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Montreal Canadiens Playoffs and Other Numbers

By Mat Germain

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Oct 13, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Montreal Canadiens goalie

Carey Price

(31) makes a save as Pittsburgh Penguins left wing

Chris Kunitz

(14) and Montreal Canadiens right wing

Brian Flynn

(32) look on during the second period at the CONSOL Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Montreal Canadiens Playoffs and Other Numbers

Positivity is reigning supreme in all Montreal Canadiens circles as they continue to show the NHL that this season, they’re here to win it all. It’s no hold barred, and they’re not taking any prisoners.

With the start to the season being as good as it has been, we can’t help but wonder what kind of impact it has had on the team’s chances to make the playoffs. Well, here’s a quick rundown of the numbers.

  • 14: Habs have obtained 14 of 14 points so far
  • 93/98: Lowest point team in playoffs the last 2 season (East) had 93 and 98 points respectively
  • 75: Number of points the Habs would add if they win half of their remaining games
  • 89: Having won half of their games, the Habs would have 89 points
  • 99: If they can win 5 more games or tie 10 and win half, the Habs would essentially guarantee themselves a playoff spot
  • 14 and 28: Games above .500 the Habs have been the last 2 seasons respectively

The Montreal Canadiens have put themselves in a great position by playing tremendous hockey to kick off the season. It isn’t exactly coming easy to them as most games have been close and hard-fought, but the wins have been decisive overall, showing the very best the team has to offer.

Health permitting, the point total should be more than enough for them to make the playoffs this season. And with the way players are performing for the IceCaps so far, the Habs have a decent backup plan at every position.

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Now that we know the playoffs are already a very good possibility for this team, how do the numbers look in terms of their performance so far?

  • GF 23, GA 7 = Goal Differential of +16. How dominating is that number? The next best total is +7 (3 teams tied). The Habs are more than double ahead of the best in the pack. Now that’s impressive.
  • GA/GP: Habs are at 1.00 and the Penguins are next in line at 1.83. Last season, the Habs led the league in this category as well. Their total? 2.24. This is equally impressive.
  • PK: The Habs are tied with the Penguins at 91.7%. Last season, the Habs had a 83.7% total and the Wild led the league with a 86.3% effective percentage. This is a very improved aspect.
  • Shots/GP: The Habs lead the league in shots per game with 34.3 total. Next in line, once again, are the Penguins at 33.7 per game. How long had we begged for the Habs to shoot more often?
  • GF: The shots on net are working, as the Habs lead the league in goals for with 23.
  • Shots Against/GP: Habs sit 11th in the league with 28.1 SA per game. That’s 2 SA less per game than last season’s 30.1 SA/GP.
  • FOW: The sole area where the Habs could use some improvement, they sit 9th worst in face off wins with a 48.6 FOW%.
  • Carey Price is 6-0-0 with a .966 save% and 1.00 GAA. That’s enabled him to get a 2.0 GPS which is tops in the league.

Regardless of how you spin the season so far, the Montreal Canadiens have been the most impressive and well-tuned team in the NHL so far. Against some of the best competition there is to offer out there, they are proving to be a shutdown team that can frustrate the best scorers in the league. From Rick Nash and Sidney Crosby to Vladimir Tarasenko, this team has shut down the very best. Simultaneously, they’re taking that pressure and shifting it to the opposition’s zone by mercilessly shooting on net as often as possible, creating chances that otherwise may not exist.

What a time to watch this team click. It’s impressive and fun to see how a well-built team can handle itself.

The lines are set, health is good, and the team’s enjoying success like never before. They’ve already added to a record-setting start to the season, and at this point, it doesn’t look like that streak is going to end anytime soon. The next 2 opponents?

  • The Buffalo Sabres (1-4-0) on Friday
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs (1-3-1) on Saturday

It certainly looks like a 9-0-0 start is possible at this point, leaving their matchup against the Vancouver Canucks (3-1-2) next Tuesday as the next big test. If they pass that one, a historic 10-0-0 start could be in the cards.

Next: Habs Keeping Fans in Awe, Our 7 Reasons

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