Habs Record Defies Headlines

It's fourteen games into the new season and all is well in Montreal. After a blistering 7-2 pre-season tear, the team has gone on to suffer a fairly slow first ten games and has posted a 6-4-4 record through fourteen. Though if you think about the story lines generated by the Habs' so far, their record must be a pleasant surprise.

Jose Theodore has played poorly overall while Jeff Hackett has not only NOT been traded, he's been stellar, posting all-world numbers in six starts. Highly touted farmhand Ron Hainsey stumbled in his first stint with the big club and has been sent down to Hamilton. Ditto Mathieu Garon, the back-up goaltender apparent. The highly scouted Garon even cleared waivers on his way to the AHL. The unexpected events haven't stopped there.

Randy McKay is playing on the fourth line. Mariusz Czerkawski has been a healthy scratch. Donald Audette is trade bait after leading the team in post-season goals last spring.

The Canadiens' current record is certainly better than the news would seem to allow. In order to continue to improve their record, Montreal will have to keep defying the controversial headlines that have somewhat dogged them to this point.

What has happened so far?

Many news items concerning the Habs this season have begun with the line "what goaltending controversy"? They usually go on to say that both Jeff Hackett and Jose Theodore are happy with the current state of affairs between the pipes. Coach Michel Therrien has a system for deciding which one will start and it isn't predicated on who's hot and who's not. Last Thursday's Theodore start on Long Island is a case in point. Last year's Hart and Vezina winner had lost 5-2 to the soaring St. Louis Blues the Tuesday prior but managed to give us a glimpse of his trophy-winning form, shutting the Isles out 3-0. Two days later, it was Hackett, not Theodore beating the L.A. Kings 3-1. Whatever Therrien's system is, it defies conventional wisdom. But it's working.

And what about Hackett and his $3.6 million price tag? Was he not supposed to be on his way toward a 60-start season, toiling in Atlanta or Nashville or some other exotic location by now? Maybe five weeks ago. It now looks like Habs' general manager Andre Savard has to wait at least until Jose Theodore fully regains his 2001-02 form before dispensing with his 34 year-old back up. If that happens, Hackett should have remained with the club until the deadline or before, until such time as a team in need of a bonafide starter comes a-calling.

There have been a few teams scouting the Habs very closely with this in mind. The St. Louis Blues have reportedly been one of them. If Tom Barrasso craps out in St. Louis and the rest of the Blues' goaltending committee blows a tire or two, Jeff Hackett could wind up in the Show Me state; I wouldn't bet on it though. No St. Louis goalie has a goals-against average over 2.31: this includes such luminaries as Cory Rudkowsky, Reinhard Divis and Curtis Sanford. Team defence must still count for something in Missouri.

On the Montreal blue line, things are also not how they were predicted to be. It's Andrei Markov leading the Habs' defence in scoring so far and not Patrice Brisebois. This isn't to say that Brisebois is playing poorly (he's not) just that Markov is playing very well. The 23 year-old Russian hasn't shied away from joining the rush and has also played with confidence - and with Brisebois - on the first power play unit. Despite Markov's increased offensive production (he?s already amassed half of his 2001-02 point total in a quarter of the games) he remains a plus 2.

One blue liner whose development has not gone according to plan this year is Ron Hainsey. The Bolton, Connecticut native finds himself in the minors after failing to crack the score sheet in 9 games with the big club. Instead, journeyman Patrick Traverse steps into the void. Hainsey's development was in mind when he was sent to Hamilton; he's been the Habs' fastest developing prospect over the past two seasons so a small step backward won?t stunt his growth as long as he logs substantial minutes on the farm. After all, with '97 first rounder Jason Ward on the same Hamilton team, it can be safely said that the organization doesn't give up on talented prospects without a long fight. Hainsey will be back.

Arron Asham won't be back. Asham was sent to the New York Islanders for fellow right wing Mariusz Czerkawski on draft day in June. To this point, the trade looks like another win for Andre Savard. Savard sent Asham and a 2002 5th round pick (Markus Pahlsson) to Mike Milbury and the lsles in exchange for the 30 year-old Czerkawski, who has racked up 9 points in 13 games for Montreal. Asham has put together 4 points in 13 games for the struggling Islanders.

Czerkawski picked his game up decidedly after being a healthy scratch for a 5-3 win over Ottawa on October 26. He was in the line up for the next game on the 29th, where he powered the Canadiens offence with a goal and a helper on their way to a 2-2 tie with Anaheim. This is more what the Habs expected when they acquired the flashy right-winger, a player who's scored 146 goals over the past six seasons. By comparison Brian Savage, a former Hab right wing of similar age and experience, has tallied 123 goals over his last six NHL campaigns.

The biggest disappointment so far this season has been Donald Audette. After 10 games Audette is a minus 6 and is still looking for his first point. He's been given ample opportunity to score, playing at times with the number one power play unit, but it appears his time has come and gone in Montreal. Canadiens management has been actively shopping the Laval native around the league. It remains to be seen whether his statistics prove an obstacle to moving him.

Certainly the team has played well enough to earn the record they now hold; it now remains for Montreal to settle a few outstanding roster situations like Audette and Hackett in the near a long terms, respectively, in order that the team can exceed the lofty expectations thrust upon them after their surprising playoff run this past spring.