Montreal Canadiens: Stubbornness is hurting the team
By Omar L
The Montreal Canadiens have been very set with a few of the decisions they’ve made all season, and it’s been affecting their ability to compete.
One thing you can’t help but notice is the number of double standards that have gone on with the Montreal Canadiens this season. Max Pacioretty or Jonathan Drouin will have a bad game or make an egregious turnover but will be right back out there the next shift. Alex Galchenyuk does that, and he’s on the bench for the rest of the period.
The same goes for the defence. No one talks about it much since we like to focus on Jeff Petry or Joseph Morrow, but Karl Alzner has had a lot of plays go against him this season. Some of them are minor, but the Habs signed him for his shutdown ability on the blueline. It stands out a lot more when his man is left wide open in the slot or in front of the net because those are the things he is meant to prevent.
However, similarly to Pacioretty, he’s right back out there. It could also be because the Habs don’t necessarily have anyone else to play in that spot with Shea Weber and David Schlemko out, but giving extra minutes to Jakub Jerabek or Morrow (when he plays well) could help in sending a message.
I always find it difficult to criticize a coach, because we don’t know all that goes into the job. That being said, it’s frustrating to notice these things and see the coaching staff not try to make any further adjustments.
The Galchenyuk situation is a prime example. Claude Julien teased the idea of the 23-year-old playing down the middle again.
Julien says “Galchenyuk came to play tonight” and...”we’ve got him on the wing but it doesn’t mean we’ll never see him at centre again if we have the need.”
— Dan Robertson (@DanRTSN) December 28, 2017
Couldn’t you say they need it now? Byron Froese was scratched from Wednesday night’s game, and the Habs had Charles Hudon centering the fourth line. As good as it is to see him back in the lineup after being scratched for the previous two games, the fact that Galchenyuk still can’t be given shot is eyebrow-raising.
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The Montreal Canadiens don’t have the excuse of saying, “It’s about winning hockey games.” They aren’t, and it’s gotten to the point where they need to try everything. If Julien is still worried about Galchenyuk’s play away from the puck, then they can just have him lower in the lineup.
The simple moves they’ve tried aren’t working, and if they continue to make the same ones over and over, they will stay where they are, or worse fall further. It’s not about being desperate or succumbing to pressure; it’s about having the players in the right spots to succeed.
I’m not a coach, and I’ve never been one, but I, as well as the entire fan base, can see that the players on this team aren’t playing to the best of their abilities (except for Carey Price). If that doesn’t change, then there’s nothing that can save the season.
What changes to the lineup would you make outside of a trade? Let us know down in the comments.