Puck Daddy’s NHL 2014-15 Emoji Preview: Montreal Canadiens
(The 2014-15 NHL season is nearly upon us, and attempting to handicap the winners and losers can sometimes leave us speechless. So we decided to break down all 30 teams with the next best thing to words: Emojis!)
Last Season In Emojis
Last Season, In Summary
The Montreal Canadiens moved into the realigned Atlantic Division, finished in third behind Boston and Tampa Bay, and posted their first 100-point season since 2007-08. The fun was just starting.
Facing an up-and-coming Lightning squad, the Canadiens pulled off a shocking sweep, setting up a second round date with their hated rivals from Boston. That series, as you would imagine, featured as much vitriol off the ice as there was on it. From racist Tweets sent P.K. Subban’s way to water squirted Subban’s way via Shawn Thornton to Milan Lucic threatening to kill Dale Weise in the handshake line, the series went as you’d expect.
Montreal ousted Boston in seven games, their first series win over the Bruins in three tries, and moved on to the Eastern Conference Final against the New York Rangers. There was a feeling that this Habs team had some magic around them, bringing back memories of their 2010 playoff runl.
The good vibes were quickly dashed when Carey Price was injured in Game 1. Dustin Tokarski, he of seven NHL regular season games, put in a valiant effort in the final five games of the series, but the Rangers would advance in six games.
The summer was dominated by P.K. Subban's arbitration case, which ended with the defenseman inking an eight-year, $72 million after a couple of tense days.
Last Season’s Definitive Highlight
The moment when Montreal's chances to advance to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1993 took a serious blow.
Off-Season Transactions
The last time the Canadiens went through a season without a captain was 2010, the year they reached the conference final. They’ll try that again in 2014-15 after Brian Gionta was not brought back and the team announced they would go with four alternates. Gionta will be joined on the Buffalo Sabres by fellow long-time Hab Josh Gorges, who GM Marc Bergevin tried to trade to Toronto first.
Thomas Vanek was a big trade deadline day pick-up, but by the end of his time in Montreal he was playing lower line minutes. As expected, he would sign in Minnesota when the free agency period opened.
As far as additions went, the Habs got a little younger up front when they dealt Danny Briere to Colorado in exchange for P.A. Parenteau. Bergevin also added some depth down the middle bringing in face-off ace Manny Malhotra (59.4-percent), and bolstered the defense with the signing of Tom Gilbert.
The Montreal offense was in the bottom 10 of the league last season averaging 2.55 goals per game. Thirty nine goals came from the stick of Max Pacioretty, who also led the team in points with 60. Tomas Plekanec potted 20, while six other forwards reached double digits. That balance helped them to a 100-point season, but the hope is the continued development of Brendan Gallagher (19 goals, 41 points), Alex Galchenyuk (13 goals, 31 points) and Michael Bournival (14 points, 60 games), along with a bounce back year from Rene Bourque (9 goals 16 points) will boost those offensive numbers.
The secondary scoring is a question mark at the moment, so the top line of Pacioretty, Gallagher and David Desharnais (52 points) will again have to do the heavy lifting.
P.A. Parenteau missed 27 games last season giving him his lowest offensive output since 2010-11 (14 goals, 33 points). He should slide alongside Plekanec on the second line, with the young Galchenyuk on opposite him. Bergevin has said, however, that Galchenyuk may end up at center, which could make Michel Therrien's configurations a bit interesting.
Dale Weise was acquired in February and was valuable during their run to the conference final — and not just for getting under Lucic’s skin. Despite his tough regular season, Bourque was a big offensive key for Montreal during the playoffs, leading the team in goals with eight. But as has dogged him for much of his career, he needs to find consistency in his game.
The Subban contract drama is over and done with and now the defenseman can continue his rise as one of the league’s best defenders. Along with Andrei Markov, the pair provided the bulk of the offense from the back, combining for 17 goals and 96 points, including 44 on the power play. The addition of Gilbert (28 points) should help.
Montreal had one of the better defenses in the league, finishing eighth overall with 2.45 goals allowed per game. The unit could see an influx of youth should their play earn them full-time roles. Jarred Tinordi, Nathan Beaulieu and Greg Pateryn could grab one of the third line spots next to Mike Weaver, who was impressive enough during the postseason that it earned him an extension.
Carey Price is expected to be 100-percent to start the season and that’s good news for the Habs. His even strength save-percentage of .934 was third among all goaltenders with at least 25 starts. With Tokarski’s emergence in the playoffs and regular backup Peter Budaj’s play during the regular season (10-8-3, 2.51 goals against average), giving Price a night off shouldn’t be a big worry. Could the Habs also start the year with three goalies on the roster?
Probable Text Conversation Within Organization
Special Teams
Even with the weapons Therrien can send over the boards for the power play, the unit managed to finish with a 17.2-percent success rate, down from 20.7-percent in 2013. Pacioretty (10) and Gallagher (8) led the way, and the addition of Gilbert should provide another shot to look out for from the point, along with Subban’s and Markov’s.
The penalty kill was drastically improved from the 2013-14 group that finished with a 79.8-percent success rate. The unit killed 85.1-percent of power plays faced and scored six shorthanded goals, led by Plekanec’s three. Manny Malhotra’s face-off prowess will be a welcomed addition, but they’ll certainly miss Gorges’ shot-blocking.
GM and Coach
There’s a lot to build on for the Habs after their conference final run. Bergevin and Therrien have led the franchise to back-to-back strong seasons, but expectations in Montreal are never low. The GM has locked up one of his stars (Subban), a depth forward (Eller); rewarded a defenseman for a strong performance despite playing alongside the anchor known as Douglas Murray (Weaver); and with Therrien’s help, have helped bring homegrown players through the ranks.
And Now, A Blooper
This one actually benefited the Canadiens as the Vancouver Canucks managed to turn a potential breakout from behind their net into an own goal.
The Potential Best Thing About This Team
Gallagher and Galchenyuk take big steps in their development and the next tier of prospects make an impact the NHL level.
The Potential Worst Thing About This Team
The secondary scoring is nowhere to be found and the team has to rely to heavily on the top line.
Single Emoji Prediction
Prediction: The Atlantic Division is there for the taking. Tampa Bay will be improved and Boston could take a step back. The rest don’t appear to be contenders, so a healthy, productive season should see the Habs challenging for the crown and once again facing off against the Lightning to advance through the Stanley Cup playoffs.
