Habs will need more consistency from their stars if they want to duplicate last year's playoff run.
The Montreal Canadiens are safely entrenched in a playoff position, but does anybody out there think they have a chance of duplicating last season's run to the Eastern Conference final?
Probably not.
If the post-season started on Friday, Montreal would be matched up against the Boston Bruins who, despite their shootout loss to Toronto Thursday night, look like a playoff-ready team. The Canadiens? They look like a team scrambling to keep it all together.
True enough, injuries have wreaked havoc with the Habs this season so perhaps it's unrealistic to expect Montreal to go on a similar long playoff run. Also, it is worth noting the Canadiens lost their final three games of the regular season a year ago and managed just three wins in their final 11 games before shocking the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Washington Capitals and the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first two rounds. So you don't necessarily have to be riding a hot streak when the playoffs arrive.
That being the case, the Canadiens will need markedly-improved performances from some of their key players if they are to find playoff magic this season.
Start with goaltender Carey Price. A few weeks ago, he was being talked up as a potential Vezina and Hart Trophy candidate -- and rightly so. The 23-year-old has been Montreal's most valuable player this season, quite ably taking over the starter's job from the departed Jaroslav Halak. He has been among the NHL's statistical leaders among goaltenders all year.
The bad news is Price has been pulled in three of his last six starts. Price has lost his swagger. While he remains tied for second with 35 wins and ranks third in the NHL with eight shutouts, he seems to be unsure of himself. The guy who told fans to chill after a lousy start in the pre-season and then proceeded to play lights out through the first three-quarters of the year is now a question mark down the stretch.
Michael Cammalleri, who fired 13 goals in 19 playoff games last season, has just 17 goals in 63 games this year. If that isn't bad enough, he recently snapped an eight-game goalless drought with one against Carolina Wednesday and has just two goals in his last 15 games. Hardly awe-inspiring stats.
He's not alone.
Tomas Plekanec, the team's leading scorer, has 55 points in 73 games, good for 54th overall in the league. Paid like a No. 1 centre, Plekanec hasn't scored in five games and has two goals in 18 games.
Captain Brian Gionta leads the Canadiens with 26 goals, but hasn't scored in six games. Scott Gomez has become the poster child for overpaid underachievers with seven goals in 76 games. Say what you want about the 31-year-old being a primary playmaker, seven goals bites when you are being paid $8 million. The fact he's a team-worst minus-16 only makes matters worse.
One or all of these players could catch fire at any time. Certainly it is not unreasonable to think Price could turn his season around in a heartbeat, but for the Canadiens to be a serious threat in the playoffs, they need all of the above to kick it into gear. If not, they can kiss a long playoff run goodbye.
Points parade
In 2005-06, following the lockout, there were seven players who scored 110 or more points in the regular season. There were none in the year preceding the lockout.
There's only one so far this season, Daniel Sedin of the Vancouver Canucks. What happened? For starters, the NHL cracked down on obstruction when the league started up after a year in limbo in an effort to open things up for the game's most skilled players.
Since then, however, things have tightened up again. It's not nearly as bad in terms of clutching and grabbing as it was prior to the lockout, but clearly there is a greater emphasis on defence now. It is worth noting, when Sidney Crosby was injured in early January, he was on pace to register 132 points this year. At least one player has figured things out.
Praising Perry
A few eyebrows were raised when Corey Perry was included on the Canadian Olympic hockey team, but with his unbelievable play this season, nobody would question it today. Perry, 25, leads the NHL with 46 goals and ranks fourth in points with 89. That's 13 more points than he scored in 82 games last season.
What makes Perry different than most of the league's top scorers is the physical nature of his game. With 102 penalty minutes Perry is as much an agitator as he is an offensive force. He is certainly not a player who takes any guff. Push him and he pushes right back.
The Peterborough native might not be the league's most graceful skater, but he can stickhandle in a phone booth and he has a deadly accurate shot.
More than anything else, though, he is a winner. He has a Memorial Cup, Stanley Cup and Olympic gold medal.
