The Montreal Canadiens improved to 2-1-0 with a convincing 4-1 victory over the Ottawa Senators at the Bell Centre on Saturday night.
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After a deflating defeat on Thursday against Boston, the Canadiens reverted to things that got them their first win on opening night. The power play clicked, Cole Caufield scored again, and goalie Sam Montembeault played like an early Vezina Trophy candidate.
Last week, the Senators swept Montreal in a back-to-back set to close out the pre-season, but the Canadiens found a way to flip the script on their division rival. Let’s discuss a few takeaways from their first Saturday night win since Jan. 6, 2024.
Kiss Those Pre-Season Power Play Jitters Goodbye
The Canadiens didn’t score a power-play goal in the pre-season, which led many hockey analysts to wonder if the team could survive Patrik Laine’s absence. Additionally, there were questions about whether head coach Martin St-Louis could fix the special teams, which ranked 27th last year.
After going goalless in six pre-season games, Montreal scored a power-play goal in their first three regular-season games and has a 20% success rate on the man advantage.
There’s no guarantee that this success will continue throughout the campaign, but the kids and veterans are working their magic on special teams through three games.
They currently rank 18th on the power play (20%) and 8th on the penalty kill (92.3%), two unexpected turnarounds.
Montembeault on a Mission
The competition for Team Canada at the upcoming 4 Nations Face-off is wide open. Most experts peg Stuart Skinner (Edmonton) as the clear favorite to start, but his performance leading up to the event will be a determining factor.
Meanwhile, Canadiens’ Montembeault is making his case to be the starter, especially since the tournament will be in his home rink at the Bell Centre.
Related: 7 Fascinating Statistics About Canadiens’ Montembeault
In six periods of hockey, he’s surrendered a single goal and compiled an astonishing .986%, which ranks second in the NHL. In his first game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, he stonewalled one of the league’s top offenses, and with a comfortable 3-0 lead against the Senators, he was once again brilliant with 24 saves.
As an under-the-radar starter, Montembeault plays like someone on a mission to get the recognition necessary to represent his home country in an international hockey event.
Caufield Shouldn’t Be Thinking 30, but 40
To say Caufield has a guardian angel watching over him this season would be an understatement. He has four goals through three games and is on pace for 109 goals.
Caufield won’t be breaking Wayne Gretzky’s single-season record (92) anytime soon, but he’s on pace for at least 30 goals. That would be a new career high since he reached 28 last year, the most he’s had in a year.
Considering that no Canadian player has scored 40 goals since Vincent Damphousse in 1993-94, Caufield has a chance of becoming the first player to reach that milestone in three decades.
Reaching 30 would be memorable, and reaching 40 would be magical. Either way, he’s on fire right now and finding the gaps to get those pucks past elite netminders like Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman.
The Kids are Sure Fun to Watch
When was the last time the Canadiens were this fun to watch? It’s been a minute, for sure.
Whether it’s Lane Hutson dancing with the puck, snipes from Caufield, hard hits from Arber Xhekaj, and Montembeault making saves, there’s a renewed energy about the 2024-25 Canadiens, and the Bell Centre is roaring back to life.
Related: Canadiens Chasing Milestones in 2024-25
The players in the lineup have developed a strong bond, and you can tell by their crisp passes and unselfish systemic play. Players are stepping up to block shots, trying to get open when teammates have the puck, and not shying away from being physical, standing up for one another.
Unfortunately, many have written the Canadiens off and believe they will finish in no man’s land, far away from a top draft spot but nowhere close to a playoff spot.
It is still early, but this team is far from being written off and has held their own against some Eastern Conference heavyweights.
Montreal hit the ice on Monday night against Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins. The puck drops at 7:00 pm, exclusively on Prime.
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