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Hotstove: Are the Montreal Canadiens for real? |
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Follow me on Twitter @ToddCordell
The Montreal Canadiens are off to another hot start this season winning five of their first six games and collecting a point in each. In this edition of the hotstove we discuss if the Canadiens are for real (aka a team that could win their division and contend for the Stanley Cup) or not.
Todd Cordell
I don't think they're close to as good as their record suggests.
They are shooting ~11% at 5 v 5, which is unsustainably high. Their goaltenders are stopping almost .960% of the shots they face, which is also unsustainably high. Then there's the fact the Habs are controlling just 45% of the scoring chances at 5 v 5. For comparison sake Buffalo, an already bad team missing Jack Eichel and Evander Kane, is controlling 44% of the scoring chances.
As good as Carey Price is the Habs aren't going to routinely win games when being out chanced. They may be a playoff team but they're not one that will contend for the division title.
James Tanner
The Canadiens are not for real.
I think we generally read way too much into early season wins streaks. The Habs aren't terrible by any means, but they likely are a team closer to fighting for Wild Card than winning their division.
Then again, their division is not so good. I couldn't see them getting into the top three in any other division , the Atlantic, maybe.
Peter Tessier
They are as real as six games can tell you. We have some indications that there is reason to believe but do we have enough? The Canadiens are 10th in Corsi in the league so they are doing something right with possession but let's look closer.
They are not shooting at some wildly high percentage either nor are they stopping pucks above the norm. They have had a relatively easier schedule when playing teams with stronger possession. There most notably win was the 4-0 blanking of Pittsburgh and then a win over the barely in positive territory Flyers. Arizona, Ottawa, Buffalo and Boston are lesser teams.
Give me another 6 games like this against better competition and I might consider Bergevin knows a bit more than he's letting on.
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