The Montreal Canadiens face the New York Rangers on Saturday. Win or lose, November could be considered a statistical success.
Martin St-Louis became head coach of the Montreal Canadiens on Feb. 9, 2022. In June of that year, he'd have the interim title removed and given a three-year contract for a 14-19-4 finish in 37 games.
That fall, to begin his first NHL campaign as head coach, the Canadiens went 5-4-0 in October, finishing the month with the same goals against as scored, 27-27.
The following month, Montreal went 6-6-1 while producing a goal differential of minus-12 at 38-50. Their special teams scored no shorthanded goals and were 7-for-40 on the man advantage, good enough for a 17.5% success rate.
Ultimately, the Canadiens finished eighth in the Atlantic Division with a 31-45-6 record (68 points), scoring the 26th most goals in the league and surrendering the 29th most. Meanwhile, their power play also ranked 29th.
Last season, Montreal was 5-2-2 in October, with a better goal differential of just minus-2 (28-30). Their special teams were on fire, with seven power-play goals (35 attempts) and two shorthanded lamplighters.
However, the bottom fell out in November 2023, when the Canadiens produced a 5-9-0 record, an ugly minus-16 goal differential (36-52), and scored no shorthanded goals but was 7-for-49 on the power play.
In the end, Montreal was back at the bottom of the division with a 30-36-16 record (76 points), scoring the 26th-most goals and giving up the 28th-most. Their power play numbers slightly improved to 27th.
This year, October wasn't pretty, with the Canadiens securing a 4-6-1 record and a goal differential of minus-15 (32-47). However, they scored nine power play goals on 41 attempts (21.9%) while failing to score shorthanded.
Montreal has a chance to right some past wrongs and finish November positively, heading into their Nov. 30 contest with the slumping New York Rangers.
Thus far, in 11 games, the team is 4-5-2 with a goal differential of just minus-6, 30-36. Moreover, with one more power-play goal, they'd have eight for the month, surpassing previous totals under a St. Louis-led team in November.
Their special teams units are rolling at 22.5% on the man advantage, while their monthly penalty kill is at 84.8% with a shorthanded goal on the scoresheet.
They say never count your chickens before they hatch, but in a season with so many ups and downs, it's about time someone shines a light on the positives that have occurred in November for a team still stuck in the Atlantic Division basement.
Win or lose against New York, Montreal has proven that they are progressing. Some may say it's too slow, while others may say it's right on par.
