The Habs came out flat again this season in a battle with the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday night. They lost to the Pens by a lopsided score of 3-1. Pittsburgh drew first blood with James Neal scoring near the mid way point of the first period. Neal has been on a tear this season and he is showing star potential on a team which is still missing Crosby and Malkin.
Price was soft as usual. Many people are blaming Price's poor performance on the Habs injury situation but we don't buy it. Fleury on the other hand showed how a strong goalie can keep a team riddled with injuries in the thick of things. The Habs need Price and he has gone from slumping to totally useless. It seems like he is way too stiff and his attempts to recapture last year's glory have failed miserably. A strong presence in nets is critical for the Habs to succeed this year.
To make it worse, it is clear now that Price is on his own. The defense cannot do what it did last year. Subban is in free fall and Markov is back on the bench. They desperately miss Hamrlik and Wisniewski. Their no clearly defined leadership on the D and Prices's poor play only magnifies an increasingly bad situation.
A victory against the Leafs might stem the tide for a bit but make no mistake about it, this Habs team is in trouble. This team is pointless at the Bell Center this year and that is a sign of a systemic problem.
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