Canadiens Forwards Start Erasing Memory of Poor 2014 ECF in Win vs. Maple Leafs

The Montreal Canadiens showed they had the makings of being an elite team in the Eastern Conference last season.

Wednesday night's victory against Toronto reiterates what the team will need to take it to the next level—something that didn't happen against the New York Rangers during last May's Eastern Conference Final.

Although some may say an injury to Carey Price derailed the Habs' hopes of contending for a Stanley Cup (B/R's Dave Lozo wrote at the time, "Along with Price, the chances of the Canadiens winning this series are also gone"), Dustin Tokarski put on a performance good enough to beat the Rangers. Instead, the outcome boiled down to the failings of the team's forwards, who failed to show up when it counted most.

The Canadiens had a chance to beat the Rangers, but a silent forward group outside of Rene Bourque was the team's fatal flaw.

That wasn't the case Wednesday, as the Habs got off to a perfect start to the 2014-15 slate with a 4-3 victory against the Maple Leafs.

The team was victorious primarily because it received production from top forwards throughout the lineup, as key players started to erase their horrid memories of the 2014 ECF.

Player	Goals	Assists	Points	+/-
P.A. Parenteau	0	2	2	2
Tomas Plekanec	2	0	2	1
Max Pacioretty	1	0	1	2
David Desharnais	0	1	1	2
Alex Galchenyuk	0	1	1	1
Brendan Gallagher	0	0	0	1

Max Pacioretty only managed to score two goals in six games during the ECF, and his inability to come through in a big moment was costly for Montreal. He is one of the team's top offensive players and will be crucial when it comes to whether or not the Habs take the next step this season.

Pacioretty showed that he was able to turn the page and put the memory of his poor postseason behind him, as he scored the team's first goal of the season.

Last season, the Connecticut native set a career high in goals with 39. If he can come close to that this season, the Habs will be in good shape.

Another player who stepped up for the Canadiens was Tomas Plekanec, a player who made more news for his antics rather than his on-ice play. Plekanec has been a staple for the Canadiens over a good portion of his NHL career, but he was singled out during the ECF for his terrible embellishments.

He scored a goal in the series, but that didn't matter to anyone. Plekanec's antics were so bad that the NHL actually modified the rulebook for the 2014-15 season to punish those who attempt to fake an injury or exaggerate to draw a call.

Plekanec was able to put all of this behind him against the Leafs, as he scored a tying goal on a breakaway set up by Alexei Emelin and a game-winning goal in the final seconds of the contest.

Plekanec's two goals were surely a welcome sight, and this performance puts him in position to match his total of 20 goals from last season.

He is no longer the 70-point player he was in 2009-10, but he is still an important member of the team who can provide that much-needed secondary punch.

The third and final forward who stepped up for the Canadiens against the Leafs was a youngster who has the potential to be for the Habs what Tanner Pearson and Tyler Toffoli were for the Los Angeles Kings. That player is Alex Galchenyuk.

The forward is one of hockey's top youngsters and has a bright future ahead of him. Galchenyuk is only 20 and entering his third NHL season. He missed the majority of the season during his draft year, and there were a few teams wary of taking him for that reason.

Montreal had the foresight to draft the American-born and European-raised forward who developed his game in Canada. To date, he's progressed at an average pace.

An injury limited Galchenyuk to 65 regular-season games and only five playoff contests in 2013-14. He scored two goals against the Rangers in the ECF despite showing some rust from being away from the game, and he proved that he's a player who can propel the Habs forward.

Against Toronto, Galchenyuk played 14 minutes and tallied an assist. It is mind-boggling that head coach Michel Therrien is still limiting his ice time because this kid is ready to be let off the chain.

His defensive game still needs some work, but Galchenyuk displayed his explosive skating ability, hockey sense and skilled hands against Toronto.

Plekanec praised the young star after the game and said via The Montreal Gazette's Dave Stubbs, "Gally is such a hard-working guy, going to the net. You know he's going to be there."

He's a guy who can get Habs fans excited all year long and ultimately make them cheer throughout a lengthy playoff run.

Although the win against the Maple Leafs was simply one game, it was an important one against a team that has been an archrival of Montreal's for 97 years. Seeing how players bounce back and respond at the new season is always interesting, and the Canadiens' forward corps showed some nice life.

The team made headlines this summer by inking P.K. Subban to a megadeal. While he will be a big story this year, the bigger story could be Montreal's forward group, including the big names mentioned above and others like P.A. Parenteau and Brendan Gallagher.

As mentioned at the beginning, the Habs showed last year they had the makings of a contender by reaching the Eastern Conference Final.

They have the goaltending and a decent blue line, and if they can get production out of their forwards like they did Wednesday against Toronto all year long, there is no limit on what they will be able to accomplish this season.

Stats via Hockey-Reference.com and NHL.com.