It is not lost on the city of Montreal that P.K. Subban and the Nashville Predators just swept the Chicago Blackhawks, while the Canadiens are now one loss away from falling to the New York Rangers.
Nor is it lost on the city of Montreal that Canadiens captain Max Pacioretty -- the same guy who had to deny a rift with Subban when they were still teammates, and the same guy who some say pushed for Subban to get traded -- has yet to score a goal in these playoffs.
The optics are not great, to say the least. In Montreal, emotions tend to run high when it comes to hockey. And it’s safe to say that if the Canadiens don’t come back to win this series, the fans and the media are going to tee off on this organization.
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“We’re going to learn what type of character we have,” said winger Brendan Gallagher, per Sportsnet. “If you don’t have character, this is the time you’re going to doubt yourself. If you do have character, this is the time where the belief is going to come out.”
Character, you’ll recall, was one of the justifications for trading Subban to Nashville for Shea Weber.
In remarks that sure seemed like a partial rebuke of Subban, Habs GM Marc Bergevin called Weber a “tremendous leader” and a “complete and reliable defenseman.”
“He’s won two Olympic gold medals and he’s a guy who, like Carey Price, has a presence that right away brings credibility to your team,” said Bergevin. “He’ll be a great complement to our captain, Max Pacioretty, and to our leadership group.”
The Canadiens looked to have the Rangers beat after Game 3, a convincing Montreal victory at MSG. But New York bounced back in Game 4, then took Game 5 in overtime at Bell Centre for a 3-2 series lead.
“In order to get through this, we’ll need more from a lot of guys,” Habs coach Claude Julien told reporters. “It’s time for certain players to elevate their game and have that confidence and desire to be better.
Game 6 goes Saturday in New York at 8 p.m. ET on NBC and the NBC Sports app.