Whether we play Tampa Bay at home or on the road, at the St. Petes Times Forum, they are always formidable. With the likes of Martin St. Louis, Vincent Lecavalier and the ever-dangerous Steven Stamkos, their firepower on offense cannot be denied.
So what can the Canadiens do to get the better of the Bolts? Simply put, they need to be the team that Coach Jacques Martin promised they would be when he was hired. They need to dominate puck possession, in order to minimize their opponent’s chances. However, so far this season, we’ve seen nothing of the sort. They have, with the exception of Scott Gomez, continuously dumped the puck into the offensive zone and tried to chase it down. Even I know that given their size up front, their chances aren’t too great to regain possession.
They say timing is everything, and that is the primary problem with the Habs’ offense. When in transition, there is always one forward attacking the zone, while his teammates try to catch up to the play. A simple adjustment that could be employed by the Canadiens’ forwards would be for them to slow the pace a hair, skate flat inside the blue line, and allow their linemates to drive into the zone. In coaching terms, it’s called an attack triangle, with one player staying high and the others lower in the zone. It’s a strategy rarely used by the Habs, as possession of the puck is normally lost because of the gap between forwards.
Another aspect of the game the Canadiens could improve on is their forechecking scheme. In the game versus the Panthers, they often used a 2-1-2 forecheck to pressure Florida’s new defensive core. While the Bolts didn’t make wholesale changes to their D men, such a scheme will force the Lightning to hurry their attacks, often causing turnovers. In previous games, it’s been obvious that the forechecking forward of the Canadiens (the first forward into the zone) has often take the wrong approach to the puck carrier. If not, they simply allow the opposing defensemen to complete their passes, with minimal pressure, and peeled off.
Finally, and most importantly, the Canadiens have to remain disciplined, and minimize the Lightnings chances on the power play. With the aforementioned trio of players, the Bolts can certainly bury the puck when on the man advantage. It will be up to players like Subban, Hamrlik and Gill to watch the reactions to certain situations, and avoid being beat by the speedy Tampa forwards.
This game is crucial for the Canadiens. With next week’s schedule boasting the Bruins, Penguins and Capitals, it is imperative the Canadiens get these two points if they have any hope of securing home ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs.