2009 Montreal Canadiens Season Update
Posted 3/1/2009
The Montreal Canadiens are tied for second place in the Northeast Division and hoping to sneak into the playoffs.
Montreal has played very well at home but must step up their play on the road, where they are under the .500 mark.
Buffalo and a number of other teams are breathing down their necks, so the Canadiens can't afford to let up one bit through the remainder of the season.
The injuries have piled up for the Canadiens, as they have three key players out for the season, the most important being center Robert Lang.
Lang continues to lead the team in power play goals with eight despite the fact he is on injured reserve with a torn left Achilles tendon.
Offense has been a major issue for Montreal this season, with defenseman Andrei Markov leading the team in several major categories. Markov leads the team in points with 42 and assists with 39.
It's not typically a good sign when one of your defenseman is accounting for that many offensive points, at least not when the total is good enough to lead your team in that category.
As poor as the offense has played at times, the goaltending has been nearly as suspect. Carey Price has held his own with a 2.78 goals against average and a 90 percent save percentage.
Jaroslav Halak hasn't been nearly as impressive, toting a 3.06 goals against average despite having the same exact save percentage as Price. It seems that the team might play better with Price in the net.
Montreal is right in the thick of things, as they remain a point ahead of the team that would gain the final spot in the playoffs if they started today. All you can ask for is the chance to make the postseason, and they have put themselves in a position to do just that.