Speculation: Is this sustainable?

[FanHabtic*]

Looking at the Habs statistics, it is strange how we are 11-4-1 and among the leaders in the Eastern Conference. Here are some alarming stats:

Goals per game: 27th (2.25 gp)
Goals against per game: 16th (2.62 ga)
Goal differential: -2
PP%: 28th (7.1%)
PP opportunities: 29th
PK%: 8th (thank goodness)
Times shorthanded: 28th
Shots for per game: 27th (28.1)
Shots against per game: 22nd (31.4)

With Team stats like that we should be in the bottom half of the league. We are typically outshot, our PP sucks, we are one of the most penalized teams in the league and we have trouble scoring.... yet we are 11-4-1!

On the plus side we lead the league in FO% and Carey Price is a god.
On the plusser side, we have a ton of room for improvement.

Something's gotta give. Hopefully the Habs pick up the pace as it doesn't feel like we are as good as our record.

Click to read more...

 

[Bob b smith]

Looking at the Habs statistics, it is strange how we are 11-4-1 and among the leaders in the Eastern Conference. Here are some alarming stats:

Goals per game: 27th (2.25 gp)
Goals against per game: 16th (2.62 ga)
Goal differential: -2
PP%: 28th (7.1%)
PP opportunities: 29th
PK%: 8th (thank goodness)
Times shorthanded: 28th
Shots for per game: 27th (28.1)
Shots against per game: 22nd (31.4)

With Team stats like that we should be in the bottom half of the league. We are typically outshot, our PP sucks, we are one of the most penalized teams in the league and we have trouble scoring.... yet we are 11-4-1!

On the plus side we lead the league in FO% and Carey Price is a god.
On the plusser side, we have a ton of room for improvement.

Something's gotta give. Hopefully the Habs pick up the pace as it doesn't feel like we are as good as our record.

Shots on the PP: 29th.

 

[Non Player Canadiens]

the team just doesn't shoot enough. it was plainly obvious tonight.

 

[Habskrieg]

The team is trying to develop a defensive possession style with good transition. MB was saying that most playoff games are 3-1, 2-1 or 3-2 games. He says the team is building to be a playoff team that limits goals.

Admittedly, the PP is abysmal. Our scoring for and against haven't been great. but those numbers have been somewhat influenced by 3 big blowout games. We have been punished a lot. Yes, we haven't been playing great.

Though, I think we've just been having a really bad stretch, trying to adapt our game and fine tune it. We just so happen to have managed to steal some games in the process. We aren't contesting opposing goalies enough. Most of our shots have been easy for them to catch. If we combined more shots directed towards the net with having players around for rebound and blocking the goalies' sight. We'd be much better. We started doing more of that recently.

I'm confident we'll improve. That we'll play much better. And it will be sustainable. Except for the PP, that's most likely going to suck.

We're just having trouble finding our rhythm.

Edit: but if we keep playing this way, we'll crash and burn.

 

[SirClintonPortis]

We're good at shootouts.
We're skilled enough to come back from close deficits.
Price has done his fair share of work keeping many games close enough for us even though our defensive play has generally been utter ****.

 

[DJ Breadman]

This is not sustainable

 

[thewindowwasher]

I just want to point out that a lot of these lopsided stats will change once our power play picks up. Last year the league worst was flordia at 10 % and second worst was buffalo at 14 % so even if you think our power play will suck all year, do you honestly think it will be as bad as them, let alone the 7 % it is now? Once it picks up our shots for and goals for will do much better, its only a matter of time IMO.

 

[CH25]

Yes they will improve

 

[Bob b smith]

We're good at shootouts.
We're skilled enough to come back from close deficits.
Price has done his fair share of work keeping many games close enough for us even though our defensive play has generally been utter ****.

PAP, DD and Galchenyuk are great. It really helps us a lot. Gives us a bunch of extra points... Some teams really struggle on the shootout.

 

[VirginiaMtlExpat]

It is sustainable. Price is that good (and Tokarski is also that capable as backup), and MT is that stubborn. This result bears out what a few of us have been saying: this position in the standings is more due to elite goaltending (and competent shoot-out ability) than coaching. Although the goalie coach is to be commended.

 

[bigtimehockeyfan999*]

We're hesitant...that's our problem...we're always looking for the perfect pas and the perfect play...we're delaying and putting ourselves in positions where we end up having no choice but do something stupid..we need to make faster passes and we just have to go into ****ing anarchy mode in the offensive zone...direct everything towards the net...if we start out that way eventually the opposing team is forced to adjut to that and then it opens up more ice for us...that's how we were successful last year...just go ape ****...don't think..just do it..all adrenaline to start and then once they give us space use it...we'll get there

 

[groovejuice]

It is sustainable. Price is that good (and Tokarski is also that capable as backup), and MT is that stubborn. This result bears out what a few of us have been saying: this position in the standings is more due to elite goaltending (and competent shoot-out ability) than coaching. Although the goalie coach is to be commended.

It is not sustainable indefinitely. Eventually, the poor strategy and bizarre deployments will outweigh the elite goaltending.

Then there's injuries...

 

[Habssince89]

Our GF/GA will improve

As others said we need to take more shots.

 

[habfaninvictoria]

It's funny... when we had a great PP but can't score even strength we complain and think we won't be able to win (which was correct) Now we can't score a PP goal and we complain because we think we won't be able to win ... which is not proven yet, but we seem to be winning. Our GA stats are skewed because of 3 games.

Realistically we should be better on the PP. We will be better on the PP. Gonchar isn't the answer. Arpon Basu said in an interview earlier that at some point the coaches will be held accountable for this PP. It goes back to the midpoint of last year. I'd like to blame DD (and yes he's a problem), but at some point you have to blame the system.

 

[CanadienShark]

I wouldn't be that upset if we had a late season collapse and somehow got a top 3 pick.

 

[Draft]

All comes down to fixing the PP. We've got the defenceman for it but surely not the forwards. The pp does not play like a unit at all, we probably couldn't say enough bad things about it. I think the team sorely needs a creative goalscorer like Cammalleri or Kovalev, Pacioretty just isn't that guy.

Galchenyuk, Pacioretty, Gallagher,
Subban-Markov

Eller, Plekanec, Parenteau
Beaulieu-Gonchar

Those are probably the lines I'd use. With a more effective powerplay, we're scoring more goals and getting more shots.

 

[Bob b smith]

I wouldn't be that upset if we had a late season collapse and somehow got a top 3 pick.

You do realize the Sabres, the Canes and the Panthers are also in this league? We'd need to seriously dumb down the roster and it might still be too late.

 

[Draft]

I wouldn't be that upset if we had a late season collapse and somehow got a top 3 pick.

End up just outside the playoffs and pick J.Roy? Nothing wrong with that either.

 

[Habs_Apostle]

I just want to point out that a lot of these lopsided stats will change once our power play picks up. Last year the league worst was flordia at 10 % and second worst was buffalo at 14 % so even if you think our power play will suck all year, do you honestly think it will be as bad as them, let alone the 7 % it is now? Once it picks up our shots for and goals for will do much better, its only a matter of time IMO.

Yeah, just go here and check out our stats 5 on 5:

http://stats.hockeyanalysis.com/teamstats.php?disp=1&db=201415&sit=5v5&sort=SF60&sortdir=DESC

For example, Montreal is 12th in Shots For per game (29.7) and 14th in Goals For per game (2.31). Interesting, again 5 on 5, we are actually 7th overall in Corsi For per game (58.0) (so directing shots at the opponent's net). However, we are 22nd for Corsi Against per game (56.2) (so shots directed at Carey). But, I don't know, Carey's a Stud, so maybe this tradeoff isn't so bad. It's like a prizefighter that doesn't mind taking one if it allows him to give one; if he's the bigger puncher and has the better chin, why not?

And a little room for optimism. We are doing much better, so far, than last year in this area, where Montreal was 23rd in Shots For per game (27.5), 25th in Goals For per game (2.04), 18th in Corsi For per game (52.9) and 27th in Corsi Against per game (60.4).

So certainly not as bad as those other numbers make out.

 

[Teufelsdreck]

THe Habs have 3 more games with the Lightning, Bruins, and Leafs and they haven't faced the Penguins or Islanders. We'll see if it's sustainable.

 

[Smokey Thompson]

The fact that we're winning and scoring despite our horrendous PP is actually a positive sign. We're not the soft small team we were going into 13-14 where everyone knew our ES scoring would be a major problem.

We have 2 and a half lines that are capable of scoring ES goals.

We have a top 3 world class goaltender who is consistently our best player, and usually the best player of both teams on any given night.

We're good in tight games and have tightened up defensively, a key to playoff success.

We have an above average PK.

These are all signs that our success is sustainable. We have the skill required to have a successful PP and hopefully our coaching staff with fix the issue. But we all know that the calls dry up in the playoffs. It looks like MB is favouring an LA type team rather than a Chicago type team.

 

[Scriptor]

This is not sustainable

Would be funny if we were still saying this after the all-star break and were like 36-10

 

[habsfanatics*]

I'm not defending the play because quite frankly, it has been terrible, but a couple of blowout losses can really skew the results here. Not a large enough sample to draw many conclusions at this point, if our play improves, sure it's sustainable, if it doesn't, no it's not.

 

[Spearmint Rhino]

Has there ever been a team with more SH goals than PP goals? Pretty much sums up our year so far, Gonchar will be the saviour!!

 

[Rapala]

It is sustainable. Price is that good (and Tokarski is also that capable as backup), and MT is that stubborn. This result bears out what a few of us have been saying: this position in the standings is more due to elite goaltending (and competent shoot-out ability) than coaching. Although the goalie coach is to be commended.

Agreed..
If it was sustainable last year it is sustainable this year. We can all agree however that there has got to be a better way. The Carey Price effect has become Magical. They even picked up on it on Sports Net.
King Henry is still riding his Olympic Gold Medal today...

We can't get much worse in terms of negative stats and we are much better than what we are currently showing.