To say the Montreal Canadiens last couple of months of NHL hockey has been a disappointment may be a bit of an understatement.
After starting the year with nine-straight wins, the Canadiens have faltered horribly. Since the month of December, Montreal has won nine games, dropping from first place in the Atlantic Division to fifth.
But, three of those nine most recent wins have come in Montreal's last three games. And part of the reason why the Habs have been able to turn it around is because of Tomas Plekanec.
Over his last three games, Plekanec has recorded three goals and four assists. And it was Plekanec who tallied two goals and an assist in the Canadiens' most recent win, a 4-2 victory over the divisional foe Tampa Bay Lightning. Plekanec scored the backbreaking fourth goal to put the game out of reach with a beautiful display of patience.
"I felt like I had a lot of room in front of me," Plekanec said of the goal. "I tried to fake the shot, went around him. It was pretty tight. I had a pretty bad angle, but got through it. I had that extra second to slide it through the post and in."
That offensive display is exactly what the Canadiens need: A boost of confidence to get the juices flowing. And who could get the ball rolling better than the Canadiens' most experienced forward?
"He's playing extremely well for us," goaltender Ben Scrivens said of Plekanec. "It seems like he's either scoring every night or at least generating chances and making the guys on his line better. That's what we need from him and it's great to see him step up and be a leader just by his actions on the ice. He's not the loudest guy in the room, but the guys have definitely taken noticed of what he's doing on the ice."
Who are those lucky players currently on Plekanec's line? Brendan Gallagher and Alex Galchenyuk. In the last three games, the trio has combined for five goals and eight assists. Over the course of their entire seasons together, both Gallagher and Galchenyuk have seen an uptick in their offensive production when they play with Plekanec. They both generate more shot attempts and produce more goals when they play with Plekanec than they do without him.
Gallagher and Galchencyk's Offensive Production Without Plekanec (At Even-Strength, 5-v-5)
| Category | Gallagher (45:48 TOI) | Galchenyuk (577:41 TOI) |
| Shot Attempts For Per 60 Minutes of Play | 55.02 | 59.62 |
| Goals For Per 60 Minutes of Play | 0.00 | 2.08 |
Gallagher and Galchenyuk's Offensive Production With Plekanec (At Even-Strength, 5-v-5)
| Category | Gallagher (450:55 TOI) | Galchenyuk (90:21) |
| Shot Attempts For Per 60 Minutes of Play | 71.99 | 74.38 |
| Goals For Per 60 Minutes of Play | 3.46 | 5.98 |
And when you combine Gallagher and Galchenyuk's overall games with Plekanec's, you get a complete line. Gallagher is the work horse that has a nose for the net. Galchenyuk is crafty and works hard along the boards. And Plekanec is extremely responsible in his own defensive zone, and his north-south style complements the trio well.
"He's just consistent," Gallagher said of Plekanec. "He always takes care of his own end first. He's an easy guy to play with. You know, right now, the pucks are going in for us, but we have to understand why it's happening. I think we are doing a good job of battling, you know, not overcomplicating it too much. Just keeping the puck down low and working."
"(Plekanec) is stepping up for sure, especially in tough moments like now," Galchenyuk said. "He's going out there and playing solid defensively and creating offense as well. He's been playing great and I'm happy to be playing with him right now."
And Plekanec is happy to have both Gallagher and Galchenyuk serve as his wingers as well. What 33-year-old center wouldn't want to see a shot of youth on his line? Gallagher is a 23-year-old capable of 20 to 30 goals a year. Galchenyuk is 21, and he already has a 46-point season under his belt. When you get a line of skilled, responsible players that are capable of generating offense and have chemistry, pucks start landing on your stick in your favor, even if you don't believe in that kind of stuff.
"It's confidence," Plekanec said of the recent production. "It's, you know, finally getting some good bounces. I'm not a fan of using the 'bounces' excuse (though)."
"Obviously then you start playing with confidence," Plekanec continued. "You know, playing with Gally and Chucky, they do such a great job. Gally got us on the board (against Tampa Bay) and Chucky is making plays, and I'm trying to back them up. So it's worked well so far the last few nights, and hopefully we can keep it going."
The Canadiens are heading into a trying part of their season. With the NHL's trade deadline drawing closer and closer (Feb. 29), the Canadiens face several big questions with each week. Are they still a contender? What would they need to add to be a better contender? What is the status of Carey Price's health? Is Michel Therrien right for the job? Do they pack it up and sell pieces for their future?
The answers to all of those questions will become more and more clear each day. Now, the Canadiens enter a three-game road trip, where they will face off against the Buffalo Sabres, the Arizona Coyotes and the Colorado Avalanche. How they play in that three game stretch could determine the entire outlook for their season. But they are heading into that trip with a three-game win streak, something they haven't had the luxury of since November. And that boost alone, fueled primarily by Plekanec's play, allows Montreal to head into the trip with their heads held high with more confidence than they've had in months.
"Definitely (feels) good," Plekanec said of the three-win streak. "That's what we've been looking for for the past couple of months. Now, it's the biggest road trip of the year coming up for us. We've got to come out really strong, get those games and put us back on the board."
Tommy Chalk writes about the NHL for FOX Sports. You can follow him on Twitter @Tommy_Chalk
Statistics for table provided by Hockey Analysis.
