Marc Bergevin spoke to the Montreal Canadiens media and said accidents as one of many key issues which have been holding the group again. Honest or unfair?
Ilya Kovalchuk was the story of Friday because it appeared Marc Bergevin had his telephone on and on max quantity. It began with a depth transition buying Andrew Sturtz for Mike Reilly main into Marco Scandella from the Buffalo Sabres for a fourth-round choose. Friday was the height of loopy within the metropolis of Montreal because the group introduced the signing of Kovalchuk for the rest of the season.
Buying Kovalchuk in spite of everything he’s been by way of within the final 12 months and a half is intriguing on a number of fronts. The veteran nonetheless needed a possibility to play within the NHL as his efficiency with the Los Angeles Kings was forgettable. That mentioned, Kovalchuk was in a position to put up numbers with the Kings final 12 months, together with 16 targets, which is probably going the thought course of behind the deal.
Low-risk, high-reward.
That being mentioned, Kovalchuk wasn’t the one factor that has had Habs followers speaking. Bergevin made a specific remark which triggered extra fury inside the ones who’re already very pissed off with how the 12 months has performed out. When requested concerning the state of the group and the way they’ve gotten thus far, Bergevin mentioned:
I imagine if we have been wholesome, we’d be in a playoff spot proper now.
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Sounds acquainted to a few of Bergevin’s responses in the course of the 2017-18 season as nicely, doesn’t it? And let’s not neglect the touch upon Carey Price that very same 12 months the place if he have been higher, the group would’ve made the playoffs.
So let’s break this down. Bergevin is correct within the sense of the Montreal Canadiens being slammed with the pressure of the damage bug. Jonathan Drouin, Joel Armia, Paul Byron and most just lately Brendan Gallagher are all out of the lineup.
Drouin and Armia have been nicely on their approach to having profession years, whereas Gallagher and Byron are crucial items of the group’s total character (not making an attempt to make a joke). It additionally helps that Gallagher has been good for 30 targets in his final two seasons.
On the one hand, it is sensible to take a look at the accidents and maintain that on the group’s efficiency. On the opposite, it doesn’t.
The Montreal Canadiens have misplaced offensive performers, but it surely’s been their play away from the puck that has value them video games. That little piece of playoff-less venom has adopted them because the starting of the season. Drouin and Armia have been on the constructive observe of that, but it surely’s a team-wide problem and Worth hasn’t been godly sufficient to make up for all of their errors.
Moreover, accidents occur on a regular basis. It’s exhausting to sympathize with what Bergevin is saying whereas a group the Pittsburgh Penguins have been dropping key items all season (Sidney Crosby, Jake Guentzel, and Nick Bjugstad to call a number of) however stay a top-ten group within the league.
One other factor that doesn’t work in Bergevin’s favour is the truth that the Montreal Canadiens have been comparatively wholesome final season and nonetheless missed. Once more, it was poor stretches and defensive play that value them.
The group isn’t enjoying at their greatest, on a number of fronts. It’s a see-saw sport of “What stands out” each evening. In the event that they’re scoring, they’re giving up quite a bit. In the event that they shut issues down, they will’t produce. That’s what the problem is, and it’s continued this manner.
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Maybe the alterations might help patch issues up a bit, however holding the season on accidents warrants criticism.