Most expected and forecasted the Montreal Canadiens to finish near the bottom of the NHL standings this season.
Everyone seems to have forgotten to remind the players that they were off to a much better start than everyone imagined. After eight games, they had a 5-2-1 record, and their young defenders were playing well, the goaltenders were excellent, and the forwards had plenty of depth.
They dropped all three games on a recent road trip out west, putting an end to their winning streak. However, the first defeat came in a shootout against the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Vegas Golden Knights, who have beaten almost everyone this season.
The following defeat was a 3-2 decision against the Arizona Coyotes that could have gone either way. Their most recent game was a 6-3 loss to the St. Louis Blues, who have struggled to score goals all season. But it was their first misstep.
Was the rout a foreshadowing of things to come, or just a blip on the radar of a long season?
We’ll find out soon enough. The Canadiens return home for their next game, but they have a challenging week ahead of them. They are off until Tuesday night, when they visit the Tampa Bay Lightning, but after that, they will play seven games in 12 days, including four challenging games in a six-day span.
The Lightning, who have dominated the NHL for numerous years, are one of the league’s most challenging opponents. They are only 5-3-3 this season, but they have a tremendous team and are always a challenging opponent.
The Habs’ next game is on the road on Thursday against the Detroit Red Wings, who have been one of the league’s most improved teams this season. With a 7-4-1 record, they are second in the Atlantic Division and appear like a machine, with Alex Debrincat easily integrating into the lineup.
On Saturday night, the Canadiens will face the Boston Bruins, who are once again atop the NHL rankings. It’s difficult to understand how a club can lose Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci, and Taylor Hall and continue to play as if nothing happened, but the Bruins are still excellent and will be a tough opponent.
The Vancouver Canucks, the western conference’s biggest surprise, visit the Bell Centre on Sunday. They are 8-2-1 on the season and have a physical team led by head coach Rick Tocchet.
The Canadiens are facing a difficult stretch of games. For the past decade, the Lightning and Bruins have been the class of the NHL. The Canucks and Red Wings are off to two of the league’s hottest starts this season.
The Canadiens began 5-2-1 but quickly fell to 5-4-2. Three of their victories have come in overtime, while the only teams they have defeated in regulation time are the Chicago Blackhawks and the Buffalo Sabres. After only 15 games, a challenging week ahead would leave little optimism.
Even a 2-1-1 record over the next seven days would put the Canadiens at a respectable 7-5-3 record and on track for 93 points for the season. That will be difficult to accomplish, but if they succeed, it will reveal a lot about this year’s Canadiens.
If they go 1-3-0 and their record drops to 6-7-2, it will almost certainly be a tough season.
