Max Pacioretty was a study in frustration in the moments after the Canadiens’ 3-2 loss to the Detroit Red Wings Thursday night.
The Canadiens’ captain can be counted on to be articulate and insightful about the game of hockey, but he stood in the midst of a group of reporters and said: “I don’t have any answers.”
This was the second game featuring Alex Galchenyuk on the top line with Pacioretty. It’s a small sample, but it’s safe to say that it’s not working.
In theory, it was a good idea.
Before the move, Galchenyuk was playing his best hockey of the season with Sven Andrighetto fitting in nicely at right wing. Pacioretty was going through one of those slumps that snipers occasionally experience. With injuries eroding the Canadiens’ depth up front, the idea of loading up the top line was tempting.
It also seemed like a good idea because, if Galchenyuk is going to be the No. 1 centre for the next decade or so, he should be playing with the top forward.
There’s only one problem: Galchenyuk and Pacioretty appear to have no chemistry.
It’s one thing to be in a slump — Pacioretty has one goal in his last seven games — but it’s quite different not to be getting chances. Pacioretty had one shot on goal in Detroit . He didn’t have any shots blocked and he didn’t have any that missed the net.
Pacioretty had three shots in his first game with Galchenyuk, but it should be noted that he had 16 shots in the two games prior to joining Galchenyuk.
There will be a school of thought that says Canadiens coach Michel Therrien should keep these two together and let them experience growing pains, that it will work out in the long run.
But at the risk of being alarmist, taking the long-term view is a luxury the Canadiens can ill afford.
A record start to the season means Montreal is in first place in the Eastern Conference, but the cushion the team enjoyed over its rivals is eroding. When Price went down, it was noted that the Canadiens were assured of a playoff spot if they played .500 hockey over the remainder of the season. In the seven games since Price went on the injured reserve list, the Canadiens are 2-4-1, which translates to .357 hockey.
When you factor in the tough schedule facing the Canadiens until Price can think about making a return, there’s reason for at least mild panic. Montreal’s next six games are against teams that are holding down playoff spots. Eight of their next 10 games are on the road.
When asked Thursday about the lack of scoring from his top lines, Therrien conceded: “They have to step up.”
Youngsters like Andrighetto, Daniel Carr and Charles Hudon have stepped up, but the offensive production during the team’s six-game slide (1-4-1) has been dismal with only 11 goals in six games, an average of 1.83 goals a game.
Tomas Plekanec, the team’s leading scorer, has four assists in that stretch and Galchenyuk has two goals and two assists. Lars Eller and Pacioretty each have one goal and one assist. Tomas Fleischmann has one goal, while Dale Weise and David Desharnais each have one assist.
Andrei Markov has one assist and P.K. Subban has one assist in his last seven games.
It’s not enough.
The Canadiens can’t wait for Price and Brendan Gallagher to return, particularly when you consider that there’s no guarantee Price will be back in mid-January. When Price was placed on the injured reserve list, general manager Marc Bergevin stressed that Price will be out for at least six weeks and won’t return until he’s 100 per cent.
That’s why the Canadiens have to get the offence going and it starts with giving Pacioretty a centre who provides him with a sense of comfort and the puck.
phickey@montrealgazette.com
