Dec 23 Montreal Canadiens Mid-Season Report Card

Center – Grade C+

 If there is one area the Habs need some major improvement with, it is the Center position. Gainey needs to somehow find a 1^st line center to lessen the burden from the team’s captain.

 Saku Koivu – Grade B

 Saku is the heart and soul of the Canadiens, which explains why they are a 2^nd Tier team, considering the fact that he is a 2^nd Tier center. That is not meant as an insult either. Saku is a leader, and is a fantastic playmaker, but is not enough of either to make the Canadiens an elite team.

 Tomas Plekanec – Grade B-

 In his 3^rd full season with the Habs, Tomas Plekanec has found his place on the roster. Unfortunately, it is playing on the 2^nd line when in reality he is more of a 3^rd line center. But, he plays well on both end of the ice, and when he is hot, he deserves to get on the 2^nd line.

 Bryan Smolinski – Grade D

 The best news for Canadiens fans, and Maxim Lapierre, is when they got the news that Bryan would be out indefinitely with a knee injury. Seeing him play made us which we still had an overpaid Radek Bonk on the roster.  

 Kyle Chipchura – Grade C+

 Plays hard on every shift, but needs to improve his defensive ability, especially on the PK where the Habs are among the worst. But, he is playing exceptional well if you consider that most people didn’t think he would be playing with the big club until 2009.

 Maxim Lapierre – Grade C+

 Maxim made the most of his time since returning from his demotion to Hamilton, but can be too aggressive on the PK, allowing the opposition to exploit the opening, and getting a better scoring opportunity. He's not afraid to mix it up and be an agitator, which is what the Canadiens need.

 Right Wing: Grade C

 Let’s see, there 1^st line forward plays on the 2^nd line, there 2^nd line forward is watching games from the press box, their up and coming youngster is playing like he should be sent back down to the minors, but at least their role players are playing to their level.

 Alexei Kovalev: Grade A-

 My vote for the Habs most improved player of the year, and player of the year if he continues. Alexei is playing with a fire that we have not seen since his time in Pittsburg, and not just for himself, but for his linemates as well. Not the elite player he once Kovalev is, however, playing like a man on a mission to prove that he is not the player he was last year either.

 Guillaume Latendresse: Grade C

 Responding well to being benched recently by scoring 2 goals against  Toronto, Guillaume still has a long way to go in responding to his critics that basically feel that he has played his way back to Hamilton, à la Maxim Lapierre. Guillaume has quality hands, and fairly good vision to set up players, but he needs to be on the top two lines, with top 6 talent, and that is just not happening.

Michael Ryder: Grade F

 Is currently watching the Habs play from the press box, this should have been Ryder’s breakout year to prove that he deserved a multi-year deal. Instead, after scoring all 3 goals so far this season, and showing little skill in the defensive zone, Ryder couldn’t even be packaged with propects unless the Canadiens were willing to take on the majority of his salary.

 Mathieu Dandenault: Grade C+

 I would actually put him as a B here, if he stayed on the 3^rd or 4^th line where he belongs, but for some reason, Carbonneau keeps putting him on the 1^st line. Dandenault is a quality defensive player with quality hands that can pick up a few goals off the rebound while crashing the net.

 Tom Kostopoulos: Grade C+

 Tom was brought in to be a character player, something the Canadiens lacked, and he is doing a great job in that role. He will throw the body, mix it up, and try and be that spark off the bench when the Habs need it.

 Left Wing: Grade B

 The Canadiens are solid on LW, and you can even expect most of these guys to get better by then end of the season, barring injury of course.

 Christopher Higgins: Grade B+

 On the cusp of being a top ten talent at the left wing position, Higgins’ only real issue is that he does get knocked off the puck too easily. But, he plays very well on both ends of the ice, and is the one of the few forwards on this team that is actually playing where he should be.

 Andrei Kostitsyn: Grade C+

 Has been getting better as the season goes on, and you can expect the trend to continue now that he has the extra incentive to keep pace with his younger brother…who somehow managed to get himself on the 1^st line. He could easily be upgraded to a B+ by the end of the season.

 Steve Begin: Grade C-

 He does what he does well enough. And can go on the occasional “hot” streak and score a couple of goals, but he is a replaceable part of the Habs lineup. His main saving grace is that he does play with heart, and intensity, which is something the Habs seem to need more often than not.

 Sergei Kostitsyn: Grade B-

 That’s right! He was put on the first line with Koivu and Higgins and has simply actually looked like he belongs there. He is still learning the NHL game, but the future looks bright for this future Habs superstar. It’s too bad it hasn’t clicked yet when he plays on the same line as his brother. Might be because they are being centered by Plekanec, when it really should be Koivu.

 Defensemen: Grade B

 Defence is strength for this team. Not offensive defensemen, but quality defensive players that have a lot of heart, spirit and toughness.

 Andrei Markov: Grade A

Best 2 way defenceman on the Canadiens, and one of the best in the NHL. Markov is logging a ton of ice time and is being counted on to quarterback the Canadiens attack. When the Habs are having problems getting into the offensive zone, they can count on him to get things going.

 Mark Streit: Grade B

 Whether it be on defence, or 4^th line forward, Mark Streit provides a great shot, great hands, and for the most part, and great eye for the game. He will make the occasional mistake that will sometimes cost the Canadiens a goal against, but overall, he more than makes up for it.

 Roman Hamrlik: Grade A-

 Despite a brutal giveaway against  Dallas, Hamrlik has been a major defensive upgrade from Sheldon Souray, whose best years are long behind him. Hamrlik provides the Habs a veteran presence on the blue line, whose plus rating is the best on the Canadiens today.

Mike Komisarek: Grade A

This guy hits, blocks shots, and makes good decisions, and when paired with Markov who adds the offensive punch, is a tremendous asset to the team. He is on his way to becoming one of the Top 5 Defensive Defensive in the NHL, if he is not there already.

 Patrice Brisebois: Grade F

 A joke who has taken a roster spot from a young talent that should have used those 26 games Patrice played in order to get better.

 Francis Bouillon: Grade C+

 He does the job, and doesn’t make too many mistakes. More importantly, he plays with passion, and will even drop the gloves against players much bigger than him.

 Ryan O'Byrne: Grade C-

 Reminds me of a Komisarek, except with more offensive potential (although I may be the only one that thinks that). Should have started the season with the Canadiens so that he would be a little further along in his development by now.

 Josh Gorges: Grade C-

 The type of player you need down the line when you will have Komisarek and Markov making the big bucks. Sound young defenceman that makes a few too many mistakes right now, but will improve down the line. 

 Goaltenders: Grade B+

 Huet should be the starting goaltender. He has earned that right and Carey Price has not. Perhaps after the  Dallas game, people are starting to understand what I have been saying as part of The Franchise show on CJLO.com since we started on December 1^st, Carey Price may be the future, but he is not the present.

Cristobal Huet: Grade A

 Is fighting it out with Martin Brodeur for the 1^st ballot All-Star position, and is fighting it out with Carey Price for the number 1 Goalie position. Huet has the true poise of a veteran that knows what it takes to play a full season in the NHL. He will also make those occasional specular saves that are made by skill, rather than positioning.

 Carey Price: Grade B-

 I have not been sold on Carey Price from day 1. Yes, he has tremendous positioning, and he never seems to be shaken. But he has not shown the ability to stand on his head and win a game on his own. People seem to think that he deserves the key the house already, and I think he still needs 1 or 2 years as the backup, and maybe even some time in  Hamilton

Coaching: Grade C

 Guy Carbonneau still has a long way to go as a head coach. I think he just needs to learn to have a lot more patience with his players, and to trust his veterans a lot more than he does. He also needs to let his rookies make mistakes, and let them learn from it on the ice, as opposed to from the bench, or from the press box. Just because he has outlasted Mario Tremblay, doesn’t mean he won’t end up the same way.

 GM: Grade B-

 While I can see the plan that Bob Gainey has, and I know that the Habs are still maybe 2 or 3 years away from being a serious contender, there are some moves that I can’t help but wonder what he was thinking about. At best, I have to think that he was trying to let his team know that he valued heart and a winning attitude and competitive spirit, which is something that the team did respond to in the first quarter of the season.

 Overall: B-

 The Habs are not a top 3 team, nor will they win a division that they share with  Ottawa, but they are a playoff caliber team, and once you get into the post season, anything can happen. This team is based on interchangeable parts, and driving internal competition. Hopefully Guy Carbonneau learns not to have so much of a short leash to at least allow some stability to the team, and for them to get a better hold on their identity.

Tags: canadiens \ card \ mid \ montreal \ report \ season

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