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.
The IceCaps are now entering the stretch run of their season and are hoping to make a late push for the playoffs. Before they get there though, let’s take a look back at the last quarter of the year with our grades, starting between the pipes and on the blueline.
Home ice is proving to be a boon for the Habs as they picked up a couple more wins at the Bell Centre. Home ice wasn’t so kind to the IceCaps as they split their four games, hurting their playoff push in the process. Speaking of that push, my Final Thought discusses a squandered opportunity to improve their postseason chances.
The Habs recently passed the three quarter mark of the season which means it’s time for our next round of report cards. We start with the forwards where there weren’t many high marks.
February was a mixed month for Montreal’s prospects. Several IceCaps put forth strong performances despite some struggles in the standings but there weren’t as many as their unsigned counterparts that stood out. Here are our 3 Stars.
California is not a fun place for the Habs and this past week was no exception for Montreal as they failed to pick up a win. Things were a bit better for the IceCaps split a pair of games against one of the better teams in their conference. Plus, the World Cup preliminary rosters are out; my Final Thought discusses the most notable omission from the Canadiens.
The trade deadline came and went this past Monday. Technically the Habs were one of the more active teams making two moves but neither was of particular significance. Our writers offer up their thoughts on what Montreal did plus their lack of notable moves.
The Habs surprised many by packaging their two rental forwards in the same deal, sending them to Chicago for Phillip Danault and a 2018 2nd round pick. Having had some time to evaluate the trade, our writers offer up their comments on the move.
It was a quiet deadline day for the Habs but they did get a deal in before the closing bell, shipping winger Devante Smith-Pelly to New Jersey in exchange for winger Stefan Matteau.