The Canadiens are off to a fantastic start this season. They’re 4-1-2 to start the year and are matching strides with every team they’ve played against. While they’ve gotten scoring from all over their lineup, their top line of Brendan Gallagher, Phillip Danault, and Tomas Tatar has been a possession monster night in and night out.
Against the Senators on Saturday night, they were once again the most dominant line the Canadiens had. The trio posted the top Corsi For numbers of any forwards on the team. Gallagher led with an 80% CF which was best on either side by a wide margin, Danault finished at 70%, and Tatar at 68.97%. The trio also led in shots for, and scoring chances for, and were rewarded when Danault tallied his first goal of the year during the game.
This isn’t a new trend either; this line has been rolling over teams at even strength since the start of the year, and it’s not showing any signs of slowing down. In the seven games they’ve played together, they have a 67.11% CF, six goals for and only one against, 16 high danger scoring chances (nine against), and six high dangers goals for with none against. That’s not just good, that’s bordering on being a top group in the NHL.
They don’t have the same star power as Auston Matthews, or Sidney Crosby, but that suits Brendan Gallagher and the rest of his teammates just fine. He has made a career out of being the unheralded workhorse every night for the Canadiens, and Danault has quietly become a great option for the team as well. Adding in Tomas Tatar, who is playing with a massive chip on his shoulder, has given the line that extra drive it needs this year and it shows.
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Claude Julien has found a great gift this year with his top line, something he struggled to do last year, and for the time being it should be the only group that stays untouched for the Canadiens.
