For the first time since 1977-1978, the Montreal Canadiens have started their regular season off with a perfect 4-0-0 record. The interesting part about this start is that it came on a road trip, and winning against the Ottawa Senators and Pittsburgh Penguins are feats that cannot go unnoticed. Unfortunately, it seems like the Penguins are not what they used to be: a top-3 team in the eastern conference year after year.
There are many positives to take away from this road trip. Firstly, the Habs have scored three goals or more per game in order to secure their wins in regulation time. They've taken down three of their Atlantic division rivals in decisive fashion, and have not had to solely rely on Carey Price to steal points in the standings. Strangely, he had a rare ordinary game last night, cheating a little too far to his left when Beau Bennet scored. Tomas Plekanec might've hit the nail on the head when he said that the team needs to prove they're better than just Price. I guess Plekanec (3 goals in 4 games) put his money where his mouth is, after all.
Max Pacioretty is slowly starting to find his form. His skating is starting to pick up velocity and his turning is more fluid with every passing shift. With 4 goals and 6 points in four games played, it's hard to imagine how he'd be performing if he was at 100%. He also scored on the power play, which means the Habs are 2-for-16 on the season. Luckily, the team worked on a few drills prior to the game against Pittsburgh, and it paid off. Oddly enough, Jeff Petry and Nathan Beaulieu were manning the blue line when the goal was scored, as opposed to the customary duo of Andrei Markov and P.K. Subban (4 assist each. +6).
Michel Therrien is rather pleased by the outcome of the road trip. He's demonstrated trust in his players and adjusted his coaching to favor a more offense-oriented style of play, opting to keep his lines intact.
Maintaining consistency on the power play and having players bury their chances (Dale Weise should have 4 goals by now)are some of the corrections that need to be made in order to continue on this path of success. Thankfully, all four lines and three defensive pairings have contributed by showing up to play without taking a single shift off. Only Alexei Emelin, Tom Gilbert and Devante Smith-Pelly have yet to add their names to the score sheet. This speaks loudly of the immense depth the Canadiens' organization has, considering that there isn't a single player on this roster that has played badly thus far. Emelin continues to play the best hockey of his career, Smith-Pelly is flying next to Brian Flynn and Torrey Mitchell, and Gilbert is making smart, veteran plays to help his team break out of their defensive zone.
Slightly more discreet in yesterday's game, the Alex Galchenyuk line was shut down by Sidney Crosby's line starting in the second period. Initially, it was the fourth line's duty to contain them, although head coach Mike Johnston made an in-game adjustment with no fruition. Alexander Semin (2 assists) continues to hesitate when it comes to shooting the puck, often opting for a pass as opposed to using his rocket of a shot. I'm certain his confidence will grow once he nets one in front of the Bell Centre crowd, as those will likely be the loudest cheers he's ever heard in his life. Thankfully, he's back checking a lot and is very responsible defensively. It's just a matter of time before he finds his groove.
Finally, contrary to what the gentlemen on RDS were stating, Tomas Fleischmann has not been bad at all. His positioning has been superb, his speed and vision on point, and netting his first goal in the Bleu Blanc et Rouge must feel like a load off of his shoulders.
The Habs host their Original Six rivals New York Rangers tomorrow night at the Bell Centre. Another test yet awaits Therrien's troops, but their budding confidence and team spirit will shine once again in what's bound to be an excellent, fast-paced hockey game.