Montreal Canadiens: Time to Panic?

For the first time in nearly two years, the Montreal Canadiens have dropped four games in a row. Before calling them rude names, let’s all breathe in and out, relax, and keep track of what is important—the season is still rolling.

So breathe in, breathe out, take a drink, sit, and calm down. 

Yes, it is quite frustrating. The All-Star Weekend fairytale just turned into a nightmare. Five goals allowed in the last two games is quite bugging indeed. 

As usual, let’s keep our cheerful, positive (or maybe just fool) spirit—we are still in the playoff run. 

We have lost four games in a row, our No. 1 goalie looks shaky for a No. 1 or even a No. 2, we take stupid penalties. The playoff picture still includes us.

Pointing fingers would be the easiest way to go. It is cheap and non-professional, it doesn’t hurt, and it is fast.  Once again, let’s keep our cool and fun-spirited minds—this is the closest to success we have ever gotten in more than a decade! At least, from an expectations outlook. 

However, the question is quite simple—why? What is it that doesn’t work? The passion should be there, the talent should be there, the fun should be there. They start to play, looking like they are in pain. They have a “get this over with” attitude.

Is it Guy Carbonneau and his line changes? Does it affect the players and the team chemistry at a degree that the coach doesn’t seem to realize? There is no perfect winning combination, of course, but stability isn’t a bad thing either. 

Is it the return of the injured players? After all, the youngsters did quite well, and the team had an average run despite the ankle problems, back pains, and the broken arms. In the latter possibility though, it is better to keep it simple and call it coincidence.  There is no solution, other than hope for the best. 

We can’t tell them not to come back for the sake of chemistry, can’t we? 

Is it that the team relies too much on Carey Price?  I would agree with Carbonneau—the goalie needs to be able to steal games now and then. 

The answers seem to be locked in some place that the forum ghosts are trying to discover. 

On a higher note, since we are positive people, Alex Kovalev seems to roll at a high pace since the MVP Award at the All-Star Game. Unfortunately, the razzle dazzles—although always impressive—are less enjoyable without the goals. 

If there was a “razzle dazzle cup,” we would have had a shot. Unfortunately, those are features found only in “Kovalev and Price in Wonderland.”

The reality is obviously much harder.

"Success is a science, if you have the conditions, you have the results." - Oscar Wilde

Go Habs! 

Miah is one of the three Community leaders of the Montreal Canadiens. She also co-hosts, along with Matt Eichel, Habs All Out Radio: all about the Montreal Canadiens!