NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs 2014 Obituary: How Montreal Canadiens Dream Faltered
The Montreal Canadiens had a remarkable season in which the team not only made it into the playoffs but also got all the way to the Eastern Conference finals. Along the way, the team continued to get terrific play from its elite netminder, its top defenseman and even made a huge splash at the trade deadline. Here is a look at the highs and lows of the Montreal Canadiens' 2013-14 season.
Highs
The team was relatively solid every month of the regular season and managed an NHL .500 record in every single month; in fact the team was better than NHL .500 in every single month except for January when it managed six wins, six regulation losses and one overtime/shootout loss. The team's best month took place in March when it won 10 games and lost five in regulation. The team's best run during the regular season came during a 10-game stretch from Nov. 19, 2013, through Dec. 7, 2013, during which the team won nine of 10 and earned points in 10 straight games; the lone defeat in that span was a 3-2 shootout defeat against the Washington Capitals.
Max Pacioretty continued to develop into an elite offensive player with a career-best 39 goals and 60 points; the 60 points were the second best he had ever achieved in his career as he hit 65 points in 2011-12.
P.K. Subban, hot off his Norris Trophy win in 2012-13, continued his terrific play at both ends of the ice. He put up a career-best 53 points in 2013-14 and led the Canadiens in the postseason; many felt that he was the team's top player in the postseason.
Goalie Carey Price put up his finest season in goal for the Canadiens with a .927 save percentage; his previous career best had been .923. He continued his solid play throughout the postseason with a .919 save percentage.
Montreal made a huge splash at the deadline when it acquired Thomas Vanek from the New York Islanders to help bolster its offense.
In the postseason the Habs dominated Tampa Bay in a four game sweep and then outlasted the Boston Bruins over the course of seven-games.
Lows
Price was spectacular throughout the postseason, and it was a huge blow for the team to see him injured after the first game of the Eastern Conference finals. Despite solid performances from goalie Dustin Tokarski, this team struggled to consistently play the way it did in previous series.
Aside from that, lows were not particularly easy to come by for Montreal in 2013-14. The Canadiens' worst stretch of the year included five losses in six games; that stretch took place from Jan. 14-25.
Team MVP
Price was terrific for the team throughout the year, but Subban has to be the choice for MVP. The defenseman looked better than he did last year when he won the Norris; he was second on the team in scoring throughout the season and then upped his play significantly in the postseason as he led the Canadiens in scoring.
Elimination Scapegoat
There are a number of ways to spin it. Thomas Vanek was brought in to be an offensive force in the postseason but was often invisible. It is hard to solely pin a series loss on him, but the reality is that he never quite lived up to his billing. He never really took over a game as most would expect an elite forward to do and was downright woeful throughout the series against the Rangers.
Aside from Vanek, Montreal's special teams fizzled out against New York during the series after dominating in the preceding series.
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