Stu Cowan: Stanley Cup playoffs ought to present Canadiens why dimension issues

Article content material

Dimension isn’t the whole lot, however it undoubtedly issues within the NHL playoffs.

Article content material

The Vegas Golden Knights and Florida Panthers — the 2 groups on this yr’s Stanley Cup closing — live proof.

Article content material

When the Golden Knights beat the Dallas Stars 6-0 in Sport 6 of the Western Convention closing to win the best-of-seven collection 4-2, they solely had one participant within the lineup beneath six ft tall. That was ahead Jonathan Marchessault, who’s 5-foot-9 and 183 kilos. However Marchessault has proven he can play with the massive boys within the playoffs with 9-8-17 totals in 17 video games.

Solely 5 of the Vegas gamers within the lineup for Sport 6 in opposition to the Stars are beneath 200 kilos — forwards Marchessault, Ivan Barbashev (6-1, 195), Reilly Smith (6-1, 185), William Karlsson (6-0, 190) and defenceman Shea Theodore (6-2, 197). Alec Martinez is the shortest of the six Vegas defencemen at 6-foot-1, however he weighs 210 kilos.

Article content material

Article content material

When the Panthers beat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3 in Sport 4 of the Jap Convention closing to comb the collection, they’d three gamers within the lineup beneath 6-feet — forwards Anthony Duclair (5-foot-11), Nick Cousins (5-foot-11) and Ryan Lomberg (5-foot-9). However the Panthers have 13 gamers who’re beneath 200 kilos.

Going by dimension, the Golden Knights must be heavy favourites going into the Stanley Cup closing with Sport 1 Saturday in Vegas (8 p.m., CBC, SN, TVA Sports activities).

Defenceman Joel Edmundson — who gained the Stanley Cup with the St. Louis Blues in 2019 and went to the ultimate with the Canadiens in 2021 earlier than shedding to the Tampa Bay Lightning — is aware of all concerning the playoff grind with 75 post-season video games beneath his belt.

“I’ve advised these younger guys that playoffs is a special league by itself,” Edmundson stated close to the tip of the common season. “It’s the NHL on steroids, I name it. You simply need to have that mindset to take these off-seasons severely so that you will be prepared for a good season.”

Article content material

It all the time takes nice goaltending to get to the Stanley Cup closing and Vegas and Florida have that. The Golden Knights’ Adin Hill has a 7-3 file with a 2.07 goals-against common and a .937 save proportion. The Panthers’ Sergei Bobrovsky has an 11-2 file with a 2.21 GAA and a .935 save proportion.

The primary purpose the Canadiens superior to the Cup closing two years in the past was Carey Worth, who usually stood on his head whereas posting a 13-9 file with a 2.28 GAA and a .924 save proportion. However Worth additionally had what former Canadiens assistant coach Luke Richardson referred to as the “4 Clydesdales” on defence in entrance of him — Shea Weber (6-4, 230), Ben Chiarot (6-3, 232), Jeff Petry (6-3, 209) and Edmundson (6-5, 221).

The Golden Knights have six Clydesdales on defence in Martinez (6-1, 210), Theodore (6-2, 197), Alex Pietrangelo (6-3, 215), Brayden McNabb (6-4, 215), Nicolas Hague (6-6, 230) and Zach Whitecloud (6-2, 207).

Article content material

“Their defence are simply flat-out large,” former Canadien Mike Johnson, top-of-the-line hockey analysts within the enterprise, stated concerning the Golden Knights this week on TSN 690 Radio. “They’re a giant, rangy, heavy group of gamers. And that serves them very effectively as a result of I believe within the playoffs, particularly, there’s nonetheless a component that to attain targets — particularly within the playoffs — there’s a bodily confrontation that has to occur and I simply suppose that the scale of the Vegas defenders make that bodily confrontation tough for whoever they’re taking part in in opposition to.”

The Golden Knights, who completed first within the Western Convention through the common season with a 51-22-9 file, are additionally large down the center with their 4 centres: Jack Eichel (6-2, 207), Chandler Stephenson (6-0, 209), Karlsson (6-0, 190) and Nicolas Roy (6-4, 202).

Article content material

A priority for the Canadiens shifting ahead of their rebuild must be what number of small gamers they’ve.

“I believe it’s a steadiness,” Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis stated this week on the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast when requested about dimension within the lineup. “You have a look at the playoffs, dimension is necessary. It’s going to be exhausting to beat Carolina, Dallas when you don’t have some heaviness and dimension. It doesn’t imply you want to have 20 guys which can be heavy with dimension. To me, it’s a steadiness. You want slightly little bit of the whole lot and the fellows that lack dimension higher have braveness as a result of it’s all people’s recreation. You’re speaking to a man, I’m not very large, so I don’t thoughts small gamers, however you higher play with braveness on the market.”

On social media there appears to be quite a lot of Canadiens followers who’re in a rush for GM Kent Hughes to commerce 6-foot-3, 227-pound ahead Josh Anderson. I wouldn’t commerce Anderson for a similar causes he gave me once I requested him this season why the Canadiens shouldn’t commerce him.

Article content material

“There’s probably not quite a lot of energy forwards within the league anymore who can skate, shoot, hit, struggle, play that playoff hockey type,” Anderson stated. “For myself, I’m making an attempt to be as constant as I can in that division and as soon as we construct a successful workforce it’s going to be actually necessary to have a type of guys.”

Multiple is even higher.

[email protected]

twitter.com/StuCowan1