And Now Back to….What, Exactly? 7 Questions for the Stretch Drive

As we undergo Olympics withdrawal, we here at habsradio are having a tough time focusing on the Habs right now. Suffice to say, the quality of games is going to suffer a HUGE drop off. And our enthusiasm for a playoff-bubble team is just slightly diminished as we bask in the after-glow of Team Canada’s thrilling 3-2 win over Team USA. Barring citizenship – is there anyone on the Habs current roster good enough to make Team Canada, or Team USA?

Anyone?

But alas, the NHL season continues, and with the Olympic hockey tournament a vivid guide on how to win hockey games on NHL ice, we view the Habs in a slightly colder light. There remain MANY questions about the home team.

So here, at the risk of sounding Captain Obvious, are what we would like to know, just in time for the stretch drive.

In order of importance:

***I can play, coach. Really***

1. Is Markov healthy / More Injuries?

He missed 2 games before the Olympics, saw light action on Team Russia, and has looked pretty bad for awhile. What is his real status? Injured? Tired? The same questions apply to Benoit Pouilot, Cammalleri, Brother Andrei, etc. If the Habs are to win, Markov et al need to be healthy and at their best. No big headline here

2. How will Pleks and Halak adapt to end-of-season life in the NHL?

These two (just below Markov) hold the key to the Habs playoff chances. Will they be energized by their Olympic experience? The knock on both players has been a lack of late-season / playoff effort, either because their performance faded in the clutch (Pleks), or because they weren’t given an opportunity (Halak).

Well, we’re going to go out on a limb here and say these guys will be given PLENTY of opportunity to prove their critics wrong. Should be interesting.

3. When does Pleks get signed?

(see above)

4. Who gets traded?

PG wants to put his stamp on this team. There are wild rumors flying around about a giant trade with Edmonton, another with Chicago, some interest in veterans from St Louis, and some smaller trades with (again) Florida and/or Dallas. I don’t know what to believe and this isn’t a rumor site.

Wednesday could be a big day with ramifications far beyond this season, or a “treading water” situation where a forward direction remains unclear.

5. Are Gomez and Gionta really a bust?

There have been fleeting glimpses of wonderful play from these two. Gionta especially. But again, after watching Team USA almost put a cardiac attack on the entire Canadian nation, it was clear that these two just didn’t belong in the Olympics this year – at least not among the likes of Parise, Kessler, Kessel, Ryan, Brown, Stastny, and Kane.

***so much promise then***

So these dudes have a lot to prove. And they were acquired specifically with this time of year in mind: The idea that the winning and experienced veterans can fortify the locker room and push the team to new heights, because they have been there and done that. Fair enough. So this is where Gomez and Gionta will earn their money or prove to be a bust.

6. PK, PK, where art though, oh PK?

PK Subban was the lone highlight in the Habs losses to the Flyers before the break. He could be a huge star for the Habs. After all the trade dust has settled (where I assume every defenceman not named Markov is up for discussion), will PK spend the rest of his year in HabsLand, or in Hamilton? The answer will indicate how desperate PG really is to make the playoffs this season.

7. Who will bring the physical edge?

I’m sure the players returning from Vancouver learned one thing about Teams Canada and USA: They played very physical. Those players bring those lessons home to the NHL, where they will be applied to the final twenty games – which is already the most physical portion of the regular season. Imagine all the players coming back with axes to grind and pride to defend.

This is an old story for the Habs, but the question remains  – who brings the lunchpail and the clothesline for Montreal? Candidates include O’Byrne, who plays better with Markov but who has been inconsistent, there’s Moen, and a little Gill….and……gulp…….that’s it!!??!!

The return of (the somewhat larger) Pouilot and Andrei to the forwards corps will help, a more aggressive Laps would help too. But man, after the Olympics this teams looks more SOFT than ever.

Ahhhhh….so many questions, so little time. But all will be answered in the coming weeks.

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Our podcast returns next week, where we will discuss the games against Boston, San Jose, LA, and Anaheim, and the merits of what might be a different lineup than the one we have now.

Have a great week, and welcome back.

Pin the Tail on the Captain

Dave Stubbs has an interesting piece in the gazoo today about Markov’s maturity. The important quote is right here:

“Nobody’s asked me about it,” he said of the captaincy…”But if they did, I’d think about it. … It’s a big responsibility to be captain in this city. I enjoy every day on our team and just try to do my job. This is not my first year and I feel more comfortable by the day.”

No doubt Markov is a leader on this team. He is one of the few remaining strands to the Habs team that was (Pleks is another). But there is a lot of equivocation in his statement. Part of that is because the question posed to Markov was speculative, and he needs to be cagey with a reporter on this subject so as not to ruffle any feathers or appear too eager. But I still think the Habs need better OFFICIAL leadership from its top players. I think they need to name a Captain.

Now I don’t believe the lack of a captain is what has hurt the Habs thus far. The lack of top-line talent and depth, injuries, new players, adjusting to a new coach and a new system are all bigger reasons for why the Habs have been so inconsistent.

But having said that, the Habs are now entering the second half of the season. They have played more games than their competition, they are relatively healthy, they have had ample time to adjust to their new surroundings. Their opportunity to win is NOW. And I just don’t get the sense that there is anyone in the room who has grabbed the mantle and staked his claim. Someone, aside from coach, who can grab players by the throats (in a friendly way, of course), hold them accountable after bad games but still cover for his teammates, who can lead by example on AND OFF the ice, who can be a difference-maker.

Now maybe the Habs just don’t have a player like that. Most teams don’t. But in order to win, MOST teams NEED that kind of player to be their captain.

And maybe being Captain of the Montreal Canadiens really is too big a job for one player. Maybe you need a couple players to fill that role. But someone(s) needs to take a stand and lead the way. I hope there is someone in there, behind closed doors, who is doing that.

9-1-1: 20 Games in and the Line is Flat

We are now 20 games into the 2009-10 NHL season….and the Habs record is 9-11 (boy that sounds ominous).

Is it time to panic, as the record suggests?

All the big signings, the equally big-name departures (how good would R. Lang and A. Tanguay and F. Bouillon look in Habs uniforms right now?) and bottom-up organizational restructuring has not produced the results most fans expected at this point into the season. The reasons/excuses are plenty: new coach, new system, injuries….etc.

But the league is littered with teams going through big changes and injuries (see New Jersey, Colorado, San Jose, Philly and L.A. as teams going through either or both). So what’s going on with the Habs? Is it a question of adjustment and patience, or is it simply that the Habs don’t have the horses?

Only the next 40 games hold the answer – so we’ll just have to watch and see. I actually think the Habs will get better this season – barring injuries, they can hardly get worse. What really worries me is this: looking past this season, the prospects are ever diminishing. The young ones aren’t performing, the draft picks aren’t developing and until Price convincingly earns the No. 1 over Halak and/or the Kostitsyns start scoring, the Habs have no one who can bring a good return in a trade. The Habs overall salary is at the cap limit, so free agency may not work out either. Even worse, if Pleks doesn’t get signed to a deal soon, he may be as good as gone (how much you wanna bet he makes the All-Star team and will still be unsigned for next year)!

Yikes. Right now, the Habs are looking like a version of the NY Rangers….a big-market team that spends to the cap every season in order to appease its fan base, with some admittedly good players…but the team is never able to fully break out of its mediocrity because the organization isn’t firing on all cylinders and is unable to excel in all facets of the business: Scouting, drafting, developing, trades, early signings, smart contracts, and patience, etc.

One thing’s for sure, and I know Jacques Martin agrees, is that the Habs need to play with more gusto and make their presence felt. Like Paul Newman said: “Let ‘em know you’re there”.

Tune in later as Eric and I discuss the above goodies and lots, lots more.