Max Pacioretty has had some of the worst luck in the league at staying healthy. It was a miniature problem when he was captain of the Montreal Canadiens, but once he left, Pacioretty had some terrible injury luck. He will always hold a special place in Canadiens fans' hearts, and a small part of them would always want to see him find his way again for one more crack at a Stanley Cup.
Did it really have to be with the Toronto Maple Leafs? The mediocrity surrounding Pacioretty did him no favors in this postseason, but he was nearly able to change the Leafs' fortunes singlehandedly once he came into the lineup in Game 3.
It was another injury-filled season for Pacioretty. He played just 37 regular season games, and was a healthy scratch in the first two playoff games. After Nick Robinson took a couple of bad penalties, Craig Berube opted for the veteran leadership of Pacioretty, and he did not disappoint.
It took some time for him to get back up to speed, as Game 3 was his first action since February. However, as the walls started to crumble around the Maple Leafs and they looked to be in danger of blowing a 3-0 series lead to the Ottawa Senators, Berube moved him up the lineup to play with John Tavares and William Nylander in Game 6.
Pacioretty paid back Berube's confidence, recording a goal and an assist to get Toronto just their second playoff series victory in over 20 years. He picked up right where he left off with four points in the first two games of Round 2 against the Florida Panthers, but had just one assist in the next three games, which were all Leafs losses.
Pacioretty scored a crucial insurance marker in Game 6 to send the series back to Toronto for Game 7. We know that it didn't fall in the Leafs' favor once again, but Pacioretty showed that much of the team's chances rested on his shoulders in this series. In the three wins, Pacioretty had two goals and three assists. In the four losses, only one assist.
It has been a disappointing couple of years for Pacioretty, but he proved in these playoffs that when he is healthy, he can be an effective player. Teams will still be cautious to sign him with his inability to stay healthy, but when properly handled, some training staffs could ensure he is ready to give 110% in the next couple of playoffs.
We likely won't see a Canadiens-Pacioretty reunion this summer, given the Canadiens' logjam already forming amongst the forward group. However, Habs fans can still be happy that their old captain is getting another chance. Let's just try to keep it out of the division this time.