Montreal Canadiens: Paul Byron’s frustration with the team’s effort level

The Montreal Canadiens have had Brendan Gallagher and Paul Byron as their most hard-working players all season, but the effort has dwindled from others.

There have been many moments where the Montreal Canadiens looked like they didn’t have any juice in their systems. Defensive miscues and breakdowns are one thing, but there’s nothing that drives fans and the coaching staff up the wall worse than a player who doesn’t try. It’s funny how that can be a topic at times, whether a player in the NHL tries on the ice or not. Unfortunately, it is, and it’s been something the Habs have struggled with at times this year.

No one can say that about Brendan Gallagher and Paul Byron though. It’s 110% every night for those too, and when Claude Julien questions the team’s effort level, or as former Toronto Maple Leafs in-term head coach pegged as the, ‘Give a you know what meter,’ their names are far from being part of it. The same can be said about a lot of players on the team who always work hard.

However, there are some who haven’t given it their all at times. Alex Galchenyuk is a name who stands out in that category. You can’t say that about him right now as his play in all areas of the ice has reached a higher level, but at the beginning of the season, he wasn’t always engaged as much as he could be.

Jonathan Drouin has to get some ‘recognition’ here too. We’ve seen two sides of the young star this season: dialled in Drouin and vacation Drouin. It’s obvious which of the two were the best ones to watch. When the 23-year-old is on his game, it’s incredible to watch what can be done at such a high speed.

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On the other hand, when he’s not and chooses to coast around the ice, it stands out as well, but obviously on the wrong end of the spectrum.

It’s usually only Julien who fully criticizes the team’s effort, although Max Pacioretty has made a note of it in some post-game scrums. Another player spoke out about it yesterday, and it was the speedy Byron.

"We’re paid to play 82 games, not just 70 or 76. It’s frustrating. It’s hard to play when not everyone is working. We see what we are able to accomplish when everyone puts in the effort (Translated)."

Great words from the Lord Byron wouldn’t you say? Think of it as having a group project, and having one person who doesn’t do much while you’re putting time in the library and organizing the presentation boards. He’s right though. Think about all the times the Montreal Canadiens have had strong games against top teams like the Tampa Bay Lightning or Pittsburgh Penguins.

The entire team was firing on all cylinders and competing even though some of those nights resulted in a loss. That’s what Byron wants to get back to. With five games left in the season, Julien wants to get the Habs to that level again as well.

"With the situation we are in now, there are some players who slip a little. I will make sure that we stay focused until the end and that we work so that we can continue to improve (Translated)"

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Games against the Penguins and Winnipeg Jets next week should bring out the Montreal Canadiens intensity. Hopefully, the team can have that stretch out to the end of the season, including a rivalry-infused ending against the Leafs.