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The Montreal Canadiens continue to be the only team without a regulation loss in the National Hockey League as they defeated the struggling Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday night by a score of 3-0. They sit atop of the overall standings with 19 points, four away from the second-best Edmonton Oilers and five points clear of the Eastern Conference’s number two team the New York Rangers. Their +20 goal differential is the best across the league, and for the first time in the NHL’s most storied franchise’s history, the Habs are off to a 9-0-1 start while collecting 19 out of a possible 20 points.
Their eighth consecutive win was not a pretty one, and head coach Michel Therrien’s troops have Carey Price to thank for what could be labeled as an undeserved win. He held down the fort en route to a 42-save first-star performance against a hungry Canucks team that fired everything it could at the Habs' goalie. Most notably, Price kept his team in the game when nearly halfway through regulation play, his team was being outshot by a whopping 24-3 margin. He stopped everything in spectacular fashion and earned himself his 37th career shutout, while improving his regular season stats to 6-0-0 with a 1.17 goals against average and .964 save percentage.
He is 19-2-1 amongst goaltenders with at least 20 starts (including at the World Cup of Hockey), and appears to be playing well above his 2014-2015 Vezina- and Hart-winning campaign.
Since April 1st, 2015 Carey Price is 19-2-1, the best winning pct (.886) among Goaltenders with at least 20 starts.
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) November 3, 2016
Canadiens now 9-0-1. pic.twitter.com/3OyQHqZGxi
Nathan Beaulieu, Torrey Mitchell and Alexander Radulov were the goal scorers of the evening, while Brendan Gallagher and Alex Galchenyuk each had a two-point night with a pair of helpers. Despite an uninspired performance by a Habs team that did not look adequately prepared to play in light of a three-day break, this victory is proof that good teams find ways to win, regardless of the adversity.
Many will begin to theorize that Price is once again masking all of the team’s shortcomings, and that cautious optimism is imperative moving forward. Evidently, last season’s disastrous meltdown has understandably left a bad taste in most fans’ mouths, though there are major differences with the 2016-2017 edition of the Montreal Canadiens.
It is quite telling that a team that was being heavily outplayed and dominated managed to turn it all around and sustain a high level of energy when it mattered the most. The leadership issues that everyone talked about last season are gone, and every single player is on board with the game plan. From top to bottom, this is a club that is undivided and also collectively pulling in the same direction. The instant chemistry that has developed amongst all of the players should have Habs fans aching for an all-but-guaranteed postseason appearance this year, where anything can happen.
Thus, there's no need for cautious optimism; Habs fans deserve to watch their team win consistently after witnessing an unbearable 2015-2016 season.
Feel free to be optimistic, because there's quite a lot to like about the Canadiens through 10 games.
Finally, the Montreal Canadiens have proceeded to recall forward Daniel Carr and defenseman Joel Hanley from the AHL’s St. John’s IceCaps:
Canadiens have recalled forward Daniel Carr and defenseman Joel Hanley from the AHL St. John's IceCaps tonight.
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) November 3, 2016