Worst differential in Canadiens history: Brendan Gallagher is “well on his way”.

Good news: this season, Brendan Gallagher is healthy. The forward’s missed games are due to his suspension, not his precarious state of health.

For the player, this is wonderful news… and to some extent, for the club too. It gives the Rocket a chance to keep some players for a playoff push.

But when you watch him play, it’s clear that his contribution on the ice is… ordinary.

Look at his stats. He has fewer goals this season than captain Nick Suzuki has since returning from the All-Star Game. He has less than a point in three games so far this season.

But I also want to draw attention to his differential: -24.

I know, I know: differential is worth what it’s worth. It’s not perfect, but it’s still worth something when it’s extreme. Like an MLB reliever’s win-loss record, for example.

And in Gally’s case, his differential is intense.

In fact, he’s currently at -24. He’s on a pace that could take him to -35 by the end of the season, which is almost -1 every two games.

That’s a lot, you say? Yes, it is.

Martin Leclerc, on the Tellement Hockey podcast, mentioned that being at -31 during a season has been seen before (Patrice Brisebois and Alex Galchenyuk) in Montreal in one season.

But -35? Never.

Are Brendan Gallagher’s defensive woes symptomatic of the team’s?

The full podcast https://t.co/mopdreO6aw pic.twitter.com/Iz1mgeh4zU

– Radio-Canada Sports (@RC_Sports) February 28, 2024

What’s fascinating, as the Radio-Canada reporter points out, is the fact that back in the days of the trio completed by Tomas Tatar and Phillip Danault, the unit was dominant at 5 vs. 5.

But what happened? Is Martin St-Louis asking enough of his players defensively? Is Gally simply worn out? These are the questions… but who knows?

In short

– When to pull your goalie?

Has Patrick Roy started a new trend in the NHL?https://t.co/8c2Km5Hao1

– TVA Sports (@TVASports) February 28, 2024

– Interesting.

I could be wrong, but Nick Suzuki could be the first Habs center to score 30 goals since Vincent Damphousse and Pierre Turgeon in 1996.

28 years old.

Last year, only 7 center players scored 30 goals or more across the NHL.

Suzuki:

– Anthony Martineau (@Antho_Martineau) February 28, 2024

– Nick Suzuki is less predictable. [BPM Sports]

– Ark.

– He’ll be traded, but when?