When the curtains closed on the 2015-2016 season, the Montreal Canadiens were left in the unfamiliar position of being excluded from post-season hockey. For some fans, it may have been a relief and an end to year-long suffering, while others might still be shocked that a season that started off so well could go so horribly wrong.
While neither the Habs nor the IceCaps will be postseason bound, both squads put forth some of their better performances compared to recent weeks, picking up a pair of wins apiece.
The end of the season is almost here which means the questions about Michel Therrien and his assistants will intensify. Our writers make their predictions as to who may stay and who may go.
The week started off well for the Habs but their collapse in Florida will leave the players with a sour taste in their mouths. Sour doesn’t even describe what the IceCaps are feeling after they were trounced in their three games. Plus, my Final Thought takes a closer look at the addition of Charlie Lindgren.
Each year in early April, one Montreal Canadiens player is awarded the Jacques Beauchamp-Molson Trophy. Generally there is a favourite or two at this stage of the season but there are quite a few players who could conceivably get the nod.
The Habs added some goalie depth on Wednesday morning, announcing the signing of Charlie Lindgren to a two year entry level contract. Lindgren will burn the first year of the deal in 2015-16.
It has been a foregone conclusion for a while but it’s now official, the Habs won’t be making the playoffs. While it’s not yet official for St. John’s, it’s pretty close after they dropped two of three games. Plus, while it may not seem like there are reasons to watch the last couple of weeks, my Final Thought looks at a few things to watch for down the stretch.
The Habs dipped their toes into the college free agent market on Saturday as they inked defenceman Tom Parisi to a two year entry level deal that begins in the 2016-17 season.
Last week featured one decent game from the Habs but a trio of stinkers as well. Things weren’t much better for the IceCaps as they dropped two of three games to further dampen their postseason hopes. Things are going better for former Hab Devante Smith-Pelly though; he is the focus of my Final Thought.
The Habs went into Sunday’s game looking to put forth a much better effort than they did against Ottawa the night before. They did manage to score a goal but there weren’t many positives after that as they fell to Calgary 4-1.