there are many forgotten prospects who never made it. [Edmonton Sun]
• The future of IIHF international play may no longer include five-on-four situations. [TVA Sports]
• With more and more focus on attempts to grow hockey in China, the key could be to find the sport’s equivalent to Yao Ming. [Montreal Gazette]/