The Habs ability to recover from long odds to win games that no one expected has been the best story in these playoffs. However, the end of the road is near if the defence is depleted to the extent that four players who started on opening night are not in the line-up Monday. Gill, Spacek, Markov and Mara out in Game 6 has to be too much to shut down the likes of Crosby and Malkin.
What has been apparent is that when Gorges or Gill is in the penalty box, the penalty kill is a shadow of its best self. Imagine, then, a full game without Gill who went from fans' thoughts that he was the worst defenceman in November to the MVP on defence in the playoffs. Gill was seen walking in the Mellon Arena after the game and he was limping. A skate in the back of the leg likely created quite a gash. One presumes he won't be back Monday, but it is the playoffs, so you never know.
I wonder if Matt Cooke is formulating a theory that Chris Kunitz skates with his skates up like he said PK Subban did. I don't believe it, of course, for either player. In fact, it sounds even more ridiculous a criticism against Subban the more other players go down from this style of injury. It could be a coincidence, or it could be the desire to compete is so high that players find themselves in awkward positions on plays that they would have long ago given up on in the regular season. It is not, for certain, the fault of a player's skating style or a deliberate attempt of a player to injure. Shame on Cooke for suggesting it. And incidentally, my cameraman and I ran into Cooke in an informal setting and he couldn't have been more polite and kind. With that said, that was a dumb thing to say about PK.
The bottom line
Let's bottom line the Habs' plight right now. To see Montreal advance, they had to stay healthy. They don't have the depth on the blue line to handle this. What team would in this salary-cap era? Truth is, they are getting more from Bergeron and O'Byrne than anyone would have expected and with Subban showing his last games in Hamilton, will be this season's Calder Cup run, the club's ability to stay competitive has been impressive.
Seriously, how you could not be impressed with the coaches for creating a system and players for executing it to the point that the team is this ravaged by injuries and still competing at Game 6 in the second round against the Cup champs?
And it is not that they have key injuries everywhere, it is that they are all at the same position.
I will say it again.
On offence: Crosby, Malkin, Guerin, Staal, Gonchar
Not on defence: Markov, Spacek, Gill, Mara
If they keep this going or even win it, it will be one for not the record books, but for Chapter's fantasy section.
If the defence is that depleted Monday, it has to be the end of the line.
A courageous run though, and building blocks for a much brighter future than I thought.
But more on that later. Let's see first Monday, if the courage to compete on this team is beyond the realm of believable.
