Its been anything but a walk-in-the-park to get to this point, yet here we stand: the Montreal Canadiens have opened the 2016-17 season having claimed five of a possible six points thus far.
Despite being out-shot in all three games they’ve played, the Habs have emerged almost entirely unscathed, and now, with the Arizona Coyotes in town, they have an opportunity to turn their play around and start winning in more convincing fashion.
Of course, it sounds querulous to talk about turning things around when the team remains undefeated in regulation and boasts the best goal differential in the entire league. And what could be more convincing than a 4-0 rout of the defending Stanley Cup champions?
Undoubtedly the Habs have shown that they are capable of being a dominant team, but they seem to still be doing so in spite of themselves. Still they rely too heavily on goaltending, with Al Montoya sitting atop the league in save percentage as we await the return of Carey Price, who will be expected to take that spot in due time himself.
The home opener against Pittsburgh was an impressive start, that much is for sure. However, there clearly remains work to be done as puck possession remains an issue. A slew of players — Max Pacioretty and Shea Weber included — took steps forward on Tuesday, and if that trend continues tonight it will certainly bode well for the Canadiens.
How to Watch
Start Time: 7:30 PM EDT / 4:30 PDT
In the Canadiens region: RDS (French)
National: Sportsnet 360
Stream: NHL GameCentre Live, Sportsnet Now
Standing in their way are the youthful Arizona Coyotes, who are coming off a demeaning loss to the Ottawa Senators in which they gave up no fewer than seven goals, four of which came after starting goaltender Mike Smith was injured in the third period.
The injury thrusts Quebec-native Louis Domingue back into the fold. He performed admirably in his 39 games last season, but is obviously not the ideal solution for the Coyotes.
One of the most exciting offences in the league last season was that of the Coyotes, thanks largely in part to the play of a couple of rookies, namely Max Domi and Anthony Duclair. The duo returns this season, and though through two games they have combined for just one sole point, the potential is obviously there for a breakthrough.
Defensively, the Coyotes have one of the best young defencemen in the league in Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who is joined by veteran Alex Goligoski. With 18-year-old Jakob Chychrun exciting fans in Arizona the way Mikhail Sergachev has in Montreal, the blue line is set to become a source of considerable offence on the Coyotes roster and is something the Canadiens must respect should they hope to find two points this evening.
