Imagine... a team that started out the season on a historic 9-0-0 record is out of a playoff spot at this point in the year. This is mainly because Carey Price, the backbone of the franchise and reigning league MVP, has been injured since early December; however, Mike Condon and Ben Scrivens have been phenomenal in net and are an above average goaltending duo.
What is really getting the Habs is their lack of offence. Although, often, they are outdoing the other team in shots, Their top scorers, PK Subban and Max Pacioretty are above average at best, and the rest of their players are failing to produce. PK Subban, the defenceman, is leading the team in points, and it is usually a bad sign when a defenceman is the leading scorer on a team. Sure, Gallagher, another one of their best players, was injured for almost a month, but they have to get past all the bad luck and not get too far behind a playoff spot if they want to make a lat-minute push when Price gets back.
Another issue dooming the Canadiens is that they are making too many little mistakes. In a game against the Bruins, Andrei Markov passed the puck straight to a Bruins player after Condon made a great save.
Not only that, but the Habs were wiped with a score of 5-2 twice in two days to the Blue Jackets, and Subban, Markov, and other Habs players put the blame on themselves.
I don't like that the Habs are struggling so much, but when will this end? They have been the NHL's worst team for too long now. When will they get better? And will they be able to make a push for the playoffs once Price returns?
