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With tough back-to-back games for the Canadiens on Thursday and Friday, a letdown was immenent. The entire hockey world expected the Habs to fall flat on their faces against the Rangers. With Roman Hamrlik logging 29:23 of ice time on Thursday, everyone expect Canadiens’ coach Jacques Martin to adjust his thinking, and reduce the 36 year old’s ice time. If you call reducing his TOI by six minutes an adjustment, then fine. But all this considered, it’s not nearly enough for him to recuperate his faculties within 24 hours.
During the Friday tilt with the New York Rangers, after they had taken a 3-1 lead, Coach Martin sat on his laurels and allowed the continued physical domination of his players down low in the defensive zone. Even goaltender Carey Price wasn’t absolved of the punishment, as he was screened and bumped in front of the Canadiens’ goal repeatedly. This was, in my own opinion, the most important point of the hockey game. If the coach would have called a timeout and gathered his troops, the outcome may have been different. He could have calmed Price, who had become visibly shaken, and got his players to rethink what they were doing on the ice. Instead, Coach Martin decided to save his timeout, and not his team, and let the Rangers continue their early outslaught.
One can understand the coach’s thinking somewhat, even though his thought process may have been flawed. Keeping his timeout for a possible icing call on an extended shift may have been the underlying issue. Coach Martin has never been a coach who uses his timeout when his queries are flustered. Even when the circumstances dictate it, he remains loyal to his coaching experience and his “system.”
Of course, the problem also stems from the continuing visits to the Canadiens’ infirmary by the players. Dropping like flies, the situation has become unmanageable for the coaching staff. Even with the additions of Aaron Palushaj and Nigel Dawes from the Hamilton Bulldogs, there just isn’t enough for Martin to do what’s required to rest his troops. Well, that’s if he continues to lean on his veterans and refusing to trust his younger talent. Recently, he has shown more patience with players like Lars Eller and P.K Subban, something he wasn’t willing to do early in the season. These two have been stalwarts for the Canadiens, especially in the last few weeks.
And what about the aforementioned Martin “system”? Last night, the Habs were collapsed in below the hash marks of the face-off circles on 3 of the 5 first period goals. The defensive system, that has allowed this team to remain competitive despite the injuries, is part of the overall problem the Canadiens. With players being so defensively responsible, they are unable to use their most effective weapon their speed. They are hemmed into their zone repeatedly, and can only relieve pressure by dumping the puck out of their end. This situation leads to repeated icing calls with tired personnel on the ice, or allowing your opponent to regroup in the neutral zone and attack again. Without puck possession, “Les Glorieux” find themselves getting tired out, with no relief unless there’s a whistle or a goal scored.
At this point of the season, teams are allowed to carry extra players on their rosters, and not restricted to the normal 23 man limit enforced by the league prior to the trading deadline. The roster must still, however, remain within the NHL’s salary cap restrictions. According to Cap Geek, the Canadiens have $505 411 left in salary cap space after the last 2 call-ups. Creative reshuffling of roster spots by Canadiens’ General Manager Pierre Gauthier is out of the question. So what can the most storied franchise in the NHL do to ? Not much.
It’s time for the Canadiens’ coaching staff to hit the ground running, and rethink their overall strategy. This team has a real opportunity to get a home date to start the post-season, despite the hand they’ve been dealt. Unless these factors are considered and addressed, the road to the Stanley Cup will be more of a limp, as opposed to a sprint.