Canadiens Lineup
Forward lines
Tomas Tatar â Phillip Danault â Brendan Gallagher
Paul Byron â Max Domi â Andrew Shaw
Jonathan Drouin â Jordan Weal â Joel ArmiaÂ
Artturi Lehkonen â Nate Thompson â Dale Weise
Defense pairings
Victor Mete â Shea Weber
 Jordie Benn â Jeff Petry
Brett Kulak â Christian Folin
Goaltenders
Carey Price â Antti Niemi
Scratches
Charles Hudon, Nicolas Deslauriers, Matthew Peca, Mike Reilly, Jesperi KotkaniemiÂ
Injuries
none
Game Report
Cut and run. It is exactly what Marc Bergevin should have done at the end of last season. Instead, Bergevin chose to sign Antti Niemi to a one-year deal.Â
Stephane Waite used a little binder twine and chicken wire to patch up Niemiâs game last season after a horrendous start with Pittsburgh and Florida. Rather than being grateful for their good fortune and moving on Waite and Bergevin gambled another season with Niemi as the backup.
It has been an abject failure. As the season enters the second week of March, Niemi has only four quality starts this season.
Without the coachâs trust in Niemi, Price has been forced into a heavier workload than was planned by the coaching staff. Price is on track to appear in 65-67 games this season which is well above what was intended.
Against the Sharks, Niemi was awful. Two weak goals allowed in the first period on just five shots put the Habs in a hole.Â
It wasnât only the four goals allowed that were of concern. Niemi also looked shaky stopping the puck.
But Niemi need not take all the blame in this one. Going against Martin Jones, the Sharks goaltender with an .897 save percentage this season, Montreal forwards should have done more to take advantage. The Canadiens needed more from the Phillip Danault and Jordan Weal lines.
The Canadiens were playing a flu-ravaged team with players in and out of the lineup suffering from a virus. Particularly hard hit were Joe Pavelski and Brent Burns who despite the illnesses played 19:08 and 24:42 respectively.
The Habs did not capitalize on the opportunity.
Plus / Minus
â² Â Artturi Lehkonen, Jordie Benn
â¼ Â Antti Niemi, Jonathan Drouin, Jordan Weal, Phillip Danault