Mike Cammalleri said it best: "You can't blame the ref when you are doing the same thing eight straight games."
Forty penalties committed in the last eight games. You can compete well on a lot of levels, but if you find yourself in the penalty box 80 minutes in eight games, there's a good chance you can't overcome it.
The problem is also the timing of the penalties. Allowing a 5 on 3 in the last ten minutes against Buffalo and a penalty in the last two minutes against Atlanta is a killer.
The next logical question is what's behind all of this? Jacques Martin said after the game that he doesn't know. Is it fatigue that makes the legs stop moving at game's end? I don't think so. The team is in shape more so than other Habs teams I have covered in the last decade.
Looking at the penalties in the last two games I can only see a lack of discipline and a lack of commitment to stay smart.
I like Glen Metropolit, but the spear on Derek Roy was undisciplined. He should have kept his stick to himself for the good of the team. Ryan O'Byrne's high stick that followed just looked like pure bad luck.
But that's how games are won and lost and the Habs are losing too many.
Add to that, don't look now but there's a train coming. The Leafs are just two points back with a game in hand.
Habs fans sure would like to get an update on Markov. I wonder too if the Habs players themselves wouldn't get a bit of a boost too from learning significant help is on the way.
All Martin is saying so far is Markov is many games away from returning.
The way things are going, it might be too many.
