Sports. Honestly. Since 2011

The Montreal Canadiens' Magic Number

After the final horn sounded and the Montreal Canadiens celebrated their 5th consecutive win, defeating the Philadelphia Flyers by a score of 6-3, the number 3 popped up in quite a few interesting stats.

Michel Therrien’s 300th win

At the age of 37, Therrien got his first shot at being a head coach in the National Hockey League with the Montreal Canadiens, after the Alain Vigneault project had failed, taking over the team mid-way through the 2000-01 season. Therrien managed to turn the team around the following season, improving their overall record by 16 points and beating the top-seeded Boston Bruins in the first round of the playoffs. The following year, Therrien would be fired by the organization after posting a sub par 18-19-5-4 record, concluding his coaching run with the Canadiens at 77-77-37.

Three years later, Therrien would get the call from Pittsburgh to become the new head coach of the Penguins. After a first round exit in his first full season with the team, Therrien came close to touching Lord Stanley’s Cup the following year, coming two wins short. The Penguins were Eastern Conference Champions and poised to be favorites to win it all the next season. They did…although without the services of Michel Therrien, who was fired 57 games into the season and replaced by Dan Bylsma.

After going three seasons without a job, newly appointed general manager of the Canadiens, Marc Bergevin, hired Therrien back to the team, much to the dismay of a good chunk of the Habs fanbase. In his first year back with the team, Therrien coached the Canadiens to the top of the Northeast Division, just one season removed from their last place finish. After losing to the Ottawa Senators in five games in the first round of the playoffs, Therrien came back strong in leading his team to the Eastern Conference finals, eventually losing to the New York Rangers in six games.

With the win on Saturday, the Montreal Canadiens are 13-4-1, good for 27 points and the top of the ladder of the NHL standings. An excellent start to Therrien’s third year with the team.

Dale Weise Does it Again

When the Canadiens landed Dale Weise in a trade that sent defenseman Raphael Diaz to the Vancouver Canucks, most thought nothing of it. In three seasons with the Canucks, Weise failed to impress the coaching staff, meanwhile Diaz also found himself losing his position on the defensive depth chart in his third season with the Canadiens. In hindsight, an energy player for a struggling defenseman. It was one of those deals that, on the surface, wasn’t typically a win nor a loss for either team. That was, until the playoffs.

Showcasing his speed and heart of a lion, Weise put up three goals and four assists for a total of seven points in the playoffs, playing a big part in the Canadiens triumphant series win over the Boston Bruins in the second round. Becoming a fan favorite, Weise had accomplished what he couldn’t do in Vancouver by gaining the confidence of his superiors in Montreal.

This season, Weise has three goals. Scoring all three in the last two games, Weise earned the first start against the Bruins on Thursday night, while earning the third star on Saturday night against the Flyers.

Alex Galchenyuk Comes Up Big

Some wondered when Galchenyuk would break out as a top offensive player with the Canadiens. How fitting to this article is it that it’s this year, his third season with the Habs. Putting up 12 points in 18 games this season, Galchenyuk added three assists on Saturday against the Flyers, showcasing his vision and hockey IQ as he set up three beautiful plays, having a say in half of the team’s production.

Selected 3rd overall by the Canadiens in 2012, behind former Sarnia Sting teammate Nail Yakupov (Edmonton) and defenseman Ryan Murray (Columbus), Galchenyuk made his way through the ranks in quick fashion, demonstrating his skill set with the puck. In three seasons with the Sarnia Sting, Galchenyuk posted 58 goals and 86 assists for 144 points in 103, although only playing two games in his second season with the club before going down to a season-ending knee injury — his draft year.

The Canadiens will hope for his offensive production to remain consistent over the course of this season and leak into the playoffs where he has, get ready, a career total of three goals and three assists.

The Rise of the Power Play

When the Habs went 3 for 43 in their first 16 games of the season, GM Bergevin made the necessary changes to improve the team by trading Travis Moen to the Dallas Stars for veteran defenseman Sergei Gonchar. With reports coming out that the 40-year-old was done, figuratively speaking, Therrien had other plans by placing him on the first wave of the powerplay, alongside Andrei Markov.

In just the second game with the new club, the team’s first three goals against the Flyers all came on the powerplay. What’s even more amazing is that in the first 16 games of the year, sans Gonchar, the team was only able to muster up three goals while on the man advantage. In just two games with Gonchar in the line-up, the Habs have scored more goals on the powerplay than without him.

On that note, Gonchar played just three games with the Stars before coming to Montreal, and after five games with both the Stars and the Canadiens this season, Gonchar has posted three assists, one with Dallas and two with Montreal.

While having fun with numbers is a simple way to pass the time, it’s hard not to be thrilled by the Canadiens 13-4-1 record this season. Aside from a few lop-sided losses to the Tampa Bay Lightning (7-1), Chicago Blackhawks (5-0) and Calgary Flames (6-2) where they scored just three goals in those three games, the Habs have been able to battle back from first period deficits. When they score first, they are money, winning every game they take the lead in. Coming into the game against the Flyers, the defense had tightened up, allowing just three goals in the previous four games. Their face-off percentage, which was troublesome last year? That’s at a league-best 55.2%.

With the all of the changes in the off-season, it’s becoming clear that the right ones were made. P.A. Parenteau has been an effective player on the wing, Jiri Sekac continues to impress game after game and Manny Malhotra is an absolute monster in the face-off dot. It’s still young into the season, and things can change at the drop of a dime, but for now, Habs fans can enjoy the early season magic of the Montreal Canadiens.

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