Two teams that have kinda ruled the top rank at ESPN this season fell last night.
The Montreal Canadiens.
Goalie Mike Condon will be getting a lot of blame indirectly as everyone will be praising "Jim" Carey Price. However, the goals last night are more indicative of that Boston team playing to their strengths. They were patient and kept churning and pushing. My respect for Patrice Bergeron and Zdeno Chara has grown a lot this season. Boston's successes aren't all on those two by any means. But those two do elevate this team, along with David Krejci.
Montreal's problems are the same as last year. Great system. And I do believe this team is slightly better than last season. But they don't have the forward depth to generate quality chances without giving up something defensively. And P.K. Subban often pushes too much, which will have obvious detrimental results when the opposition is an opportunistic fast team like Boston.
Carey Price will return and the Canadiens may go on a small roll when he does. But if things continue on the current path look for people to say how Price just isn't the same after his injury.
The Canadiens are like the Washington Capitals of previous seasons and maybe the Dallas Stars this season, but without the go-to offensive power of those two teams. But all of them lacked that defensive lock-down d-man that can hold it down when the team needs to push.
The New York Rangers.
I think the Rangers came into the season playing lock-down patient hockey with playoff-type focus and intensity. It worked. The goals came and the opponents were often left hanging their heads, unable to garner any goals off of good scoring opportunities. The Rangers can be really great like this. They have speed. They have some true goal-scorers. But overall, the offense doesn't generate easy ones and that means they have to lock it down in their own end.
The last couple of weeks - the Rangers haven't been neutralizing the good scoring chances. They are losing. Also, they haven't been getting goals from Zuccs or Nash.
The Rangers currently do not look like a top-echelon team.
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