Interesting article. Makes the team look pathetic.
Mar 28, 2002 8:36:23 GMT -5
Post by Cranky on Mar 28, 2002 8:36:23 GMT -5
This is sad. Does anyone know what they are doing? Do the players care? We can thank The Simpleton for this.
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By Tom Hickey
The Canadiens appear to be a team without an identity as they chase the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
The coach and the players seem to have an idea of what they aren't and they seem to have an idea of what they would like to be. But the latter bears little resemblance to the product on the ice.
"We can't call ourselves an offensive team and I guess what we'd like to be is a hard-working defensive team," defenceman Craig Rivet said as the Canadiens prepared to meet the Tampa Bay Lightning tonight at the Molson Centre (7:30 p.m., TQS, CJAD Radio-800).
"We want to be a sound defensive team that can be patient and wait for something to open up on offence."
Coach Michel Therrien has expressed similar thoughts throughout the season. He would like to see the Canadiens score more goals but he cautions that defence must come first.
As the Canadiens' current winless streak hit three games (0-2-1) with a 2-1 loss to the Florida Panthers, the Canadiens' commitment to defence is suspect. Only the superb play of goaltender Jose Theodore kept the score as close as it was on a night when the Panthers outshot the Canadiens 43-23.
"That was embarrassing," conceded Rivet. "We were playing a team that was missing its star goaltender, a team that traded Pavel Bure. They didn't have Valeri Bure and they didn't have (Viktor) Kozlov. This was a team without their top three forwards, a team that managed only five shots in two periods the night before and we let them have 43 shots. We've been allowing too many shots, too many scoring chances."(Brilliant analysis, he will make a great coach, The Simpleton, Version 2.)
The Canadiens are in the middle of an eight-game stretch that should have allowed them to distance themselves from their playoff rivals. Seven of those eight games are against teams with records below .500.
The stretch began well with a 1-1 in Carolina, the one team above .500, and a win in Florida. But the Canadiens needed a goal from Yanic Perreault at 19:53 of the third period to earn a tie in Tampa, lost 5-1 In Nashville and then lost to Florida. That left the Canadiens with four out of a possible 10 points and in a tie on points with Washington for the final playoff spot. The Capitals have more wins, which is the NHL's first tiebreaker, but the Canadiens have a game in hand.
Rivet said all the players walked into the dressing room yesterday knowing that they can play better. There is a general agreement that this team is not playing up to its potential, but nobody can agree on why the team is struggling. (Coaching? Nahh)
Therrien suggests that players who haven't experienced playoff hockey for the past three seasons are feeling the pressure.
Rivet and other players have suggested that there is a lack of intensity, a lack of passion. Nobody can explain why this should be but Rivet noted bluntly: "We're not playing like a team that wants to be in the playoffs.(This is getting sick.)
"I think everyone knows we can play better," said Rivet. "I know I can play better."
The Canadiens can also play smarter and in this case, it starts with Therrien(The Simpleton)), who left the Canadiens shorthanded when he made a mistake in filling out his lineup for the Florida game. He neglected to put Andreas Dackell's name on the lineup card and the team's No. 1 penalty-killer was forced to leave the game after two shifts. Dackell's absence meant the penalty-killing unit was missing a key player and it also affected the even-strength alignment. Arron Asham, who took Dackell's spot, played only one shift.
As a result, Joé Juneau, who was a question mark until game time because of a sore back, was double-shifted and played nearly 22 minutes. He was physically and emotionally spent after the game. He skipped practice yesterday, but is expected to play tonight.
The Canadiens also took an unnecessary penalty for having too many men on the ice and were caught napping at the end of a power play that resulted in Florida's first goal, by Niklas Hagman.
The one constant bright spot has been Theodore in goal, but as a team, the Canadiens rank 19th in goals-against average and the team that would be known for its defence has allowed nearly 32 shots a game. Only three teams - Florida, the New York Rangers and Atlanta - have allowed more shots on goal than Montreal.
After tonight's game, the Canadiens meet Pittsburgh in a home-and-away series Saturday at the Molson Centre and Monday in Pittsburgh.
(This is the team that we want to be proud off........
)
<><><>
By Tom Hickey
The Canadiens appear to be a team without an identity as they chase the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
The coach and the players seem to have an idea of what they aren't and they seem to have an idea of what they would like to be. But the latter bears little resemblance to the product on the ice.
"We can't call ourselves an offensive team and I guess what we'd like to be is a hard-working defensive team," defenceman Craig Rivet said as the Canadiens prepared to meet the Tampa Bay Lightning tonight at the Molson Centre (7:30 p.m., TQS, CJAD Radio-800).
"We want to be a sound defensive team that can be patient and wait for something to open up on offence."
Coach Michel Therrien has expressed similar thoughts throughout the season. He would like to see the Canadiens score more goals but he cautions that defence must come first.
As the Canadiens' current winless streak hit three games (0-2-1) with a 2-1 loss to the Florida Panthers, the Canadiens' commitment to defence is suspect. Only the superb play of goaltender Jose Theodore kept the score as close as it was on a night when the Panthers outshot the Canadiens 43-23.
"That was embarrassing," conceded Rivet. "We were playing a team that was missing its star goaltender, a team that traded Pavel Bure. They didn't have Valeri Bure and they didn't have (Viktor) Kozlov. This was a team without their top three forwards, a team that managed only five shots in two periods the night before and we let them have 43 shots. We've been allowing too many shots, too many scoring chances."(Brilliant analysis, he will make a great coach, The Simpleton, Version 2.)
The Canadiens are in the middle of an eight-game stretch that should have allowed them to distance themselves from their playoff rivals. Seven of those eight games are against teams with records below .500.
The stretch began well with a 1-1 in Carolina, the one team above .500, and a win in Florida. But the Canadiens needed a goal from Yanic Perreault at 19:53 of the third period to earn a tie in Tampa, lost 5-1 In Nashville and then lost to Florida. That left the Canadiens with four out of a possible 10 points and in a tie on points with Washington for the final playoff spot. The Capitals have more wins, which is the NHL's first tiebreaker, but the Canadiens have a game in hand.
Rivet said all the players walked into the dressing room yesterday knowing that they can play better. There is a general agreement that this team is not playing up to its potential, but nobody can agree on why the team is struggling. (Coaching? Nahh)
Therrien suggests that players who haven't experienced playoff hockey for the past three seasons are feeling the pressure.
Rivet and other players have suggested that there is a lack of intensity, a lack of passion. Nobody can explain why this should be but Rivet noted bluntly: "We're not playing like a team that wants to be in the playoffs.(This is getting sick.)
"I think everyone knows we can play better," said Rivet. "I know I can play better."
The Canadiens can also play smarter and in this case, it starts with Therrien(The Simpleton)), who left the Canadiens shorthanded when he made a mistake in filling out his lineup for the Florida game. He neglected to put Andreas Dackell's name on the lineup card and the team's No. 1 penalty-killer was forced to leave the game after two shifts. Dackell's absence meant the penalty-killing unit was missing a key player and it also affected the even-strength alignment. Arron Asham, who took Dackell's spot, played only one shift.
As a result, Joé Juneau, who was a question mark until game time because of a sore back, was double-shifted and played nearly 22 minutes. He was physically and emotionally spent after the game. He skipped practice yesterday, but is expected to play tonight.
The Canadiens also took an unnecessary penalty for having too many men on the ice and were caught napping at the end of a power play that resulted in Florida's first goal, by Niklas Hagman.
The one constant bright spot has been Theodore in goal, but as a team, the Canadiens rank 19th in goals-against average and the team that would be known for its defence has allowed nearly 32 shots a game. Only three teams - Florida, the New York Rangers and Atlanta - have allowed more shots on goal than Montreal.
After tonight's game, the Canadiens meet Pittsburgh in a home-and-away series Saturday at the Molson Centre and Monday in Pittsburgh.
(This is the team that we want to be proud off........
)
