No Galchenyuk? No problem for Canadiens as Pacioretty steps up
Remember a few days ago, when the Montreal Canadiens lost their leading scorer Alex Galchenyuk and his replacement David Desharnais to knee injuries causing a crisis down the middle?
We don't, either.
The Habs have exploded for 15 goals in two games without two of their top four centers, scoring five goals - and numerous blocker shots - against New Jersey on Thursday, and doubling that total to 10 on Saturday in a laugher against Colorado.
Related: Canadiens come full circle in double-digit blowout win
(Imagine the scene in Montreal had Saturday's blowout of the Avalanche occurred with Patrick Roy still behind the Colorado bench.)
Patches to the rescue
Look at that smile.
Now ask yourself: How many times in Max Pacioretty's tenure as Habs captain will he get to smile like that on the ice?
Yeah - not many.
Pacioretty has reason to show some teeth, though. After a four-goal performance Saturday, he has five of his team's last 15 goals, and six points in two games since things got a lot more tense in Quebec.
All this after confirmation that No. 67 - an easy target for criticism in hockey-mad Montreal - played November with a microfracture in his foot.
Nice little collection you've got there Mr. Pacioretty. 🎩🎩🎩🎩 pic.twitter.com/loNtcI44Rk
— NHL (@NHL) December 11, 2016
Yes, these are good days for Pacioretty.
Spreading the workload
Pacioretty's had some help, too, and that's arguably the most important development over the past 72 hours.
Eight different Habs have scored over the past two games, and numerous have put up more than a point:
| Player | Goals | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Sven Andrighetto | 0 | 2 |
| Paul Byron | 1 | 2 |
| Phillip Danault | 1 | 3 |
| Brian Flynn | 2 | 2 |
| Brendan Gallagher | 0 | 3 |
| Artturi Lehkonen | 2 | 2 |
| Torrey Mitchell | 2 | 3 |
| Pacioretty | 5 | 6 |
| Jeff Petry | 1 | 2 |
| Tomas Plekanec | 0 | 4 |
| Alex Radulov | 1 | 2 |
| Zach Redmond | 0 | 3 |
| Andrew Shaw | 0 | 4 |
It's the production from Byron, Danault, Flynn, Lehkonen, and Mitchell that stands out. The Canadiens weren't exactly sure where the goals were going to come from without Galchenyuk and Desharnais - outside of core guys like Pacioretty, Radulov, Gallagher, and Shaw - but the supporting cast has, like their captain, answered the call.
Boston's at the Bell Centre - where Montreal's lost only one game in regulation - on Monday.
So far, so good without two key contributors. And while it's only been two games, two games can often feel like a lifetime in Montreal. Ask Pacioretty.