9to5 (dot cc)

It’s that time of year again, with less than 25 games left in the regular season, I keep staring at the standings, cross-referencing the schedules, mentally juggling the playoff spots. Who do we play? Who do they play? In my more obsessive compulsive I start to try and see trends, how we performed against this team in the past, how they performed down the stretch in previous years. Who chokes? Who’s clutch?

By we I mean the Montreal Canadiens, by they I mean 29 other teams, more specifically the 14 other teams in the Eastern Conference.

Right before the All-Star break the Habs stomped one of the best teams in the league (Detroit) 7-2. I said to myself that it was a diamond in the rough, maybe a brief preview of what our team was capable of. A few changes, maybe Tinordi coming up and taking Hal Gill’s spot as the big D-man, another creative and talented forward in the form of Gallagher, a (dare I say it) healthy Markov. The possibility of one of  the best blue lines in the game and 3 lines of offensive threat that could all be creative and keep the opposition on their heels.

To be sure, I was imagining this clicking in the 2012-2013 campaign, not a week later. Last week I was spending my time looking at the top draft prospects, dreaming of Yakupov, willing to settle on one of those big centers that are looking to go in the top 6 (Galchenyuk or Grigorkenko).  Finishing in the bottom 5 seemed almost to be a foregone conclusion.

Then we went 4 for 4, posting 2 shutouts and scoring 15 goals while only allowing 4. 3 against teams ahead of us in the standings, 1 against a team nipping out our heels. Suddenly, even though it’s a long shot, the postseason seems like a possibility, however remote. Then we lost to the Hurricanes, and my hope faded a little, then we went toe-to-toe with the Big Bad Bruins in a tilt that could’ve gone either way.

As a fan I had mentally checked out, I was more interested in following my almost equally beloved Blackhawks than I was in watching the catastrophic woes of my home town Habbies.  Now I don’t know what to think. I honestly don’t know what’s best for my team. There’s so much to consider.

Draft Position:

I have always been opposed to teams intentionally tanking a season to get a good draft spot, but sitting in the basement a good draft was the only silver lining I could see on this seemingly cursed season. With the playoffs still a long shot, should we just sit back and take it easy? A top 5 pick would be a nice compensation prize after what we’ve been through as hockey fans in this city. The flip side of course is that if we continue this push we run the risk of finishing 9^th, just outside of the playoffs, probably 11^th or 12^th pick, middle of the pack, picking a decent prospect that is likely not much better than whoever’s going 30^th. It would be heartbreaking to have a good solid push and still miss the playoffs by a few points.

Is it better to just cut our losses for a good pick?

Trade Deadline:

Are we buyers or sellers? A week ago it seemed obviously that we’d be selling. I could easily see a few teams looking for some of our clutch guys. Gill is a playoff performer and a PK machine, with only a few seasons left in him some of the  contenders might look to beef up their PK with a guy who’s been there-done that all the way to the Cup. Moen’s been having a great year and has also proven to kick his game up in the playoffs, a gritty checking forward with a little offensive upside might net us something on Trade Day. I’m not saying these are blockbuster moves or anything, but if these guys move it’d basically be Gauthier throwing in the towel for the season and looking towards the draft and next year.

Or are we serious about a push? For the past few years any major trade has always come off looking like it was overpaid for. With several key pieces being moved out of town for the likes of Hossa and Kovalchuk in recent years, it looks like the price to pay for a superstar is more than I think the Habs should consider paying. I don’t want to move any of the younger talent, and the only move that made sense was Cammy, and he’s already gone. I mean, it’s not like we’re actually going to be able to move Gomez so who else other than guys like Gill or Moen do we move? It’s not like anybody’s going to buy Kaberle after his no-show last year with the Bruins.

What, if any moves does Gauthier make in 2 weeks?

The Playoffs:

If we actually make it to the playoffs, do we make it past the 1^st round? This is where my heart starts to race as I put the pieces together. Will Markov and Gio be back? What about some of the energy guys like Nokelainen and Moen? I can’t help but like the look of this lineup (or some variation of these guys)

Cole – Desharnais – Pacioretty
Bourque – Plekanec – Gionta
Kostitsyn – Eller – Leblanc
Moen – Gomez – White

Gill – Markov
Gorges  – Subban
Emelin – Kaberle

Price – Budaj

That doesn’t look so bad does it? Assuming we’d make it in 8^th who’d we match up against? All signs point to the Rangers. We’re 2-1 against the Rags this year, outscoring them 11-6 and only allowing them a single goal in two matchups at the Bell Center. Could definitely be worse.

If we make the postseason, does this squad have a chance?

See what I mean? It was a lot easier to be a fan of this team a week ago, even if it was the sad ease of being a fan of a losing team. Basically these past few months have given me a new appreciation for what Leafs’ fans have gone through for the past 40 or so years. However, with the guys playing the way they are and Price playing like the elite goalie he can be, being a fan got a little more complicated and interesting.