MONTREAL -- It may be difficult to precisely define the impact the injured Montreal Canadiens' attackers have had, but some figures do not lie.
Montreal's season seems to have derailed after the 5-2 victory over the Washington Capitals on Nov. 15. That evening, Jonathan Drouin and Paul Byron fell in combat and have still not returned to training. The next day, the Habs dropped the first in a series of eight losses against the New Jersey Devils.
The Habs seemed to have found their bearings before the Christmas break, but now the team has lost its last five games, including four by a single goal.
Adding salt to the already significant wounds, the number of patients at the Habs' rehab centre increased over that period, as Joel Armia, Brendan Gallagher and Matthew Peca joined Drouin and Byron.
In the 19 games before Nov. 16, Montreal was 11-5-3 and was the sixth-best offence in the NHL, tied with the Florida Panthers, averaging 3.53 goals per game. Since then, the Habs have posted a 7-12-4 record, and, during that period, saw production drop to 2.83 goals per outing, tied for 20th in the NHL with the Arizona Coyotes.
"It is certain that the long-term injuries of 'Jo' and 'Pauly' hurt. Add 'Gally' to the list and it hurts too, but you have to find ways to score," said Phillip Danault after Saturday's 3-2 overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
"It changes the chemistry, the trios," added Danault. "We continue to respect the system and that's what keeps it tight, but we will have to reverse our luck."
Max Domi has amassed at least one point in the Canadiens' last nine games. He and Nick Suzuki have been the most consistent snipers for the Habs in recent weeks.
Over the past few days, head coach Claude Julien has said that he has what he has on hand and underlined the effort made by his troops. It is obvious that players like Nick Cousins, Artturi Lehkonen, Jordan Weal and Ryan Poehling would be better suited to less important roles.
General manager Marc Bergevin noted that signing Ilya Kovalchuk was done in the hope of overcoming the offensive shortcomings of the team while waiting for the players to return to the bench.
It is also a sign that Cousins, Lehkonen, Weal, Poehling and other recalled players from the Laval Rocket were not able to take full advantage of the opportunity presented to them. It is also difficult to point the finger at them, given the circumstances.
"Those entering training must embrace the culture of the team and the veterans must raise their game a notch," insisted Danault. "It is certain that the addition of Kovalchuk should help."
Signed just before the Canadiens-Penguins duel, Kovalchuk hopes to be in uniform by Monday, when the Canadiens will host the Winnipeg Jets. The 36-year-old forward is expected to put on his skates for the first time with his new teammates on Sunday.
Montreal looks to snap skid
Here's a look forward to Monday's game against Winnipeg at the Bell Centre.
Winnipeg Jets (22-16-4, fourth in the Central Division) vs. Montreal Canadiens (18-17-7, sixth in the Atlantic Division)
BOTTOM LINE: Montreal hosts Winnipeg looking to end its three-game home slide.
The Canadiens are 8-9-4 on their home ice. Montreal has converted on 22.1% of power-play opportunities, recording 25 power-play goals.
The Jets are 12-7-2 on the road. Winnipeg averages only 3.0 per game, the least in the NHL. Nathan Beaulieu leads them averaging 0.3.
In their last meeting on Dec. 23, Montreal won 6-2. Tomas Tatar scored two goals for the Canadiens.
TOP PERFORMERS: Tatar leads the Canadiens with 35 points, scoring 16 goals and registering 19 assists. Max Domi has six goals and six assists over the last 10 games for Montreal.
Mark Scheifele leads the Jets with 28 total assists and has collected 48 points. Kyle Connor has eight goals and four assists over the last 10 games for Winnipeg.
LAST 10 GAMES: Jets: 3-5-2, averaging 3.6 goals, 6.4 assists, 3.1 penalties and 6.9 penalty minutes while giving up four goals per game with a .885 save percentage.
Canadiens: 3-6-1, averaging three goals, 4.5 assists, 3.8 penalties and 8.5 penalty minutes while giving up three goals per game with a .900 save percentage.
