San Jose’s best players showed up to play while Montreal’s best players played like shit. (Oh yeah, when they were down 4-0 and their MVP leader-goalie was embarrassed and the Sharks packed it in, they played harder. Whoopee.)
I knew I should have gone to see Hollerado/Sam Roberts Band at The Corona instead.
THE GOOD
- Michael McCarron. Welcome back. A right winger again. For now. It’s one thing for a dude his size to effectively rub opponents out along the boards – as he did on several occasions. At some point he also has to create some offense. His strong work inside the San Jose zone in the third period led directly to a goal and very nearly to another.
- Nathan Beaulieu. Best looking Montreal defenseman.
- Jeff Petry. He was ok too.
- Brian Flynn. I’m glad he scored. And he was on the ice – instead of a wealthier, more experienced centre – while the Habs pressed late to make it a one goal game. Maybe Michel Therrien will remember this the next time his team plays in overtime.
- Al Montoya. Easiest relief job since Mike Brown was replaced at FEMA.
THE BAD
- Carey Price. Not much chance to stop goals 2,3 or 4. But on the opening goal by David Schlemko (his first goal as a member of the Sharks), Price went down too easily and too soon – allowing an alert Schlemko to hit the wide open top of the net. Plus he just didn’t look good. Everybody knows the you’re-not-going-to-beat-me look. We’ll probably see it in Washington. As for the stare down at his coach – I think Therrien explained it well in his post-game presser which we’ll get to shortly.
- Torrey Mitchell. Ridiculous to take an offensive zone penalty on the first shift of the game after the team discussed how important it was to stay out of the penalty box. When he did it again a few minutes later – which led to San Jose’s 3rd goal – that should have spelled the end of his night. But the Habs were already down three regular forwards and were about to lose another.
- Paul Byron. No doubt frustrated by his inability to finish off a play from in close Byron took a reactionary hooking penalty on Mikkel Boedker behind the San Jose net. The Sharks again converted on the power play to take an early and insurmountable 3-0 lead.
- Phillip Danault. Totally disinterested in engaging anybody in a Sharks jersey. Was the master of the one-hand-on-the-stick check attempt. Lost the puck behind his own net on the play that led to Timo Meier’s first NHL goal in his first NHL game. Truly horrid night for Danault.
- Max Pacioretty. Half-assed effort to clear the puck out of his zone led directly to the Marleau power play marker. Missed several late chances. Maybe it’s a San Jose thing. There is only one team in the NHL Pacioretty has failed to score against – the Sharks.
- Tomas Plekanec. Played with all the intensity of a quaalude. Once upon a time Plekanec was an elite penalty killer. Now he’s a big part of the problem. Was also out hustled by San Jose’s 4th line six minutes into the second period when Melkker Karlsson’s goal ended the night for Carey Price. There was nothing subtle about Therrien’s late third period choices up front as the Habs threatened to narrow the gap to one – Plekanec remained on the bench.
- Andrei Markov. Non-factor.
- Shea Weber. Played better as the game went along but his presence seems to be diminishing. He has just one assist in the last 10 games. Took two penalties – one for interference, the other for slashing a stick. It’s high time for him to take a roughing or cross-checking penalty because the Habs play in front of Price is softer than the clouds of smoke Therrien puffs out after each period. The Habs need the real Shea Weber to show up in Washington. And then again next week in Columbus.
- Sven Andrighetto. Maybe it’s time for a new hockey home. You know it’s not working out when you’re yo-yo’d to the AHL and back and then after playing just over one minute, you fall face first into the boards (with nobody else around) and suffer an injury.
- Andrew Shaw. You’re surprised he wasn’t in the line up – nor playing in Washington because of “concussion-like symptoms”? After he returned to the game Monday night against the Bruins and was kibitzing with members of the media on Thursday? (When asked if he had a headache, Shaw replied “You need a brain to have a headache.”) I betcha Torrey Krug isn’t surprised.
- Marc Edouard Vlasic. Maybe he was distracted by the 5k fine the NHL hit him with during the afternoon for his jab/spear at Erik Karlsson in Ottawa. It’s so rare to see Montreal’s Vlasic make a glaring mistake let alone two or three as he did on the two Montreal goals.
THE UGLY
- Special Teams. The power play officially sucks again. It’s 1-17 since Alex Galchenyuk got hurt. (Hey, that was a quick ending to the “Maybe Plekanec can centre the #1 line after all” chatter from some corners during/after the 10-1 win over Colorado.) And the PK unit is an even worse mess. San Jose had gone 0-7 on the power play against Ottawa. Their season PP success rate was well under 20% which seems strange given that Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, Joe Pavelski, Logan Couture and Brent Burns are often on at the same time. The Habs were just what they needed. Price couldn’t slam the door early (Schlemko) while Plekanec was among those mesmerized by Joe Thornton behind the net while Big Joe waited to feed Patrick Marleau to put San Jose up by 2. When he was complimented on his pass by Marc Denis of RDS in between periods Thornton deflected, “They left him open. He’s scored almost 500 goals (489). He doesn’t miss those.” Montreal’s once impressive penalty killing unit is 18th in the NHL at 80.9%. Or this close to falling into the high 70’s. And while Carey Price’s 5 on 5 save percentage is a beyond stingy .950, his save percentage while shorthanded is an ugly .866.
- The Stare. Much to do about nothing? Price was pissed alright. And there’s no doubt he was glaring at his head coach – nobody else. But doesn’t it make perfect sense to yank him on home ice down 4-0 so he could get ready to start in Washington? Of course it does. But that wasn’t the issue when his night ended after just 18 shots and 27 minutes. You’d think with three days off following the loss to Boston, Montreal would have had a much better start. Part of what Therrien said post-game: My job is to make sure they are ready to play. I think that’s the message Price was sending.
Nice stare down at #Habs bench by Carey Price when pulled at 4-0 Sharks pic.twitter.com/IkCmfccYuH
— Dennis Bernstein (@DennisTFP) December 17, 2016
