After dropping back to back games, the Montreal Canadiens recalled top prospect Cole Caufield from the AHL’s Laval Rocket, hoping that the speedy winger could give the team an offensive boost. Caufield racked up 5pts (2G, 3A) in 6 games since being sent down earlier this year.
However, any hopes that some fresh legs would reverse the Habs skid were quickly dashed last night as Sidney Crosby opened the scoring for the Penguins 3 minutes into the opening frame. From there, it was a steady dose of Pittsburgh goals against a Montreal side which offered little resistance Thursday.
Following the game head coach Dominique Ducharme didn’t mince words in his post game presser “Tonight, we were just bad…Everyone needs to go through it but tonight we were just bad. I can stand here and try to analyze every play but we were bad.” Last year’s Stanley Cup finalists have struggled out of the gates in 2021-22, posting just 4 wins through the team’s first 19 contests.
Having lost captain Shea Weber to injury, and all world goaltender Carey Price to the NHL’s player assistance program, les Habitants are lacking the veteran leadership that carried them to last season’s Cup finals. While few believed that given the rash of injuries and roster turnover that Montreal would be in the Stanley Cup mix again this year, fans didn’t think the drop off would be so dramatic.
Management preached that they would be relying on youth to supplement the personnel changes, however Montreal’s prospects have struggled to establish themselves at the NHL level in the early going. Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki combined for a -5 with only 1 shot on goal between them in the loss to Pittsburgh. 22 year old goaltender Cayden Primeau was hung out to dry getting blasted for 4 goals through 2 periods before being replaced in the 3rd period.
Montreal’s centre depth is noticeably thin this year. What once was an area of strength for the team, is now a genuine concern after the departures of Danault, Kotkaniemi, and to a lesser degree Staal. That, coupled with a depleted blue line and your star netminder not yet ready to return to NHL action equates to some tough sledding for the Canadiens roster thus far.
While the season is far from a write off, fans and media alike are beginning to wonder what direction the team will head in as the year progresses. With questions surrounding GM Marc Bergevin’s future in Montreal, the moves the front office makes (or doesn’t make) in the coming months could offer some insight into the future of the organization. If the Habs go out and acquire some NHL ready talent to supplement the losses perhaps Bergevin has a longer leash in la Belle Province than some think. However, if the slide continues and Montreal holds a fire sale at the trade deadline, one would have to assume that Bergevin’s days are numbered.
The Canadiens are next in action against Nashville on Saturday at 7pm ET.
-Kyle Skinner
Twitter: @JKyleSkinner