from Arpon Basu of NHL.com,

The big difference is that up until Dec. 2 the Canadiens were scoring on 8.3 percent of their shots on goal and stopping 93.8 percent of their shots against at even strength. Since Dec. 2, the Canadiens are shooting at 5.3 percent efficiency and stopping 90.4 percent of their shots against, numbers that are respectively 29th and 30th in the NHL over that span.

The Canadiens were saying back in December that if they kept playing the same way, eventually the results would come. In theory, they were right.

Except the results haven't come.

It's a riddle Bergevin will need to de-code before the NHL Trade Deadline on Feb. 29. How does he properly evaluate his team or his coaching staff without the services of his best player, who won't be back before Feb. 2, and perhaps later than that? How does he decide whether or not to spend future assets to bring in some help at the end of February when the contrast between how the Canadiens are playing and the results they are getting is so great?

Canadiens defenseman P.K. Subban mentioned numerous times before training camp even began in September that it would be up to the players to force Bergevin to be aggressive at the trade deadline to make a run for the Stanley Cup.

The Canadiens still have time to do that, to make their general manager feel optimistic about his team, but it will have to start Tuesday against the Bruins.

Because time is starting to run out.

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