Carey Price and P.K. Subban are top-three at their positions, giving the Montreal Canadiens two key ingredients of a Stanley Cup contender. Having finished fourth overall last year, and briefly fighting their way to the top of the Atlantic division standings, some fans are making the Habs their early dark horse pick. Is that justified?
The short answer is no, it is not. The longer answer is that the Canadiens have most of what it takes to be considered a legitimate contender, including a great top defensive pairing, good special teams, a well-rounded offense and a great goaltender. What they still need is stronger depth on the blue line, and a return to the type of possession-based play that made them so successful last year.
The Habs were generally viewed as a top-10 team this year, including through the lens of hockey analytics, where they were predicted to finish seventh. But despite a recent 11-1-2 stretch that catapulted them to the top of the Atlantic division (albeit briefly), they're currently 12th in the NHL in terms of winning percentage.
Fantastic special teams, which are ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Rob Vollman
Are the Montreal Canadiens a Legit Stanley Cup Threat?
December 14th, 2013 by Rob Vollman Leave a reply »
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