The 2017-18 Montreal Canadiens Autopsy Report

This week, the Montreal Canadiens' playoff hopes mercifully came to an end, as they will be sitting at home come April 9. So, what happened? Let's open the coroner's notes and find out.

• The most obvious finger to point here starts at the top, namely General Manager Marc Bergevin. Looking back to even the beginning of his tenure, it seems that his acquisitions and drafting acumen centered around getting big players that either never developed or were just never all that skilled to begin with, and when he did have talented players, he found new ways to bungle it, as the reports will show later.
• Their inability to find a true number one center has come back to bite them in the rear, as no one can score, and their best center in the last five years (the length of Bergevin's tenure thus far) was traded to their rival in Toronto a few weeks ago.
• Their gameplan the entire time almost seemed to center around Carey Price to the point where they signed him to a near-unmovable contract last off-season. He's also missed considerable time in two of the last three seasons.
• Their off-season moves have also failed to pan out, as Karl Alzner wasn't even close to solving their scoring problems and they sure could have used Alex Radulov right about now, though it may not have mattered, since their center problem would have claimed him, too. Their best option from the blue line, Shea Weber, also got hurt.
• The big trade for Jonathan Drouin was a swing and a miss, as Mikhail Sergachev is just one point behind Drouin in scoring. Did I mention Sergachev is a defenseman that plays behind Victor Hedman and Anton Stralman?

The Canadiens' disaster of a 2017-18 season was one that many could see coming, and their recent departure from the playoff race was fait d'accompli. Their possible solution to their center problems appears to be John Tavares when he enters free-agency soon. For their sake, they better hope he doesn't go anywhere else or I could be writing this autopsy report this time next year.

Here Lie the 2017-18 Chicago Blackhawks

The 2017-18 Chicago Blackhawks were supposed to be having one last shot at competing for the Stanley Cup. Instead, for the first time since Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane were rookies, they will be watching the playoffs from the comforts of home. So, how did it come to this? Let's open the coroner's notebook.

• For every success in the draft (i.e. Toews, Kane, Duncan Keith, Niklas Hjalmarsson, etc.), there were some failures, and none stick out more than the period of 2008 through 2011. In those drafts, they took Kyle Beach (2008), Dylan Olsen (2009), Kevin Hayes (2010), and Phillip Danault and Mark McNeill (2011). Of that group, only Danault even had a decent sniff of playing time with the Blackhawks, and none of them remain with the team. Kevin Hayes didn't even sign with the team, opting to sign with the New York Rangers once he became a CFA in 2014.
• Salary cap management. In many ways, tying up money to a core that includes Kane, Toews, Corey Crawford, Keith, and Brent Seabrook can be a good thing when things are going well. When they aren't, well, there are repercussions, and key players such as Dustin Byfuglien, Hjalmarsson, and Artemi Panarin all had to be traded out to get under the cap.
• Mortgaging the future for a chance at the Cup. Again, when it pays off, it pays off handsomely, as the trade for Antoine Vermette in 2015 showed. However, the trade for Andrew Ladd in 2016 blew up spectacularly. In both cases, a first round pick was sacrificed, and either or both could have been needed around this time. 
• Looking at more recent Draft history from 2012 onward, the results are pretty grim. Teuvo Teravainen has put up most of his numbers in a Carolina Hurricanes uniform, Ryan Hartman is now a key piece in Nashville's run this year, and the only other players that are producing at a reasonable clip are Alex DeBrincat and Nick Schmaltz. If you take out Vinnie Hinostroza, the production from that group is even worse.
• Corey Crawford was arguably the best player in recent seasons, and when he went down to injury this season, it all but ended their hopes. Anton Forsberg has been terrible, and they've had to resort to a 32-year old rookie named Jeff Glass and J.F. Berube.

The Blackhawks aren't quite in salary cap hell in the same way that the Edmonton Oilers will be soon, but unless they can move Seabrook's contract, their ability to make moves will be limited. Their biggest need is to once again, hit on the draft picks that started their run of excellence from 2009 to 2017, especially in goal. Otherwise, it may look a lot like 2003 all over again.

I Watched This Game: Matinee Idol Edition

The Nashville Predators were looking to complete a perfect four-game road trip, and in the process, extend their winning streak to eight games. The Colorado Avalanche were looking to build upon a 7-1 drubbing of Minnesota Friday while bolstering their playoff hopes. These two teams were facing off against each other yesterday afternoon, and yes, I Watched This Game.

• Before I get to the game itself, there was also a Philadelphia-Florida match going on, and good seats are still available in Florida.
• That out of the way, it didn't take Nashville long to make their mark, as Austin Watson fires a puck from the blue line. It banks off an Avs player and past Semyon Varlamov to give Nashville the lead.
• Nikita Zadorov high-sticks Kevin Fiala, which forces him to sit for two minutes and feel shame.
• Zadorov gets free and redeems himself immediately after, as he takes a puck moments after leaving the box and beats Pekka Rinne one-on-one. You already know by this point that this is going to be playoff-like hockey.
• Mattias Ekholm is guilty of a cross check, and Colorado goes on the power play to end the period. Nothing happens, and the game is tied at one heading into intermission.
• Tyson Jost creates a penalty, as Ryan Hartman is forced to trip him as he is charging to the net. Once again, Colorado fails to convert, and I hope this isn't going to be a trend.
• A Gabriel Landeskog knockdown of Ryan Johansen in front of the net puts Nashville on the power play. The Preds make good on this, as Kyle Turris is able to slip one past Varlamov despite hitting Varlamov's glove.
• Viktor Arvidsson trips Mikko Rantanen, and he too, goes for two minutes. Yep, Colorado still can't convert.
• We get four-on-four hockey, as Landeskog gets a penalty for cross checking. Arvidsson gets an embellishment penalty, as well.
• Nashville goes on the power play that will carry into the third period, as Zadorov took exception to a Hartman hit on Matt Nieto and decides to WWE-style headlock him as he's coming onto the ice during a line change.
• After the game goes back to full strength, Nieto takes a shot that takes a funny bounce off Rinne. Fiala can't control the rebound, and accidentally puts the puck into the net for an Avalanche goal.
• Watson trips up Soderberg, and after a long delayed penalty, the Avs go on the power play. On the ensuing power play, Rantanen is left alone in the left faceoff circle, and he fires a wrister past Rinne to give the Avs their first lead.
• The Preds pull the goalie, and with a minute left, Ryan Ellis fires a howitzer past Varlamov to tie things up again, and we get some free hockey.
• Filip Forsberg found a perfect time to break out of his slump, as he nets one past Varlamov from a near-impossible angle. Predators take the win, and the extra point.

You couldn't have asked for a better hockey game on a Sunday afternoon. Both teams played incredibly well, and this was a back and forth affair. The Predators head home after a perfect road trip while Colorado was able to gain a little ground in the playoff hunt, though the OT loss does hurt their chances a little.