Canada has been wanting a strong start from one of their marquee teams for years. Finally, the Canadiens seem to have risen up to the occasion. They are the lone unbeaten NHL team winning their first six games. Impressively, they dismantled Detroit last night with a three goal third period. Very few vulnerabilities presented themselves during the hottest streak this season. What has kept the Habs going despite having an anemic power play?
More than Subban
Montreal has started to grasp the concept that their man advantages should be more than continually feeding PK Subban. In the Detroit game, progress was made with Jeff Petry’s blast that resulted in a school. While it is not yet the sought after balance, it is a step in the right direction for one of the few chinks in their armor.
Items to Embrace
- Third line dominance. Weise, Fleischmann, and Desharnais controlled over sixty percent of the chances at even strength. Great sign of depth for the start of the season.
- Two days off and then they get another home again. With St. Louis coming in, the puckline should pluck some profit for us.
The locker room scene typified what is going on in Montreal these days. While Price is dominant, there are others that now support the team. He was not the only one mobbed after the win over the Red Wings. Tomas Plekanec unexpectedly leads this team with five goals. Lastly, the philosophy change is obvious in Montreal. When the Habs got a 2-1 lead, in the past they would have hung back and relied on Price. Now they pour it on to the tune of a twenty to five shot advantage since that point. With this new level of grit, wagering on Montreal pucklines should be profitable in the first two months of the season.
