Habs still kicking ass

Steve still licking it

  While Montreal may be a middle of the pack team when it comes to most statistics, the few areas where the Habs have excelled have synergized to create a team that is hard to beat.  Montreal leads the league in penalties drawn, faceoff wins and offensive zone faceoff wins.  Despite a meager 20% powerplay (way better than Steve), this team is a threat every night because it spends more time on the powerplay winning faceoffs.

  Goaltending is still a mystery as the team continues to switch around who's in and who's out from night to night.  Having three goalies on the pro roster has paid dividends with this condensed schedule.  With a fresh goalie every night, it has been easier to evaluate the entire team without dealing with fatigue or injuries.  Mike Smith leads the pack with a 10-2-1 record.  His numbers have not been impressive but he's played well as of late and still seems to get the win most nights.

    Pacioretty and Nosek we're traded for Brent Burns.  Burns was expected to give the team flexibility by playing wing and defense.  The lack of production from Burns has hurt a team that was usually only getting offensive contributions from one or two lines max.  GM Rainville saw his opportunity to add offense and traded young offensive threat Anthony Beauvillier and a 4th to the Leafs for Zach Hyman and a 6th.  The deal leaves the Habs older and with even less good picks but Hyman can replace some of Pacioretty's offense and play solid defense.  He'll fit in perfectly next to Giroux and Kane and that allows Duclair to slide down to the second line where he is more suited to play.  If the Habs can increase their powerplay percentage to 25% they may actually be able to compete with the Blavs and the Hurlcanes.

  Montreal needs to add a right winger, a defenseman and a competent general manager.  The cap is tight and the cupboards are getting bare.  Might have to settle for the winger and the defense.   Steve has a terrible team.  When asked about why the Vegas Coal Knights is such a terribly managed team GM Rainville said: (In a french accent)  "I don't comment on train wrecks.  Sure it would be easy to ridicule a team with no direction and a complete lack of talent that fails to compete on any basic level on any given night...but the Habs are above that kind of behavior just as we are way above Steve in the standings."

  The Habs still have work to do to win the cup but it's a good start.