Tsea nasty guy who always finds a reason to complain. The one who never puts down the cornet, who doesn't stomp his foot while listening to Boney M., who has never sung karaoke… I'll be a little like this guy in this column.
Because you have to be grumpy not to get carried away by the Canadian or admit that the team is playing very well.
A month later, the team takes first place in the overall ranking, sharing five clubs. This is not that uncommon. This happened in 2015 and 2016. In the first year, CH failed to make the playoffs, and in the second they lost in the first round to Rangers, finishing first in their group.
But they weren't much of an exciting defensive-minded team, with Carey dominating and Weber making sure no one stood on the floor.
In attack, Paul Byron was the second highest scorer. Only two players scored more than 50 points.
Big positive
There, Nick Suzuki is the league's fourth leading scorer. Caufield is the leading scorer. Demidov is the most productive newcomer. Lane Hutson is the second-leading defenseman. Even Jakub Dobes is among the elite among goalkeepers.
According to a number of statistics, the Canadian made a giant leap and established himself in the top third of the league. Be it goals scored, losses committed in the defensive zone or, in particular, a numerical advantage.
That being said, we still have to wonder if the Canadian is in first place. After all, it could have been. Last year, I was the first to point out that this team wasn't strong enough to make the playoffs, and I was completely wrong.
But is CH currently outperforming its competitors? This can be known, not by impressions or observations. This is established by the data. With advanced statistics.
And you might think that advanced statistics don't tell the whole story. But considering how much this is becoming the basis of strategy development in the NHL, I think it's more than relevant.
At least positive
Given the scoring opportunities for or against CH, Montreal should cut their deficit by seven goals. For 11 games, that's huge. That would put the Canadian a fair distance from the top. This means that CH is an opportunistic organization and that it does not have many opponents. It's great, but it's never forever.
I'm always interested in this statistic because it often explains some of the anomalies in the NHL standings. These stats put the Blackhawks, Jets, Penguins and Mammoth ahead of CH. All these teams are amazing.
The Panthers and Lightning are among the worst, which explains their slow start to the season and the fact that luck may be on the right side. In other words, their performances should have brought them more wins, and the Canadians should have lost more often.
Getty Images via AFP
Another statistic that shows the Canadian may be scoring more than he should is that 14% of his shots on goal end up in the back of the net. This is an abnormally high figure. Only the Penguins are more opportunistic. The league average is 10%.
Negative
Nice to see the defense. He controls the puck. He makes good decisions. But she'll have to do a little SheWeberdiz or even HalGillis herself.
Montreal in the top tene a team that provides the most quality moments. They are also the club that allows the most rebounds. In other words, defenders will have to do a better job of clearing the front of the net.
Finally, Montreal is the fourth team to take the most hits. Some will say you need more sandpaper. I rather believe this indicates that CH has control of the puck and is moving. Each year, the teams that suffer the most losses often end up at the top of the standings.
In short, yes, the Canadian is playing a little over his head and will not be able to strive to keep the same rhythm while playing the same way.
–Via the advanced statistics site MoneyPuck
