After a lackluster start to their season, the Montreal Canadiens have found success after winning eight of their last twelve games. They now sit only five points out of a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. After back-to-back wins in Florida over the Panthers and Lightning the Canadiens are looking to ride the momentum into the New Year. There have been several contributing factors to the team’s recent success. Let’s take a look at what has propelled the Canadiens to their recent win streak.
Keys to Montreal Canadiens Recent Success
Laine and Improved Powerplay
Over the last few seasons, the Canadiens have had one of the worst power play units in the NHL. However, this year that hasn’t been the case as their powerplay is ranked 16th with a respectable 21 percent efficiency. They have been operating at an even higher clip since the arrival of Patrik Laine following his return from injury.
Laine’s one-timer has been a constant threat as he already ranks second in the league in man-advantage goals with eight. His presence as well as the quarterback ability of Lane Hutson have taken the top unit to new heights. This has alleviated pressure off of Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky, and Nick Suzuki who were too often tasked with carrying the load offensively. This has also allowed for Kirby Dach and Mike Matheson to move down to the second unit. The team now has two respectable powerplay groups and it’s been a big reason for the Montreal Canadiens success as of late.
Carrier Shores Up the Defence
The Canadiens made a defensive swap by trading away Justin Barron in exchange for Alexandre Carrier. Carrier has been exactly as advertised thus far for Montreal. The 28 year old right-handed defenceman has helped stabilize a Canadiens defence group which struggled early on. He has been playing with Kaiden Guhle on the second pairing which has allowed David Savard to move to the third pair with Arber Xhekaj. Carrier has also provided some offence with four assists in five games played. This includes a three assist performance against the Lightning.
Since Carrier’s arrival the team has only allowed more than three goals on one occasion. His addition is an immediate upgrade over Barron and has added a much more stable presence on the blueline as well as a solid partner for Guhle. The group as a whole has cleaned up their act defensively. The penalty kill which ranks ninth in the league has also been a large contributor on the defensive end.
Solid Goaltending
The goaltending duo of Samuel Montembeault and Cayden Primeau had high hopes when the season began. However, there were a lot of question marks in the crease as they both floundered to start the year. While Montembeualt was able to find his game, the same can’t be said for Primeau. This led to the team starting Montembeualt in ten straight contests.
Last week, the team recalled Jakub Dobes and waived Primeau the following day after the conclusion of the NHL’s roster freeze. Dobes would make his NHL debut in an impressive shutout victory over the Panthers. Dobes is on track to be the Canadiens backup of the future while Primeau seems destined to remain in Laval for the foreseeable future. With Montembeualt looking like a legitimate starter and now a solid young backup in Dobes, the Canadiens seem to have finally found some clarity in goal. If they want to keep winning games, the duo will need to continue their solid play. Dobes should get his second start this week as the Canadiens have another back-to-back against the Blackhawks and Avalanche.
Can the Canadiens make a playoff push?
While nobody thought the playoffs were a possibility after the start of the year, they seem like a realistic possibility now. The team has been performing like a playoff caliber team as of late. They are chasing the Ottawa Senators who currently occupy the final wildcard spot in the East. The team is firmly in the mix and if they can string together some more wins, playoffs aren’t completely out of the question for the Montreal Canadiens.
Main Photo: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
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