Montreal Canadiens: The Next Hat-Trick in the NHL

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 16: Max Pacioretty
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 16: Max Pacioretty /
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The Montreal Canadiens could definitely use a hat-trick moving forward, and they have the players with the ability to get it done.

So have you noticed this trend in the NHL since the start of the season? For a number of years, there was a big problem with goal scoring. The rise of the more elite goaltenders such as Braden Holtby, Devan Dubnyk and the Montreal Canadiens own Carey Price helped with that.

That issue is totally out the window now with all the hat-tricks that have been scored. If you follow me on Twitter, you may have noticed my #HatTrickTracker (and if you’re not following me, you should @OLW93). After almost a week of regular season action, there have been six hat-tricks around the league. One of which was unfortunately at the expense of Montreal.

The Habs however have a strong chance of being the next team to produce a hat-trick. It’s been a frustrating start, especially because they haven’t been play badly. Sure there have been some costly defensive errors here and there, but the Montreal Canadiens have been improving each game.

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There have been five players on the team who have scored at least one hat-trick in their career. Shea Weber, Ales Hemsky, Tomas Plekanec, Alex Galchenyuk, and Max Pacioretty. All have only one except for Pacioretty who has a total of six. You may remember his most recent one against the Buffalo Sabres last season.

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If the Habs are going to see a player light the lamp three times in a game, it’s going to be him. It would have more of an impact than just three goals.

One of the most impressive things about Pacioretty’s game against the New York Rangers was his willingness to head to the net. He gets a lot of flack, but he really is a good captain. We may not get to see what he does in the room, but you can’t say that he doesn’t try to lead by example.

Tuesday’s game will be the home opener for the Montreal Canadiens, who arguable have one of the best in the league. There will be emotions throughout the Bell Center, and you can bet that the players on the team will be feeding off of that. Let’s see if #HatTrickTracker will activate for the Habs after the game.

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Do you think Pacioretty will get the Habs’ first hat-trick? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.