That elephant, of course, is the Montreal power play, which currently ranks last in the League with a 12.6% success rate.
For Brendan Gallagher, it's about turning the page and looking ahead, especially as the NHL season grinds on and inches closer to the postseason.
"It's something we've talked about, we're aware of the situation we're in. We're not going to be able to change the results we've gotten early in the year. It's disappointing, but we can't change that. The only thing we have control over is what happens from here on out," outlined Gallagher, who leads the Habs with 19 goals this season - three of them with the man advantage. "The power play could play a big role. You have to stick with it; you can't give up on it. It could have a big impact on getting into the playoffs, which is our goal right now."
Head coach Claude Julien explained that the Habs' inability to put the puck in the net up a man is just the tip of the iceberg.
"We know it's about more than scoring goals," shared Julien, whose club has just 20 power play goals this season. "Our zone entries, being able to take possession of the puck and control it on the offensive zone is bothering us the most in terms of what we see right now. That's what we're trying to improve."
Like they would do with any struggling unit, Julien and his staff have tinkered with the personnel they've deployed and that included giving Charles Hudon some time with the man advantage on Saturday.
"We've worked on the power play a lot. I think that's what's been hurting us the most these days," said Hudon, who hadn't played since January 8 in Detroit before suiting up against the Flyers. "We can win some games with power play goals, but we're not doing it. Claude is adding his own little touches to the power play and that might help. We'll see next game."
Next game, of course, will feature the Arizona Coyotes at the Bell Centre on Wednesday, which will mark longtime former Hab Alex Galchenyuk's first game back in la Belle Province since the summertime trade that saw Max Domi join the Canadiens.
Gallagher came up into the League with Galchenyuk, and affirms it'll be a special moment in the season for them both.
"I'm sure he's excited. We went through quite a bit together here, obviously a lot of good memories coming up and playing together. He's still a good friend of mine, so you want to see him do well," acknowledged Gallagher, who said he's still in touch with Galchenyuk. "You don't want to see him do well tomorrow night, but I hope he enjoys the moment and the atmosphere. I'm sure the fans will be excited to see him back at the Bell Centre. He's going to enjoy the moment, which I'm sure he's really looking forward to."
Puck drop is set for 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
