What we've learned about the Canadiens through 9 games

The Canadiens have enjoyed a largely successful (and definitely eventful) first two-plus weeks of the season. Montreal owns a 6-3-0 record ahead of a Saturday night road game against the Canucks. The season's young, so things will change, but here's what we've thus far learned about the 2025-26 Habs.

Balanced first line is humming

If Montreal is going to graduate from feel-good wild-card team to legitimate Atlantic Division threat, it must see growth from most players on the roster.

Yet only a handful have an outsized impact on results. At forward, everything's downstream from budding superstar Ivan Demidov and the three first-liners.

It's hard to overstate the importance of captain and No. 1 center Nick Suzuki, premier sniper Cole Caufield, and skilled power forward Juraj Slafkovsky - individually and as a unit. The Habs need dominance from their top trio.

The early returns are promising, with the Suzuki line outscoring the opposition 7-2 in 108 five-on-five minutes. The trio's expected goals rate has improved significantly in a small sample (66% versus 50% in 2024-25), which suggests the lopsided results were well-earned. Their differing styles blend so smoothly, and each guy has a defined role. Suzuki drives two-way play, Caufield creates and shoots, and Slafkovsky fills in gaps as the commanding connective piece.

Most encouragingly, the Suzuki-Caufield duo has risen to the occasion twice already. Caufield scored the overtime winner (Suzuki snagged an assist) against Seattle last Tuesday. Two days later, Caufield delivered the tying goal in the third period and another in OT (with a beautiful assist from Suzuki on the latter) to beat Nashville.

Caufield's on pace for 64 goals. This could very well be his first 40-goal year.

Entire offensive attack is on tilt

The Canadiens' attack was potent last season. It could be lethal this year.

For starters, the club's goals per game average has jumped from 3.0 to 3.6.

Montreal had generated 17.7 quality scoring chances per game - fifth most in the NHL - entering Friday, according to Sportlogiq. (Last season, it recorded 14.3 quality chances per game for a middling rank of 19th.)

The spike in chances can be attributed at least partly to an emphasis on pushing the pace. The Habs trail only Carolina in chances generated off the rush, and oftentimes it's a defenseman forcibly moving the puck north. Lane Hutson and Mike Matheson have already completed 22 stretch passes each.

The Martin St. Louis-coached squad has so far done a marvelous job maintaining possession of the puck after gaining the blue line and prioritizing high-danger areas. On a per-game basis, Montreal ranks second in the league in offensive-zone possession time and ninth in inner-slot shots; in 2024-25, it was 14th in O-zone possession and a shocking 30th in inner-slot shots.

Two forwards deserve a shoutout here: 19-year-old winger Demidov for his patient and precise playmaking off the rush and 22-year-old winger Zack Bolduc for his skill and smarts in prime scoring areas. Montreal, the youngest team in the league, is filled with players who are just scratching the surface.

... and now for the cold water

The Canadiens seem more dedicated to the defensive side of the puck this season. Some of it is probably related to the young core growing up, some of it is probably tied to tactical changes, and some of it is probably roster turnover.

In other words, making gains on defense is nice but was to be expected.

OK, now to pour a bit of cold water on the hot start ...

The quality of Montreal's opponents has been fairly low, with Detroit, Chicago, Seattle, Nashville, Buffalo, and Calgary comprising two-thirds of the early schedule. Each game against playoff-caliber competition - Maple Leafs, Rangers, Oilers - has ended in a loss, though, to be fair, two of them were close.

The talent-rich power play (tied for 22nd in the league) and well-equipped penalty kill (18th) have been underwhelming, while goalies Sam Montembeault and Jakub Dobes have combined for a below-average save percentage (.888).

I'd consider special teams and goaltending yellow flags since the early rankings don't align with what those units/goalies have previously shown.

As for a red flag: Thanks to poor second and third periods, the Habs have been involved in six one-goal games. They're 4-2-0 in those contests, and there's been no shortage of entertaining moments. But scraping by on thrilling wins is not a sustainable brand of hockey. Montreal needs to put teams away.

John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter/X (@MatiszJohn) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).

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