Montreal Canadiens: Not enough four-leaf clovers this season
By Omar L
One thing the Montreal Canadiens haven’t been this season is lucky, and a lot of the team’s woes is due to the amount of bad luck they’ve had to go through.
Good morning Montreal Canadiens fans. Today is the day where you put on your best green and pinch those who aren’t as St. Patricks Day rolls into our calendars. It’s also a day that reminds us of the lucky things out there. You know, the horseshoes or rabbit’s feet, those kinds of things. Perhaps you have your own objects that bring you luck like that pencil you aced a test or fill out a winning lottery ticket with.
The negative side of this day is that it reminds us just how remarkably unlucky the Habs have been. Sure they’ve had a multitude of games this season where they’ve been outplayed and outworked deserving the loss. But how many games have they truly deserved to win?
Think back to all the times the Montreal Canadiens would outshoot an opponent and generate a lot of scoring chances with little or no goals to show for it. Charles Hudon and Artturi Lehkonen could tell us all about that example. Lehkonen is starting to find the back of the net more now than earlier in the year as he’s potted four goals in as many games. However, there were many games where both players would generate many high-danger chances for themselves and have nothing to show for it.
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It didn’t just fall on them; the whole team experienced that at one point or another. How many times have you tweeted, or thought, ‘This team can’t buy a goal.’ Max Pacioretty felt the sting of that mental blurb once or twice (or 15+ times) as he’d have a virtually open net, but get robbed by the goaltender.
The lack of goals was just the start of it. The Habs have also run into a lot of injuries this season. I’ve joked about the injury bug being very active in Montreal this year, but it’s true. There are currently eight players off the team’s roster with an injury. Three of which in Pacioretty, Shea Weber, and Victor Mete are done for the season. There isn’t a timeline on Ales Hemsky, who has been out since October, Phillip Danault, and Andrew Shaw, but their year is most likely over as well.
Its been a very disappointing season for the Montreal Canadiens, but a very unlucky one too. Perhaps some of the lore of St. Patricks Day can sweep over the team and follow them until next year. That may be wishful thinking or the luck o’ the Irish talking, but it’s hard not to be optimistic on a day like this.
Morning Links
Canadiens’ Carey Price: ‘I would like to finish the season strong’
Carey Price joined the Montreal Canadiens for another practice on Friday, and although his return to the lineup isn’t known for sure, he still has the desire to play games as the regular season gets closer to its end.
Montreal Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin Needs A Strong Off-Season
Considering owner, Geoff Molson voiced his displeasure of the success of the team this year; Marc Bergevin will need to do all he can do to make the right moves to ensure this doesn’t happen again.
Jacob de la Rose’s encouraging display in a shutdown role
If the Habs can’t look for offence from Jacob de La Rose every night, then perhaps a defensive style of play will cut it. His usage against the Pittsburgh Penguins may be an indication of that in the future.