Three Rockets who can add scoring punch to Canadiens
Montreal needs more goal production from its fourth line, writes Marc Dumont
Claude Julien is known as a coach who likes to roll four lines. There’s logic involved in that strategy, given it allows your best forwards to remain fresh and all the players are involved in every game.
However, it takes the right players to distribute ice time relatively fairly. As it stands, the Canadiens don’t have enough forward depth to use their fourth line in an effective role. They’re a liability on the ice, allowing more shots and scoring chances than their opponents during their shifts.
That’s not to say the fourth line is the cause of the Canadiens’ scoring woes. In most cases, your top nine will score the majority of the goals, but at the very least you should get some production from your bottom line.
The fourth line has only scored two goals this year, one belonging to Alex Galchenyuk, who is obviously not a bottom-three player. The other belongs to Charles Hudon, who, much like Galchenyuk, is more useful in the top nine and shouldn’t really be considered a fourth-line player.
Which leaves a grand total of zero goals for the actual fourthline players.
Most of the players used on the fourth line aren’t just struggling to score, they’re in a veritable goal drought. Jacob De La Rose hasn’t scored a goal since April 11, 2015. Byron Froese hasn’t scored since Feb. 20, 2016. Torrey Mitchell hasn’t scored since March 7. Ales Hemsky hasn’t scored since March 26. Michael McCarron hasn’t scored since Jan. 7.
It’s never a good sign when you have to peel back the months — and in some cases years — on your calendar to reference a goal.
There are, however, some players on the Laval Rocket who could bolster the lineup while providing scoring options for Julien’s team.
Following an encouraging season with the Canadiens in 201516, Carr took a step back and was returned to the AHL. He’s since turned things around, returning to his scoring ways. The fearless winger has scored eight goals and added six assists in 13 games, leading the Rocket in scoring.
Five of his goals have come during five-on-five play, evidence that he’s not just scoring because he gets power play minutes. More importantly, Carr’s playing style is conducive to scoring at all levels. He drives the net, goes into traffic and doesn’t mind sacrificing his body to reach scoring areas.
While playing for the Canadiens in 2015-16, he took most of his shots from close in, having a closer average shooting range than even Brendan Gallagher.
WINGER CHRIS TERRY
Like Carr, Terry has eight goals this season for the Rocket. But unlike Carr, Terry scores the majority of his goals during the power play, which could be useful for the Canadiens.
There are very few Canadiens capable of connecting on a fast cross-ice pass. Galchenyuk is arguably the only one. But Terry’s ability to take a one-timer is well known in the AHL. It’s how he scores the vast majority of his goals, by taking advantage of a moving goalie.
There’s nothing in the rules against using a fourth-line player on the power play, and Terry could provide stable play during even strength while providing an additional scoring threat during the man advantage.
CENTRE PETER HOLLAND
The former first-round pick got off to a slow start in Laval, but he’s found his scoring touch in recent games.
He has one fewer goal than Terry and Carr, but the most impressive number when it comes to Holland’s production is all seven of his goals came while Laval was at even strength, placing him fourth in the AHL in that department.
He also leads all Rocket forwards in primary points per game played, placing him ahead of players such as Nikita Scherbak and Kyle Baun. And Holland has more than 200 games of NHL experience, splitting time with the Anaheim Ducks, Toronto Maple Leafs and Arizona Coyotes.
None of these players would make a significant impact, given they’d receive limited minutes due to their usage, but they all have the potential to provide some much-needed scoring depth for the Canadiens.
The best part is the potential uptick in offence wouldn’t come at any cost in terms of asset management, except perhaps risking De La Rose on the waiver wire. But considering how he’s played, there’s not much risk of another NHL team putting in a claim.
The team will still count on the likes of Max Pacioretty and Jonathan Drouin to drive the offence, but Carr, Holland and Terry could kick in an occasional goal, which is something we haven’t seen this season from the usual suspects on the fourth line.