With this younger thrilling Canadiens crew using excessive close to the highest of the standings, immediately everyone seems to be on the Habs bandwagon.
Simply distinction this with a 12 months in the past. Montreal had a brutal begin to the season final fall. It was 12 months 3 of the rebuild and lots of have been questioning if the bleu-blanc-rouge have been going to ever discover a manner out of the basement. After all, issues turned out a lot better in the long run, with captain Nick Suzuki placing the crew on his shoulders and just about prepared them into the playoffs, because of a frankly unreal post-4 Nations surge. However final fall wasn’t fairly.
Flash ahead a 12 months. As of Friday afternoon, YOUR Canadiens have been sitting tied with the Detroit Purple Wings for first place within the Atlantic Division after 11 video games with a outstanding 8-3 report. Ivan Demidov leads all rookies with 9 factors, Cole Caufield is tied for the league lead in targets with 9 and Nick Suzuki is tied for the lead in assists with 14. Jakub Dobes can be positively rocking it with six wins and no losses, with a 1.97 targets towards common and a .930 save proportion. That places him proper up on the prime of the league by way of goalie numbers.
They’ve regarded nice. On prime of all of the superb stats, they’ve been taking part in exhilarating hockey, with many a dramatic end. However is that this what we will anticipate from the Canadiens for all the season? Will they nonetheless be in first or at the very least proper close to the highest of the division come April? Can Caufield sustain this torrid scoring tempo? I imply, clearly, he can’t. Even essentially the most starry-eyed fan has to confess it’s unlikely the younger sniper will find yourself with 67 targets.
An apart. Overlook the Habs’ success for a second and may we simply revel within the pleasure of seeing the Toronto Maple Leafs lifeless final within the Atlantic Division? How candy is that? Fairly candy is the reply. Perhaps the Large 4 window is closing now that the Leafs are actually a Large Three crew with Mitch Marner plying his commerce out in Nevada.
My take is clearly issues are going to get harder within the subsequent 71 video games for Nos Canadiens. I don’t suppose they’ll be No. 1 within the Atlantic come April. However I do anticipate them to make the playoffs for the second consecutive 12 months and it wouldn’t shock me in the event that they find yourself prime three within the division. This crew is for actual.
Wesley Hayman, who was at McLean’s Pub this week, stated he, too, believes within the crew.
“They’re a younger crew and so they’re all getting alongside properly collectively,” Hayman stated. “I believe they’ll do properly as a result of they’re having a enjoyable time collectively. They care about one another.”
Sukhy Gill, who was additionally at McLean’s, is much less assured. He doesn’t really feel the new run can proceed.
“I don’t suppose so,” Gill stated. “We’ve had a variety of shut finishes, a variety of last-second targets. That’s by no means sustainable. We’re nonetheless a small crew. I discover we get bullied rather a lot. I believe our goaltenders, particularly Dobes, have saved us in a variety of video games. That’s not going to maintain taking place. So I believe we’re nonetheless going to be good, however possibly not first place. I don’t wish to be too pessimistic, however they’re punching somewhat above their weight class.”
David Speller, sitting on the bar, stated that is essentially the most thrilling crew for the reason that early Nineteen Nineties. However there might be ups and downs, he added.
“They’re certain to hit a flat spot,” Speller stated. “They’re a younger crew. In some unspecified time in the future within the season, they’re going to have a disaster and go on a nasty run. However I believe general they need to end a very good few factors forward of final 12 months. They’ll make the playoffs, simply not in first place.”
Listed here are a few responses from Habs followers on BlueSky.
Adam Noodelman:
I’d be very pleasantly stunned in the event that they end first within the division, however I believe they’ll comfortably keep a prime 3 within the division spot all 12 months.
JS Bryce:
We’ve performed what, two groups that made the playoffs final 12 months? Misplaced each of them? It’s nice that we’re beating the remainder up to now, nevertheless it’s certain to get extra fascinating …
Robin Edgar:
It’s at all times
#GoHabsGo
! till it’s
#GoneHabsGone
. . . 😉😇
Hey, there’s at all times a wisecracker within the crowd.
bkelly@postmedia.com
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