Montreal Canadiens

Reflections on the 2016-2017 Canadiens regular season
April 10, 2017, 12:19 PM ET [221 Comments]
Jennifer B Cutler
Montreal Canadiens Blogger • RSS • Archive • CONTACT
2016-2017 Montreal Canadiens finished the regular season with a 3-2 victory over the Detroit Red Wings in what was their final visit to the Joe Louis Arena. Despite missing eight regulars from the lineup, the Canadiens managed to come from behind twice to tie the game and send it into overtime. Alex Galchenyuk delivered in extra time once again scoring his fifth overtime game winning goal this season to end the regular season on a high note.

Some reflections on the Canadiens 2016-2017 regular season

1) Michel Therrien was a good coach but he was never able to help the Canadiens reach the next level. He had short term solutions but was simply unable to get the team through the grind of the regular season. Perhaps Therrien should have the moniker of Mr. October as for some reason he is able to have his teams ready to play from the get go with all of his players on the same page. Unfortunately for him and his teams, Therrien was rarely ever to make the necessary in game adjustments to adapt to opposing coach’s strategies and plans. When the times got tough he tripled down rather than attempt something new. When he was finally ready to make changes it often came too late to make a real difference. It will be interesting to see if he will get another opportunity to coach in the NHL, or if he would ever accept being an assistant coach.

2) Claude Julien is almost like a savior for getting the Canadiens season back on track with a record of 16-7-1 since his return behind the bench in Montreal. What has been most impressive is that the Canadiens did not simply change overnight and find success with just the jolt of excitement that usually comes with a new voice. He took his time at the beginning observing and getting to know his new players before making tweaks and adjustments to the game plan. It was the tried and true slow and steady method and it worked as he has been able to get the best out of most of the Canadiens. He displayed confidence in his players and finally they began to once again believe in themselves.

3) It is truly the little things that have made the Canadiens successful as of late. Their entries leaving the defensive zone are much more controlled as they have now have more options with the forwards supporting the defensemen. Up front the forwards are much more aggressive on the forecheck as no longer is it just one going in. A second forward is always not far away, coming to support and prolong the attack. Andrew Shaw and Artturi Lehkonen have been particularly successful at this since they have been put together on the same line but Phillip Danault does this with Alexander Radulov in particular on the first line while Brendan Gallagher and Paul Byron are quite good at this as well.

4) Alexander Radulov has been such a great fit with the Canadiens that it is difficult to imagine the season without him. His 54 points are second only to Max Pacioretty as Radulov became a key contributor on offense. His enthusiasm has been nothing short of contagious as he has had such a positive effect on his teammates. Radulov is truly a beast on the boards, especially behind the net where he has perfect the backhand nearly no-look pass. Once the playoffs are over will general manager and his agent truly sit down and attempt to work out a new deal for the upcoming unrestricted free agent. The Canadiens need offense and it is not like there are many replacements coming up from the pipeline in the near future…

5) Pacioretty has excelled in his second season as the Canadiens captain. While he certainly experienced a difficult rookie season with the ‘C’ on his jersey, Pacioretty always embraced his role as captain and vowed to become better. He did not disappoint. His effort has been extraordinary on and off the ice. Even when the ship was sinking in January and early February Pacioretty never gave up. He is still one of the best bargains in the NHL at $4.5 million USD for the next two seasons… There is a good reason why his teammates have voted for him to win the Jean Beliveau trophy for leadership and community involvement the past two seasons...

6) Shea Weber has been a rock on defense for the Canadiens. He got off to a most impressive start with 18 points in his first 23 games of the season through October and November. While he did taper off offensively, that is a direct result of the Canadiens constant tampering with the powerplay units and inability to adapt to the opposition’s penalty kill strategies. As well, Alexei Emelin’s poor play was bringing him down. Weber and Markov have formed a true number one pairing since they were united in March as the veterans have been complimenting one another. There is little doubt that this 10 days off will benefit him and that he will be refreshed for the beginning of the playoffs.

7) Is Alex Galchenyuk a centerman or a winger? The eternal debate drags on. In his first 25 games of the season before he went down with a knee injury in early December, Galchenyuk was leading the Canadiens with 23 points in 25 games. He was also the team’s undisputed number one center. While he was struggling still in faceoffs he made up for it with his offensive contributions and commitment to playing at both ends of the ice. Unfortunately, it seemed as though he came back from his injury too early, made it worst and in the process lost his confidence. Since being moved to the wing in March to play alongside Shaw and Lehkonen, Galchenyuk appears freer and has started to regain his stride. However, there are still times when he struggles in his own zone and makes questionable decisions. For now, it is best to keep him on the wing and have him play center on the powerplay. If he is ever able to put it altogether Galchenyuk will once again be a number one center in the NHL. The question is if that will be with the Canadiens or not.

8) Tomas Plekanec is a shell of himself offensively. At this point everyone has accepted his limitations as he has found success finally with Gallagher and Byron. He still plays big minutes and faces the toughest matchups defensively. The problem that everyone has is his price tag. Plekanec is not a $6 million a year player. He can contribute defensively and chip in on offense but it is disappointing that he was unable to crack even 30 points this season as he finished with 28. The Canadiens should expose him at the expansion draft as it would be a relief if Las Vegas were willing to take on his salary for just one season.

9) Is there a more polarizing player on the Canadiens than Nathan Beaulieu? He had the first opportunity to play with Weber and lost it after just a few games into the season. He has talent, he can skate. However consistency still leaves much to be desired. He is better for longer stretches but it is still not enough to stay in the top four. Beaulieu has a good wrist shot when he gets it on net and deserves more powerplay time as he has proven to be useful with the man advantage. Jordie Benn has complimented him nicely as he has benefitted from Benn’s constant communication on the ice. In reality, he grounds him. One thing with Beaulieu is that when coaches have shown confidence in him, he usually responds and has a solid and sometimes even spectacular game. Interestingly against the Red Wings in the final game of the season, Beaulieu led all players in ice time with 24:38 minutes. It was he and Brent Lernout that acted as the team’s number one pairing, not Jeff Petry and Brandon Davidson. It was also Beaulieu that was sent out to start overtime on defense, not Petry. Will Julien be able to depend on him in the playoffs?

10) Artturi Lehkonen has been an absolute revelation in his rookie season. There was no guarantee that he would make the team straight out of training camp and while he did not light it up offensively, he proved that he has a very high hockey IQ and deserved a spot the team. He has a nose for the net and never gives up on a play. He is tenacious on the forecheck and is responsible defensively. Despite his aggressiveness, he has only taken four minor penalties all season. That is truly impressive. Lehkonen also knows that there is another gear to give in the playoffs, as evidenced by his 19 points in 16 games as he led Frolunda to the SHL Championship last year. Lehkonen is only going to get better. That is very exciting for Habs fans.

11) Paul Byron and Philip Danault surpassed expectations and then some this year. No one expected them to be anything more than a fourth or third line player yet Danault played his way up to becoming the Canadiens first line center while Byron was the team’s second leader in goal scoring, finishing the season with 22, none of which came on the powerplay. When these two are going the Canadiens are able to put forth a balanced attack. They have become indispensable and unlikely heroes for their ability to step up.

12) No player has benefited more from the coaching change than Andrew Shaw. He was a loose cannon under Therrien and could not stay on the right side of the line making questionable decisions and dirty hits. Under Julien, Shaw has been able to channel his aggression and play hard but smart hockey. His ability to be a ‘Jack of all trades’ and play all three forward positions has come in handy at even strength and on the power play. Shaw has proven to be a playoff performer when he was with the Chicago Blackhawks. The Canadiens are hoping that Shaw will continue his strong play into the playoffs and be that player that Bergevin envisioned when he acquired him.

13) Carey Price is still one of the best goaltenders in the world. He had a rough stretch from December until when Michel Therrien was fired and there are enough conspiracy theories out there that I will leave it untouched. Simply said though, Price combined with a new and improved penalty kill is going to make it very difficult for the opposition to score goals in tight playoff games.

Full series preview will come on Tuesday. In the meantime, Galchenyuk was relegated to the fourth line at practice today. Who believes that is actually where he will be to start the series?