The Canadiens have spent much of this season juggling injuries, lineup shuffles and the usual early-year turbulence, yet they still sit near the top of the Eastern Conference at 11-3-3. A big reason is hiding in plain sight.
While the attention has gone to names like Cole Caufield, Lane Hutson and Jacob Fowler, Montreal’s most effective forward trio has been the second line of Zack Bolduc, Phillip Danault and Alexandre Texier. According to MoneyPuck, that group owns a 65.3 percent expected goals rate, the best mark of any Canadiens forward line and good for a top-15 ranking in the NHL. It also tops Montreal’s first line of Suzuki, Caufield and Juraj Slafkovský.
That number stacks up with some heavy hitters around the league, too, sitting above Minnesota’s top line of Matt Boldy, Joel Eriksson Ek and Kirill Kaprizov, and Edmonton’s top unit of Leon Draisaitl, Connor McDavid and Vasily Podkolzin.
What makes the line stand out is how complete it has been. The trio has logged the most minutes of any Habs forward line this season and has been on the ice for only three goals against as a unit. Offensively, they’ve combined for nine goals, with Bolduc leading the way with six.
Danault hasn’t piled up the same scoring totals, but his value shows up everywhere else. He has six points, a plus-four rating overall and a plus-three mark at even strength, giving Montreal the kind of steady two-way center play that keeps things from unraveling.
The line also brings a bite. Bolduc has 26 hits, the third-most on the team, while Texier has 18, which puts him among Montreal’s top six forwards in that category. Texier has also been one of the club’s best at forcing turnovers, ranking second on the team with five takeaways while coughing the puck up less often than many of his teammates.
It has all added up to a second line that has made a real impact without drawing much noise. And even when Demidov and Evans come back, there’s a good chance this group remains a fixture in Montreal’s lineup.
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For Canadiens fans, that leaves the story in a familiar holding pattern. Crosby has not publicly said he wants out of Pittsburgh, and the same reporting suggests Evgeni Malkin also wants to stay put, which makes the Penguins look less like a team on the verge of a shakeup and more like one fielding outside curiosity. Until Crosby changes the conversation himself, the Montreal link remains more rumor than route. [Read more 🡒]
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What stands out for Montreal is not just the finishing touch, but the way Caufield has kept producing even with Nick Suzuki out of the lineup for stretches. For a team that has long leaned on its top duo, that kind of response matters, because it hints at a more independent offensive threat and gives the Canadiens a little more reason to believe their scoring depth is starting to take shape. [Read more 🡒]