CBC-Sports

Loss of Lang not the only problem

February 3, 2009 03:23 PM | Posted by   Craig Simpson  

In a year that has featured centennial celebrations and a highly-successful NHL All-Star Game, the city of Montreal has been full of energy, optimism and high expectations for their Canadiens.

With a great start from their team, Habs fans were thinking that this might be the year the Canadiens get back to the Stanley Cup. But with their erratic play of late and the injury to their leading goal-scorer Robert Lang, much of that optimism and hope has quickly turned to pessimism and concern.

The problems facing the Montreal Canadiens right now are deeper than the wound to the leg of Robert Lang. The Habs’ "Achilles heel" lately has been the lack of production and consistency from their top players. First on everybody’s list has been the enigmatic Alex Kovalev.

Cheered and worship during the all-star weekend, the most valuable player stood on the Bell Centre ice Jan. 25 and soaked up the accolades from the Canadiens faithful. Just one week later, he found himself stuck on the end of the bench and booed by the same crowd as his team lost their fifth game in six. The fact that Kovalev has scored just two goals in his last 10 games is part of the problem, but more troublesome is the lack of effort and intensity that he has displayed during that time. At a point in the season where they need his leadership the most, he has supplied none.

Woeful at both ends

Offensively, the Canadiens have scored just 13 goals in a six-game stretch that has seen them go 1-5-0. Kovalev, however, is not alone in his struggles to put the puck in the net.

Captain Saku Koivu missed 17 games with an injury, but when he has been playing he has just one goal in 15 games. Christopher Higgins missed 19 in a row, but has also slumped with just two in his last 18. Sergei Kostitsyn has two goals in 17 games, and Tomas Plekanec one in nine. Too many passengers on too many nights.

As challenged as the Canadiens forwards have been in scoring, it’s their defencemen that have really let them down.

After back-to-back seasons with big production from the likes of Sheldon Souray and Mark Streit, this year, the back end has contributed only 18 goals through 50 games, and many of them came early in the year when the Canadiens were on a roll. Roman Hamrlik had two goals in the first three games of the season. Now 46 games later, he is still looking for his third. Francis Bouillon has just one in 41, Mike Komisarek has none in 31, Josh Gorges has one in 29 and Patrice Brisebois 0 in 19.

The leading point-getter on the team is defenceman Andrei Markov with 40 points in 50 games, but even he has just two of his seven goals in the last 23 games.

Suddenly, Montreal can’t put the puck in the net and are struggling to keep it out as well.

Carey Price returned from his ankle injury just in time to get to the all-star game, but he hasn’t looked in top form since. In his last five starts he is 1-4 with a whopping 3.80 average and dismal .870 save percentage. If the Canadiens have any chance of having playoff success, they better hope Price is just a bit rusty and will be able to get back into all-star shape before it’s too late.

Guy Carbonneau has tried to push the right buttons to get his team out of their mid-season slump by benching players and challenging them to be better. Over the last few games, it hasn’t worked.

Kovalev must step up

Kovalev has to be one of the key players to turn things around, but so far Carbonneau’s tactics haven’t had the desired effect. When Kovalev is inspired and wants to play, he is one of the best in the game. His 35 goals and 84 points last season led the Habs into the playoffs. This year he is barely on a 20-goal pace, and more importantly, his indifferent attitude and lacklustre play has been a distraction to the team.

General manager Bob Gainey is known to be a very patient man who has kept to the plan of developing players and not mortgaging the future for short-term success. With his team struggling and underperforming like they have lately, you have to wonder whether he will be forced to start shuffling the deck. With Lang, arguably his best centre, gone for the foreseeable future, Gainey has lost one of his best cards.

If the team can’t snap out of their funk starting Feb. 3 against the Penguins, Habs fans will be hoping Gainey will be one of the more active GM’s at the deadline.

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