Last night, while the Habs hosted the Hurricanes, Randy Cunneyworth did something most Habs fans had wished Jacques Martin had had the nerve to do plenty of times when he still had control of the Canadiens. Cunneyworth limited Scott Gomez’s action to a mere nine shifts totaling 7:49 of ice time, the least he’s played all season — not including one game he was forced out of with injury. The only skater that saw less ice than Montreal’s highest paid player was Andrei Kostitsyn, clocking an insulting 4:20 over 6 shifts.
Maybe it was the right move, Gomez and Kostitsyn have been woefully underproductive all season. Maybe it wasn’t, Kostitsyn has a fierce shot and still represents a scoring threat, and, like him or not, Gomez still has talent, speed and the vision to make dangerous passes in the offensive zone. The extra offense was something the Habs needed late in the third period when they were trailing by a goal. They ultimately lost 5-3.
The wisdom may be debatable, but the message is clear: coach Cunneyworth does not tolerate mediocre play no matter the salary. Or does he?
Tomas Kaberle committed one of the worst errors of the night early in the third period. On the power play, Kaberle, backpedaling with pressure in his face, elected to softly chip the puck up the boards, ultimately to no one. The loose puck was swiftly recovered by Eric Staal who simply burned by the former Cane, leaving Kaberle sprawling on the ice in a feeble attempt to make some sort of defensive play. End result, a crushing shorthanded goal for the Canes and the game’s turning point.
Given the way Gomez and Kostitsyn were stapled to the bench, and the fact that Cunneyworth had seven defensemen at his disposal, you might expect the coach to punish Kaberle in the same fashion for both his poor decision and his utter lack of competency on defense. You would be wrong.
Kaberle was on the ice for the next faceoff, he was there for much of the power play time the Habs earned in the third, he was there with two minutes left in the game just before Rene Bourque and Bryan Allen took a pair of roughing minors to bring about four-on-four play, and then he was there right up to the empty net goal that sealed the victory for Carolina. The thought of benching Kaberle in lieu of Raphael Diaz, or perhaps Tomas Plekanec or another forward to quarterback on the power play apparently did not even cross his mind.
Yes he had a couple of shining moments, Kaberle earned an assist of Cole’s power play marker and played a pivotal role one David Desharnais’ go-ahead goal with a nifty in zone pass. But there were less spectacular moments as well, Kaberle manning the point with P.K. Subban on the man advantage had already allowed a shorthanded rush by the Canes in the first period, which landed Subban in the box just 12 seconds into the Habs’ first PP of the night.
Why is it that Cunneyworth so unwilling to take the bad with the good when it comes to two of his eleven forwards, even though he is placing a huge load on his other forward lines, including a line that is two thirds composed of AHL recruits? At the same time, why is he so willing to take the bad with the good with one of seven defenseman, when the burden could be absorbed that much easier?
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