Are the Montreal Canadiens not as bad as people expected them to be?

[Bleeker]

That's what happen when you get rid of 2 floater playing top line minutes and replace them with fast, hard working players with similar or better skills set
Also de defense went from desastrous to really good in the span of a year. The addition of Reilly, Mete and Juulsen are making a huge difference.
Add to that a healthy Price and there ya go.
If they play the way they are right now for .. lets say 75% of the games , they could certainly be a playoff team.
People needs to understand that there is not just one way to build a good team.
If you have the chance to have players like Matthews, Crosby, Ovie etc on your roster then yeah these guys will more than likely be the reason you succeed, but you can also have a good team built with depht, character, speed and good chemistry.

 

[KCC]

Hard work goes a long way. Like Vegas last year, Ottawa etc. No pressure or expectations. Only way they keep surprising is to keep skating. It’s a long year though. An injury or two and it’ll be tough.

 

[Uncle Scrooge]

I guess it was to be expected that they were going to start better than expected if that makes sense.

Being bad in Montreal doesn't go unnoticed.. changes will happen and the media is all over them. That pushes the GM to find players who can help and the guys in the locker room to be better.

It's such a big advantage when you're labeled by everyone as a bad team. Hockey players hear that stuff the same way we do. Right now teams think they're a bad team playing well and it takes some time before you earn respect. Like last night the Blues effort was pathetic at times despite losing 2 in a row, it tells you they didn't have the mindset of "we have to work our asses off otherwise we're not going to beat this team". Blowout win against the Pens was a joke game by Pit. etc

Happens every year and that's why surprise teams tend to have decent/good starts a lot of the time.

I just don't see a playoff team though. When the going gets tough who is going to be the difference maker? Tatar? Domi? Drouin? None of these guys are going to score 40 goals or put up PPG. As great of a turnaround as the Devils and Avs had last year they ultimately still needed their top guys to perform at elite level to get in by a point or two.

You don't need to have star players to be a competitive team, but you sure as hell wish you had them when you're counting points down the stretch.

I guess they have Price but he can't score timely goals.

So yeah i don't think they're a playoff team until i see it in the 2nd half, but hey at least they're a fun team to watch right now and that's all you can ask for in their situation.

 

[didimentionlarseller]

the Bergevin hot start in full effect - everyone playing out at max effort

when everyone starts getting tired around game 20 it will begin to fall apart

 

[Fledgemyhedge]

More importantly, this is the first time they're playing entertaining hockey since the 2014 playoffs.

 

[Scuba-Steve]

the Bergevin hot start in full effect - everyone playing out at max effort

when everyone starts getting tired around game 20 it will begin to fall apart

Let me guess, Ex-Nords fan?

So the Habs players are the only one giving their 100% every game?

Max effort is what winning teams are giving night in night out. That's why the Habs were so bad last year, there were some important players that did not give a f*** out there.

 

[Michoulicious]

That's the point. Teams when they work hard and work together can beat more talented teams. VGK are perfect reminders of that. And really the Habs were unlucky to not win the season opener. They were the better team that night.

I also think Montreal deserved to win almost all their games this year, even the LA one. Teams seems to have a hard time adapting to their forecheck and they capitalize at a high rate on the turnovers they make happen in the neutral zone... All of that being a product of their superior speed and their hard work, because they are far from the most skilled group. Not sure they are going to make the playoffs (this Atlantic division is strong at the top), but they should certainly be in the mix.

I think Montreal is in a better spot than most think given the quality prospects they have in their pipeline; I don't think their "retool" is going to take that long (a bit like Boston did with a few great picks in the last few years).

 

[sharks9]

Going young and fast is paying off so far for the Habs. Plekanec is our only forward over 30 and on defense you have Rielly, Juulsen, and Mete all making important contributions.

We're now the 2nd-youngest team in the league, only behind Edmonton. There will probably be some really rough patches with such a young roster this year, but for now it's a ton of fun to watch!

 

[ProspectsSTC]

Claude Julien is one of the best coaches in the NHL and his teams will play above their talent level.

But I don't know if they'll be a playoff teams because their team is really bad.

Finally everyone was crapping on the Habs for the Domi trade even though him and Galchenyuk are very similar players and it looks like he might not have awful puck luck this year.

Nah this is Ducharme's work. Identical playstyle to the Canadian world juniors team

 

[Kevs Security]

Maybe I'm too cynical but I'm not convinced yet. Glad to hear optimistic takes but I don't think this team is playoff bound. I'm a Leaf fan but I actually would hate them being a basement team. I hope that Montreal and Toronto could be competitive at the same time in a true O6 spirit.

In one sense a bad season could be good. If it gets Bergevin canned sooner I'm up for it.

 

[didimentionlarseller]

Let me guess, Ex-Nords fan?

So the Habs players are the only one giving their 100% every game?

Max effort is what winning teams are giving night in night out. That's why the Habs were so bad last year, there were some important players that did not give a **** out there.

the other teams don't have as many players out of depth and position like the last several years it's not sustainable by this roster

last year was the exception to the hot start pattern, it's kind of a trademark of the Bergevin years if you've been watching

 

[General Disarray]

So is Bergevin not so bad afterall?

He made a mistake with Subban trade, Price contract, and Alzner signing, but seems to have realized his mistakes? Realized that speed and youth is the future?

 

[Brownies]

the other teams don't have as many players out of depth and position like the last several years it's not sustainable by this roster

last year was the exception to the hot start pattern, it's kind of a trademark of the Bergevin years if you've been watching

It was Michel Therrien’s trademark. The guy knew how to prepare the team... The problem was what to do with the team after.

 

[JianYang]

That's what happen when you get rid of 2 floater playing top line minutes and replace them with fast, hard working players with similar or better skills set
Also de defense went from desastrous to really good in the span of a year. The addition of Reilly, Mete and Juulsen are making a huge difference.
Add to that a healthy Price and there ya go.
If they play the way they are right now for .. lets say 75% of the games , they could certainly be a playoff team.
People needs to understand that there is not just one way to build a good team.
If you have the chance to have players like Matthews, Crosby, Ovie etc on your roster then yeah these guys will more than likely be the reason you succeed, but you can also have a good team built with depht, character, speed and good chemistry.

The defense has been addition by subtraction by scratching Alzner for 5/6 games. He's been awful as a hab

Juulsen has a strong plus minus, but I don't think he's been great. He's been okay, and definitely better than alzner.

Mete has been okay as well.

Benn for some reason has picked up his game again, and it's almost reminsicent of that stretch where he just got traded to Montreal.

Petry has been okay as well. He still has room to be better.

The real revelation on defense has been Mike Reilly . He's playing the big minutes and taken a real step up so far.

 

[InglewoodJack]

They were always gonna be a bubble team if price performs well, and now we're seeing some new players step it up in surprising ways, which is really exciting to see.

 

[Mike Mike Caron]

Habs are solid everywhere except for the centerline. They will slow down at some point because of it.

 

[torniojaws]

Sure, but who's going to be their Karlsson& Marchesault?

Tatar and Gallagher seem to have potential, and next season Kotkaniemi might surprise people.

 

[Sens]

Julien is a good coach...

 

[bert]

Montreal nor Ottawa are going anywhere. But their success so far this season only helps Detroit so I'm all for it.

Atleast their young players look promising and are making their teams competitive. Cant say the same in Detroit right now.

 

[bert]

They will be in the bottom 10 for sure. They don't have any game-breaking talent on that roster. And no, Drouin and his career best of 53 points is not a game-breaking talent.

It just always seems like its a leaf fan that comes stomping down on everything Montreal, Ottawa, Buffalo. Why? Your team is terrific, are you insecure?

 

[bert]

Julien is a good coach...

Ducharme is a good coach. The system they are playing is clearly his. They arent playing Claude Julien hockey.

 

[DatSnipeMatthews]

It just always seems like its a leaf fan that comes stomping down on everything Montreal, Ottawa, Buffalo. Why? Your team is terrific, are you insecure?

I don't care about any of those teams.

Fact #1 - Montreal will likely be bottom 10 this year. Fact #2 Montreal does not have any game breaking talent (unless we count Price's play from a few years ago). Fact #3 Drouin is not a game breaking talent. Most reasonable hockey fans would agree with all of these statements.

 

[Captain Mountain]

I don't care about any of those teams.

Fact #1 - Montreal will likely be bottom 10 this year. Fact #2 Montreal does not have any game breaking talent (unless we count Price's play from a few years ago). Fact #3 Drouin is not a game breaking talent. Most reasonable hockey fans would agree with all of these statements.

I'm not sure your use of "Fact" has the effect you seem to think it does.

 

[DatSnipeMatthews]

I'm not sure your use of "Fact" has the effect you seem to think it does.

What part don't you agree with so I can make a poll.

 

[Seb]

More importantly, this is the first time they're playing entertaining hockey since the 2014 playoffs.

I would say since Jacques Martin was hired