The Montreal Canadiens have a tough week ahead that will further prove their stake in the race to return to the playoffs.
The first month of the 2018/19 regular season is nearly behind us. The Montreal Canadiens are part of a small group of teams who have outperformed expectations. Goaltending, goalscoring, and overall on-ice execution were in question after the Habs performance last season and some offseason trades, but they’ve put all those doubts to rest.
It’s not ‘too early’ anymore. The Montreal Canadiens have proven through ten games the pace and level of execution their play isn’t a ruse.
The Habs remain third in the Atlantic Division with a 6-2-2 record and 14 points after shutting out the Boston Bruins 3-0. Max Domi and Brendan Gallagher were the scoring heroes again while Jordie Benn showed some snipping prowess late in the third period. Carey Price‘s 33 saves earned him the sole position of second place for most wins by a goaltender in Montreal Canadiens history. The 31-year-old can be the top goaltender if he gets another 25 by the end of the year. And by the way Price has been playing so far, it looks like a solid possibility.
However, a new week brings with it new challenges, and these are off the high-clipping variety. It starts with a Tuesday night match against the Dallas Stars followed by the Washington Capitals and Tampa Bay Lightning closer to the weekend. The Lightning has had a strong start to their season with a 7-2-1 record, but the Capitals and Stars aren’t as hot at the moment.
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Dallas may be the greatest challenge. They haven’t made the playoffs in the last two years and were expected to break that slump. Considering their up and down performances, they could see this as a game they have to win to string wings together.
Tyler Seguin is leading the way with 3 goals and 9 assists in 10 games followed by John Klingberg with 11 points and Alexander Radulov with 10. Unfortunately for them, the latter has missed the last four games with a lower-body injury. He may return to the lineup to face his former team, but there hasn’t been any confirmation yet.
Whether Radulov is playing or not, there are a lot of weapons on the Stars who the Habs must look out for. Last season’s Stanley Cup-winning Capitals are no different. Evgeny Kuznetsov, Alex Ovechkin, John Carlson, and Nicklas Backstrom are answering for that.
The Montreal Canadiens will have to match speed for speed to ensure success this week. Boston and Buffalo are still on their heels in the standings making points essential.
The Habs have created a large cloud of positivity and optimism among fans. The competition will be tough, but the team has managed to come out of tough situations with two points. Perhaps they do the same this week.