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Therrien calls Galchenyuk ‘a completely different player’ compared to start of season

Alex Galchenyuk

Montreal Canadiens’ Alex Galchenyuk celebrates after scoring against the New York Islanders during third-period NHL hockey game action in Montreal, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2015. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Graham Hughes)

AP

Alex Galchenyuk has been taking full advantage of his opportunity to center the Montreal Canadiens’ top line. The 22-year-old has four goals in two games since being promoted to skate alongside captain Max Pacioretty, who’s spent most of the season centered by veteran Tomas Plekanec.

Habs coach Michel Therrien had high praise for Galchenyuk after last night’s 4-3 win over Dallas.

“The way he was at the beginning of the season and the way he is right now—he’s a completely different player,” Therrien said, per Sportsnet.

Of course, for the coach’s detractors -- and there are quite a few of those -- these last two games are proof that they’ve been right all along, that Therrien has been too slow to trust Galchenyuk, that too much loyalty has been shown to the likes of Plekanec and David Desharnais.

Not surprisingly, Therrien doesn’t see it that way.

“In the past he’s had some good sequences for two or three games, and then after that it’s become a bit more difficult,” he said. “But over the last month he’s been able to maintain the quality of play we’re looking for.”