Montreal Canadiens: 4 Things Their Fans Need to Worry About Heading into 2012

The Montreal Canadiens have not had the type of season they were expecting. After pushing the eventual Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins to seven games in the first round of the playoffs last year, things were looking up in Montreal. Players and fans alike thought that great things were ahead for the team. Things have not turned out that way.

The 2011-12 season started off terribly, as they only won one game in the first eight games of the season. Despite being only a few points out of the playoffs, their head coach, Jacques Martin, was fired in the middle of December. Randy Cunneyworth, Martin's replacement, has been met with scorn from Montreal fans and media who want a coach who can speak the French language

The Habs are currently seven points out of a playoff spot. If they can play like they have in the past few seasons, it is still possible for them to make the playoffs. It will be a hard climb, but it could happen.

Although, if it is to happen, the Canadiens need to avoid the pitfalls that have hampered them in the first half and in past seasons.

Here are a few that that they have to watch out for.

Politics

For too long, the Montreal Canadiens have let their fans, the local media and the Quebec government affect how they run the team.

The latest evidence is the Randy Cunneyworth hiring. Before he even coached his first game of the season, the fans and media were already fuming at the fact that Cunneyworth couldn't speak French. Of course, Cunneyworth was also hampered by the team only winning once in his first seven games. The point is that the fans and media had already made the decision to despise Cunneyworth even before that happened.

As a result, Cunneyworth is all but assured to out of a job come the end of the season. His superiors haven't helped him out, either. Pierre Gauthier essentially put Cunneyworth in a lame-duck position by saying that the team's coach next season will speak French. Even Quebec's culture minister got involved, who "expected the Habs to correct the situation."

Listen, I get the idea that the coach should speak the language of the majority in Quebec, but Cunneyworth shouldn't be expected to learn French during this season. I mean, what would would you rather him focus on, learning French or finding a way to get the Habs back on the road to success?

The Power Play

As it stands right now, the Canadiens have the worst power play percentage in the league. They have had 161 opportunities with the extra man, but they have only converted on 21 of those chances. That means they have only converted on 13 percent of their power play chances.

You could say its because Andrei Markov has been out for almost a year and a quarter. You could say it's because Tomas Kaberle isn't doing what he came there to do. It doesn't matter. A team has take advantage of their power plays if they want any chance at having a long run in the playoffs.

Fact: No Stanley Cup champion team since the lockout has had a power-play percentage lower than 16.2, that belonging to last year's Boston Bruins.

Injuries

As with any team, injuries can cripple a team, pardon the pun, if they're not able to find suitable replacements for players that have been hurt.

The Montreal Canadiens have had their share of injuries this season. Twelve players that have suited up for the Canadiens this season have missed games due to injuries. The number jumps to 14 if you include Andrei Markov and Ryan White, who were injured last season and the offseason, respectively. Four of those players have been out for more than 10 games.

A bigger problem is that Montreal's big-name players that have been hurt, not just the supporting cast. Brian Gionta, Michael Cammalleri and Scott Gomez are among the names that have been bit by the injury bug.

Currently, Gomez, Markov and White are the only players that have not returned to the lineup. If the Habs can stay relatively healthy for the rest of the season, they might stand a chance at getting back into the playoff mix.

Their Overtime/Shootout Record

If and when a game enters overtime, both teams stand an equal chance of winning. One shot could make the worst team in the league beat the best. With the shootout, teams who have the best shootout scorers usually holds the advantage.

The Candiens have not fared well when has game beyond regulation. With a record of 3-7 in games that have gone to overtime or a shootout, if I were a fan, I would be worried as soon as that horn went off to end the third. Six of the 10 games have went to a shootout, and their record only gets worse there, standing at 1-5.

The Habs need to fix this as soon as possible.