One Improvement Each Line Must Make for the Montreal Canadiens

The Montreal Canadiens recently returned from a road trip having lost three games in a row for the first time all season. They were 1-5-1 in their last seven. Maybe not time to panic, but there was certainly room for big improvements. 

So the coaching staff went to work, drew up new lines and got the squad ready for an emotional tilt against the Vancouver Canucks on a night where the club honored Jean Beliveau at the Bell Centre for the first time since his passing. 

Give credit to the Canadiens—they responded with one of their best performances of the season, a 3-1 win in a game they dominated. 

But the Habs still had trouble scoring goals, sneaking just two past Ryan Miller on 25 shots (the third was an empty-netter). And this has been a theme when they're not playing well this season: Their forwards can't score. 

The forwards aren't the only reason the Canadiens are losing games, but the Habs would surely win a few more if they start playing better.

Let's take a look at one improvement each line must make for the Montreal Canadiens. 

4th Line

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Manny Malhotra (left) and Jonathan Toews

Most Recent Combination: Brandon Prust - Manny Malhotra - Dale Weise  

Manny Malhotra continues to be the anchor of the fourth line, and that isn't going to change any time soon. Both Dale Weise and Brandon Prust have rotated on and off this unit at different times in 2014-15, but they find themselves back with Malhotra with the latest combinations. 

The general consensus in hockey is that being placed on the fourth line is a demotion, but that might not be the case with the Canadiens right now. 

These are three hockey players that head coach Michel Therrien trusts and will use in all situations. In fact, it was Weise and Prust on the ice late in Montreal's last game, as the duo was tasked with shutting down the Sedin twins while nursing a 2-1 lead.

There is no doubt that Montreal's fourth line can shut down other teams' top lines. They can forecheck as well, and often spend time in the opposition's end. 

But a team needs a goal now and then from its grinders, especially when it's struggling, as the Habs have been over the past couple weeks. And so far this season, the fourth line just can't put the puck in the net. 

This is best evidenced by taking a quick look at Malhotra's stat line: zero points in 30 games. And it hasn't been for lack of chances either, as he's had a few chances recently that he should've buried. 

Weise's four goals are tops among the fourth-liners, but most of these have come from his stints on the top two lines. Prust has scored just once this year. 

Therrien and his staff surely don't expect many goals out of their fourth line. In fact, they're probably content with them just playing steady defense. But a fourth-line goal now and again can ignite a team, and it'd be nice to see this combination light the red lamp once in a while. 

3rd Line

Ann Heisenfelt/Associated Press

P.A. Parenteau

Most Recent Combination: Michael Bournival - David Desharnais - P.A. Parenteau 

Lars Eller and Jiri Sekac had teamed up to form a very nice third line for the Montreal Canadiens. But Eller was injured on Dec. 5 against Chicago and will be sidelined one to two weeks, per Canadiens.com. 

So now the new-look third line becomes Bournival, Desharnais and Parenteau. There's not much to be said about Bournival, as he just returned to the ice after missing 12 games. 

But for Desharnais and Parenteau, the improvement is simple: Shoot the puck. 

Desharnais has just two goals in 30 games this season, and that's completely unacceptable for someone who spent the first 29 games as the No. 1 center. The reason: He's averaging 1.1 shots per game. 

We know that Desharnais is a pass-first player. Yet if everyone else on the ice knows he's going to pass the puck, he's not going to be an effective playmaker. He needs to shoot more.

Parenteau has better shot numbers than Desharnais (2.0 shots per game), but for someone who is considered to be a shoot-first, goal-scoring winger, he has to get the puck on net more often. He also has just one shot in the two games with these new lines, which is obviously not good enough.

Desharnais and Parenteau were demoted from the top line because of they haven't been contributing offensively. The best way to get going offensively is to shoot pucks from all angles, and that's what this line needs to start doing. 

2nd Line

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Sven Andrighetto

Most Recent Combination: Jiri Sekac - Tomas Plekanec - Sven Andrighetto 

Tomas Plekanec has been the mainstay on the second line and, when looking at the season as a whole, he's been great. He's second in team scoring with 21 points (9 G, 12 A) and has a respectable plus-four rating. 

But his linemates during the team's recent slump, Alex Galchenyuk and Brendan Gallagher, weren't putting the puck in the net with any regularity, so Therrien made some changes. 

Enter Jiri Sekac and Sven Andrighetto. The improvement needed? Once again, create offense. And so far, so good.

Andrighetto, the 21-year-old Swiss rookie, scored against Dallas in his first career game and made a beautiful set-up pass to Plekanec for the game-winning goal against Vancouver. 

In fact, all three linemates have a point in both games they've played together. Two games, six points for the new second line. Not a bad start. 

The Habs need offensive improvements from all their lines, but the top six are heavily counted on to score. It's been a great start to the latest edition of the second line, and youngsters Sekac and Andrighetto will be key to maintaining solid production. 

1st Line

Winslow Townson/Associated Press

Alex Galchenyuk

Most Recent Combination: Max Pacioretty - Alex Galchenyuk - Brendan Gallagher 

There were big changes made to the top line in Montreal recently, as 20-year-old Alex Galchenyuk was moved to his natural position at center. The move was made for one obvious reason—to generate more offense. 

The Canadiens have been struggling to score goals on a consistent basis over the past few weeks, and when that happens, the top line is usually to blame. 

Max Pacioretty has been the only one on the top line who has been able to score regularly this season. He now has 13 goals in 30 games, and his longest goalless slump of the season has been three games. But David Desharnais and P.A. Parenteau weren't contributing much offensively, hence the demotion. 

The top line looked great against the Vancouver Canucks on Dec. 9, scoring twice and generating numerous chances. Galchenyuk looked especially good, as he was able to show off his incredible offensive skill set in the extra space that comes with playing center. 

Montreal is looking for more scoring out of its top line. It hasn't been the fault of the current trio, but it's an improvement the club needs. It'll be on Pacioretty, Galchenyuk and Gallagher to put the puck in the net more consistently. 

All stats from NHL.com. 

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