The Euro had just been created as a currency, Family Guy had kicked off its first season on Fox, and Cher’s “Believe” topped the charts just days before the Montreal Canadiens last won a game against the Sharks in San Jose.
If there was hope the Canadiens would break a streak of 10 consecutive losses to the Sharks since 1999, it all but dissipated by the ninth minute of the second period of Tuesday’s game when San Jose’s Logan Couture beat goaltender Carey Price to give his team a 4-2 lead.
The Canadiens, who had scored just seven goals in their first five games, weren’t likely to manage three goals in less than half a game. It seemed like a foregone conclusion.
They had their chances. The guns were loaded. But, alas, they misfired. Again. It’s becoming an old story for the Canadiens in the early going of a new season.
Let’s break down their 5-2 loss to the Sharks with a few more takeaways.
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The hole on defence is a gaping one
We’re six games into the 2017-18 season, and the Canadiens are already down to their last options on defence.
Mark Streit’s contract has been terminated. Jordie Benn has been a shell of the player he proved he could be last season. And after Joe Morrow’s disappointing debut in San Jose, the only players left as options for the third pairing are David Schlemko (home in Montreal, nursing a hand injury that has kept him sidelined since the first week of training camp) and Jakub Jerabek (currently figuring out how to play on the small ice as a member of the AHL’s Laval Rocket).
It was Morrow who left Couture all alone in front of Price for the game’s first goal, and it was Morrow who took a retaliation penalty on Timo Meier—cross-checking his opponent several times in the back to put the Canadiens on the penalty kill with less than eight minutes left in a game they trailed 4-2.
Not exactly a good way to get ahead in what looks to be a very winnable race for anyone who could prove to be dependable for 15 minutes of ice time per game.
The second-period nap will kill you every time
The Canadiens had rebounded well after allowing the game’s first goal, with Jonathan Drouin scoring his second of the season just 16 seconds later. They carried play throughout that first period and earned an edge in shots (11-8) and scoring chances.
How did they follow it up? By getting scored on 53 seconds into the second period, by allowing nine of the first 10 shots in the frame, and by taking three consecutive penalties.
While Ales Hemsky and Phillip Danault watched helplessly from the penalty box, San Jose’s Tomas Hertl struck first to give the Sharks a 3-1 lead. Shea Weber answered with his first of the year, finishing off a nice play by Victor Mete and Drouin, who notched his 100th career point on the power-play marker.
And then Charles Hudon took a tripping penalty and was forced to watch Couture put a bow on this Sharks win.
The Sharks were leading 14-3 in shots and finished off with 20 in the second period.
Drouin everything right, except for winning faceoffs
Drouin scored a gorgeous goal and set another one up, he ran the power play brilliantly, and he made several strong defensive plays. Those are all things you want to see from a top-line centre.
But once again, he took a beating in the faceoff circle, winning just six of the 16 draws he took in the game. That gives him a 44 per cent efficiency in the dot so far, ranking him 132nd out of 173 centres to have taken a faceoff so far this season.
Drouin’s first loss of the night allowed the Sharks to set themselves up in the offensive zone before Couture opened the scoring.
It’s a part of the game Drouin will only improve through repetition. But while he gains footing in that area, the Canadiens are going to have to devise a way to recover the puck.
Chemistry a concern on Canadiens’ top line
After five seasons of 30 or more goals, we’ve learned not to overreact to Max Pacioretty getting off to a slow start.
A season ago the Canadiens captain started off by scoring just two goals in his first 13 games. He finished the year with 35.
It’s no big deal Pacioretty has just one goal through Montreal’s first six games, but you really have to wonder if chemistry exists between him and Drouin when you see him record just two shot attempts in a game, as he did on Tuesday.
Drouin and Pacioretty began the season with Brendan Gallagher. They’ve now played 2½ games with Artturi Lehkonen. It would be a stretch to say it’s working.
Pacioretty has always said he feels his best when he gets his touches. He barely had the puck on his stick in San Jose, and he barely had it on his stick against Toronto this past Saturday.
That can’t continue. You have to think coach Claude Julien might mix things up against the Kings in Los Angeles Wednesday.
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