Subj : Canadiens Need a Full Roster Effort to Beat the Penguins
To : All
From : The Hockey Writers
Date : Mon Jul 27 2020 04:40 am
There is a lot that needs to go right for the Montreal Canadiens if they want
to beat the Pittsburgh Penguins in their play-in series beginning Aug. 1.
It is one of the most-used clichés in sports, but to succeed they will need
contributions from the whole team, from the players on the ice to the coaches
behind the bench. The good news is that for the first time all season, they
have a healthy lineup and the depth needed to pull off the upset.�
It Can't Just Be the Carey Price Show�
It's well-known that the Penguins are wary of Carey Price, especially in a
shortened five-game series, and rightfully so. He can steal games for his team
on any given night, but they will need more than their star goaltender to
succeed against Pittsburgh. Just ask Price himself.
"I can sway the odds with outstanding play, but at the end of the day, we';ll
all need to play over our heads to win. I just go out there and play my game,
try not to do too much. We';ll win and lose as a team, and it';s always been
like that." Carey Price
In 33 games against the Penguins in his career, Price is 13-14-5 with a 2.95
goals-against average (GAA) and a .907 save percentage (SV%). He was 1-1-1 with
a 2.32 GAA and .929 SV% in three starts against them this season.
Carey Price, Montreal Canadiens (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)
While Price instilled confidence during training camp with strong practices and
some vintage saves, he's going to need his teammates in front of him to help
stop Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and company. Montreal's group of defensemen
will need to let Price see the puck and limit Pittsburgh's second-chance
opportunities. Their forwards need to score some timely goals and stay
aggressive on the forecheck to keep the play out of the Habs' defensive zone.
Balanced Lines and Defense Pairings
Even though general manager Marc Bergevin traded Ilya Kovalchuk, Marco
Scandella and Nate Thompson at the deadline, the Canadiens will have the
deepest and most balanced lineup they have had all season in the playoffs.
Related:�Canadiens Need Productive Youth to Succeed in Playoffs
From top to bottom, every player can and must contribute at both ends of the
ice. Head coach Claude Julien will have multiple options at his disposal to
assemble his lines and defense pairings to put together a balanced lineup.
Speaking of the team's current depth, Julien had Max Domi, who scored 72 points
last season, centering the fourth line through the final week of training
camp. His wingers are Jordan Weal and Dale Weise, who has scored some big
playoff goals for the Canadiens in the past. While it's unlikely Domi will be
the fourth-line center come Game 1 against the Penguins, all four lines are
sure to pack an offensive punch.
#Habs game roster, for the moment, looks like:
Tatar - Danault - Gallagher
Drouin - Suzuki - Armia
Lehkonen - Kotkaniemi - Byron
Weal - Domi - Weise
Chiarot - Weber
Kulak - Petry
Ouellet - Mete
Price
Lindgren- John Lu (@JohnLuTSNMtl) July 25, 2020
Julien might have tough lineup decisions to make, but he should ultimately
favor youth over experience. Jesperi Kotkaniemi had a great camp and deserves
to be in the top 12 forwards regardless of where Domi slots. On defense,
youngsters Cale Fleury and Noah Juulsen also warrant to see some game action,
perhaps in place of Xavier Ouellet despite his 172 games of NHL experience.�
"I';m going to make my lines not to defend against the Penguins, but to beat
the Penguins. It depends on your approach - are you going into a series trying
to defend, or are you trying to win? If you';re trying to win, you have to be
on your toes, and you have to attack." Claude Julien
Special teams will also be crucial for the Canadiens. Selke Trophy contender
Phillip Danault and captain Shea Weber will lead the penalty kill, but they
won't be able to stop Crosby, Malkin and Kris Letang on their own. They'll need
players like Ben Chiarot and Artturi Lehkonen to step up as well.
Max Domi celebrates with Jonathan Drouin (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty
Images)
On the power play, Domi, Jonathan Drouin and Nick Suzuki will have to create
for their teammates and if a player like Joel Armia can bring his scoring touch
from the regular season where he scored a career-high 16 goals in just 58
games, the Canadiens will be that much harder to defend.
The Habs are Embracing Their Underdog Status
As the lowest-ranked team in the NHL's Return to Play Plan, Habs' players are
aware they aren't being given much of a chance against the Penguins and that
suits them just fine.
"The outside opinion about our group doesn';t matter one bit. What';s important
to us is how we feel in our locker room. And as long as our guys have
confidence and we believe that we can achieve this, it';s possible," Brendan
Gallagher said.
Related: Likeliest Canadiens to Become Unlikely Playoff Heroes
Embracing their underdog status will serve the Canadiens well. They have
nothing to lose and can play like it. A team that has been given a second
chance is a dangerous opponent for anyone. The Habs can also take advantage of
the unpredictability of this unconventional playoff setup brought on by the
COVID-19 pandemic. The Toronto bubble will level the playing field, and
anything can happen in a shortened five-game series. The margin for error is
small regardless of a team's place in the standings.
Montreal Canadiens'; Jake Evans celebrates with teammates Shea Weber and Victor
Mete
(THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes)
Championship runs are often defined by unlikely heroes who score timely goals
or make big defensive plays at the most opportune times. The Canadiens have
many candidates who can step up and fill that role.
Montreal's rate of success might start with Price, Weber, and their highly
effective top line of Danault, Gallagher and Tomas Tatar, but it certainly
doesn't end with them. A full team effort will be the key to a long playoff
run, starting with a victory over the Penguins.
The post Canadiens Need a Full Roster Effort to Beat the Penguins appeared
first on The Hockey Writers.
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