NHL Playoff Preview: Montreal Canadiens vs. Ottawa Senators
The Canadiens were oh so close to a dream matchup against the Leafs but the Boston Bruins fell to the Ottawa Senators in the final game of the regular season on Sunday night. Instead, it will be the Bruins facing off against the Leafs beginning on Wednesday night and the Canadiens meeting the Senators in Game 1 of their series on Thursday night.
With the Bruins' loss on Sunday, the Canadiens locked up top spot in the Northeast Division and have enjoyed a huge turnaround from their 15th (last) place finish in the Eastern Conference last season. Much of the Habs' turnaround this season has been attributed to first time General Manager, Marc Bergevin. His steady and calming presence has gone a long way to settle down a team and a city that has been described as the most scrutinized and pressure filled environment in the NHL. The only other comparable hockey market would be that of Toronto. Bergevin's hire of former Canadiens coach, Michel Therrien has had a similar calming influence on the locker room. Bergevin came over from the Chicago Blackhawks organization, where he enjoyed success as a scout, Assistant Coach for three seasons, Director of Player Personnel, and Assistant General Manager. In 2010, while serving as Director of Player Personnel, Bergevin won a Stanley Cup with the Blackhawks.
Bergevin has done a nice job of locking up key players under contract such as Max Pacioretty (6 years at $27 million), David Deharnais (4 years at $14 million) P.K. Subban (2 years at $5.75 million), and most importantly, Carey Price (6 years at $39 million). Price's contract keeps him in Montreal until the 2017-2018 season. Price is the heart and soul of this team and as he goes so go "Les Habitants."
The big story with the Canadiens to begin the year was whether or not Bergevin could sign defenseman, P.K. Subban to a contract extension. Subban and his agent held out for what seemed to be an eternity for Habs fans before signing with the club after missing the first four games of the season. Since suiting up for the Canadiens, Subban led all defensemen in goals (11) and tied Kris Letang for the league lead in points by a defenseman (38). His name has been apart of the Norris Trophy discussion for much of the year and it would be hard to argue against Subban being the most worthy candidate. His high-risk plays that used to result in turnovers have diminished greatly as he boasted a +12 plus/minus rating. The only hit against Subban for the Norris that some have posited is that he has not logged as many minutes as other top defensemen. Personally, I do not find this to be a legitimate argument against Subban as he averaged 23:14 minutes per game, just under his teammate Andrei Markov (24:07), and fellow Norris candidates, Kris Letang (25:38), and Ryan Suter (27:16). Markov and Subban were undoubtably the best 1-2 punch for D-men on the powerplay this season as Markov tallied 8 goals with the man advantage and Subban rifled home 7. The signing of Subban paired with a healthy Andrei Markov proved to be a major reason for the Habs' resurgence this season.
The trade of discontented forward, Erik Cole to the Dallas Stars for former Hab, Michael Ryder, also proved to be a key move by Bergevin. Honestly, I was disappointed at the time and felt like Montreal gave up too much in the trade. However, Ryder has been a pleasant surprise, tallying 10 goals since joining the Canadiens on Feb. 26th. The Canadiens do not have anyone in the top 30 in league scoring with Max Pacioretty coming in at #33 on the list (39 points). As already mentioned, Subban is next in line with 38 points from the blueline. Instead, Montreal has relied on a balanced attack from Tomas Plekanec, Michael Ryder, Lars Eller, and rookie standouts, Brendan Gallagher and Alex Galchenyuk. Gallagher is in the mix for the Calder Trophy with 15 goals and 28 points in 44 games while Galchenyuk experienced a hot start out of the gate for the Habs, followed by a bit of a drought and then a strong finish (9 goals, 18 assists in 48 games). The play of backup goaltender, Peter Budaj is noteworthy as well (8-1-1 with a 2.29 GAA and a .908 SVP). Carey Price (21-13-4, 2.59 GAA, 9.05 SVP) was in the discussion for the Vezina Trophy for much of the season but fell off a bit near the end of the season (being pulled in three of four starts). It's clear that Price will have to regain his form if the Habs want to make a playoff run this year.
On the other side of this matchup is the upstart Ottawa Senators. With injuries early in the season to Jason Spezza and Eric Karlsson, the season looked bleak to say the least for the Sens. However, the work of coach, Paul MacLean has not gone unnoticed. Both MacLean and Habs' coach, Therrien are frontrunners for the Jack Adams trophy this season as coach of the year. Paul MacLean certainly has the facial hair of the year award already in the bag with that incredible duster! The Sens have just kept winning this year and have surpassed all expectations. The play of goaltender, Craig Anderson has been stellar (12-9-2, 1.69 GAA, .941 SVP in 24 games)! Despite only playing half the season, some hockey writers feel that Anderson should still be considered for the Vezina Trophy.
Like the Canadiens, the Senators have no offensive standouts this season but instead, a balanced attack. Kyle Turris (12 goals) and Corey Conacher (11 goals) have enjoyed solid seasons, while veterans Daniel Alfredsson and Sergie Gonchar continue to produce. Backup goalie, Robin Lehner has held the fort admirably in Anderson's absence, posting a 5-3-4 mark with a 2.20 GAA and a .936 SVP. Turris, Conacher, and Lehner have all been pleasant surprises for the Sens, who have obviously bought into MacLean's team concept this season. Conacher's arrival from Tampa Bay meant the Senators parting ways with goaltender, Ben Bishop, but the play of Lehner has mitigated the loss of Bishop.
The unbelievable recovery of Eric Karlsson is, well... unbelievable! To think that only two and a half months ago Karlsson tore his achilles tendon and he is back on the ice is nothing short of miraculous! I am not trying to stir up unnecessary controversy but either Karlsson has superhero-like genes, has the best doctor on the planet, took some drugs, or his injury was not as severe as the Senators led people to believe. I will give him the benefit of the doubt and go with the first option but it is truly remarkable that he is back in uniform. In his first game back on Thursday, April 25th against the Capitals, Karlsson logged a game high 27:11 and notched assists on both Ottawa goals to beat Washington in OT and help solidify the Senators spot in the postseason. Karlsson will be a major catalyst for the Senators success this postseason, much like his opponent, P.K. Subban for the Canadiens. Karlsson is only one year removed from winning the Norris Trophy, a season in which he accumulated 19 goals and 59 assists for 78 points in 81 games. Karlsson joined only Denis Potvin and Bobby Orr as the only players to win the award before turning 23.
Now to my predictions for this series. Both the Senators and Canadiens rely on scoring by committee, but it may come down to which team finds a couple guys to carry the load offensively first. This production may come from the backend with the likes of Gonchar, Karlsson, Markov, and Subban. Special teams will also play a major role in the outcome of this series. The Senators are amongst the NHL's best in penalty kill while the Canadiens have one of the more potent powerplays in the league. Also, the Habs need to return to their defensive minded approach that saw relentless back-checking for the first two-thirds of the season. But more critical than any of these factors will be the matchup of Craig Anderson vs. Carey Price. Whichever goalie wins this battle will determine which team moves on to the second round. I have the Montreal Canadiens beating the Ottawa Senators in 6 games.
I realize that I am showing my bias as a Habs fan, but I do think that Montreal has more weapons than Ottawa. Also, with it only being about a two hour drive from Montreal to Scotiabank Place, the Canadiens will enjoy a home ice feel even away from the Bell Centre. Again, it will be goaltending and special teams that will determine the outcome of this series.
Go Habs Go!
With the Bruins' loss on Sunday, the Canadiens locked up top spot in the Northeast Division and have enjoyed a huge turnaround from their 15th (last) place finish in the Eastern Conference last season. Much of the Habs' turnaround this season has been attributed to first time General Manager, Marc Bergevin. His steady and calming presence has gone a long way to settle down a team and a city that has been described as the most scrutinized and pressure filled environment in the NHL. The only other comparable hockey market would be that of Toronto. Bergevin's hire of former Canadiens coach, Michel Therrien has had a similar calming influence on the locker room. Bergevin came over from the Chicago Blackhawks organization, where he enjoyed success as a scout, Assistant Coach for three seasons, Director of Player Personnel, and Assistant General Manager. In 2010, while serving as Director of Player Personnel, Bergevin won a Stanley Cup with the Blackhawks.
Bergevin has done a nice job of locking up key players under contract such as Max Pacioretty (6 years at $27 million), David Deharnais (4 years at $14 million) P.K. Subban (2 years at $5.75 million), and most importantly, Carey Price (6 years at $39 million). Price's contract keeps him in Montreal until the 2017-2018 season. Price is the heart and soul of this team and as he goes so go "Les Habitants."
The big story with the Canadiens to begin the year was whether or not Bergevin could sign defenseman, P.K. Subban to a contract extension. Subban and his agent held out for what seemed to be an eternity for Habs fans before signing with the club after missing the first four games of the season. Since suiting up for the Canadiens, Subban led all defensemen in goals (11) and tied Kris Letang for the league lead in points by a defenseman (38). His name has been apart of the Norris Trophy discussion for much of the year and it would be hard to argue against Subban being the most worthy candidate. His high-risk plays that used to result in turnovers have diminished greatly as he boasted a +12 plus/minus rating. The only hit against Subban for the Norris that some have posited is that he has not logged as many minutes as other top defensemen. Personally, I do not find this to be a legitimate argument against Subban as he averaged 23:14 minutes per game, just under his teammate Andrei Markov (24:07), and fellow Norris candidates, Kris Letang (25:38), and Ryan Suter (27:16). Markov and Subban were undoubtably the best 1-2 punch for D-men on the powerplay this season as Markov tallied 8 goals with the man advantage and Subban rifled home 7. The signing of Subban paired with a healthy Andrei Markov proved to be a major reason for the Habs' resurgence this season.
The trade of discontented forward, Erik Cole to the Dallas Stars for former Hab, Michael Ryder, also proved to be a key move by Bergevin. Honestly, I was disappointed at the time and felt like Montreal gave up too much in the trade. However, Ryder has been a pleasant surprise, tallying 10 goals since joining the Canadiens on Feb. 26th. The Canadiens do not have anyone in the top 30 in league scoring with Max Pacioretty coming in at #33 on the list (39 points). As already mentioned, Subban is next in line with 38 points from the blueline. Instead, Montreal has relied on a balanced attack from Tomas Plekanec, Michael Ryder, Lars Eller, and rookie standouts, Brendan Gallagher and Alex Galchenyuk. Gallagher is in the mix for the Calder Trophy with 15 goals and 28 points in 44 games while Galchenyuk experienced a hot start out of the gate for the Habs, followed by a bit of a drought and then a strong finish (9 goals, 18 assists in 48 games). The play of backup goaltender, Peter Budaj is noteworthy as well (8-1-1 with a 2.29 GAA and a .908 SVP). Carey Price (21-13-4, 2.59 GAA, 9.05 SVP) was in the discussion for the Vezina Trophy for much of the season but fell off a bit near the end of the season (being pulled in three of four starts). It's clear that Price will have to regain his form if the Habs want to make a playoff run this year.
On the other side of this matchup is the upstart Ottawa Senators. With injuries early in the season to Jason Spezza and Eric Karlsson, the season looked bleak to say the least for the Sens. However, the work of coach, Paul MacLean has not gone unnoticed. Both MacLean and Habs' coach, Therrien are frontrunners for the Jack Adams trophy this season as coach of the year. Paul MacLean certainly has the facial hair of the year award already in the bag with that incredible duster! The Sens have just kept winning this year and have surpassed all expectations. The play of goaltender, Craig Anderson has been stellar (12-9-2, 1.69 GAA, .941 SVP in 24 games)! Despite only playing half the season, some hockey writers feel that Anderson should still be considered for the Vezina Trophy.
Like the Canadiens, the Senators have no offensive standouts this season but instead, a balanced attack. Kyle Turris (12 goals) and Corey Conacher (11 goals) have enjoyed solid seasons, while veterans Daniel Alfredsson and Sergie Gonchar continue to produce. Backup goalie, Robin Lehner has held the fort admirably in Anderson's absence, posting a 5-3-4 mark with a 2.20 GAA and a .936 SVP. Turris, Conacher, and Lehner have all been pleasant surprises for the Sens, who have obviously bought into MacLean's team concept this season. Conacher's arrival from Tampa Bay meant the Senators parting ways with goaltender, Ben Bishop, but the play of Lehner has mitigated the loss of Bishop.
The unbelievable recovery of Eric Karlsson is, well... unbelievable! To think that only two and a half months ago Karlsson tore his achilles tendon and he is back on the ice is nothing short of miraculous! I am not trying to stir up unnecessary controversy but either Karlsson has superhero-like genes, has the best doctor on the planet, took some drugs, or his injury was not as severe as the Senators led people to believe. I will give him the benefit of the doubt and go with the first option but it is truly remarkable that he is back in uniform. In his first game back on Thursday, April 25th against the Capitals, Karlsson logged a game high 27:11 and notched assists on both Ottawa goals to beat Washington in OT and help solidify the Senators spot in the postseason. Karlsson will be a major catalyst for the Senators success this postseason, much like his opponent, P.K. Subban for the Canadiens. Karlsson is only one year removed from winning the Norris Trophy, a season in which he accumulated 19 goals and 59 assists for 78 points in 81 games. Karlsson joined only Denis Potvin and Bobby Orr as the only players to win the award before turning 23.
Now to my predictions for this series. Both the Senators and Canadiens rely on scoring by committee, but it may come down to which team finds a couple guys to carry the load offensively first. This production may come from the backend with the likes of Gonchar, Karlsson, Markov, and Subban. Special teams will also play a major role in the outcome of this series. The Senators are amongst the NHL's best in penalty kill while the Canadiens have one of the more potent powerplays in the league. Also, the Habs need to return to their defensive minded approach that saw relentless back-checking for the first two-thirds of the season. But more critical than any of these factors will be the matchup of Craig Anderson vs. Carey Price. Whichever goalie wins this battle will determine which team moves on to the second round. I have the Montreal Canadiens beating the Ottawa Senators in 6 games.
I realize that I am showing my bias as a Habs fan, but I do think that Montreal has more weapons than Ottawa. Also, with it only being about a two hour drive from Montreal to Scotiabank Place, the Canadiens will enjoy a home ice feel even away from the Bell Centre. Again, it will be goaltending and special teams that will determine the outcome of this series.
Go Habs Go!
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