The Montreal Canadiens are turning heads this season with an offensive resurgence that has fans buzzing. The rebuild is in full swing, and the results are already showing on the ice.
In their recent matchup, rookie sensation Ivan Demidov added a goal and an assist to his tally, bringing his season total to an impressive 51 points. He joins Nick Suzuki, Lane Hutson, Cole Caufield, and Juraj Slafkovsky as the fifth player on the team to hit the 50-point mark this season.
The Habs have racked up 226 goals so far, with 18 games still to play. Last season, they managed 243 goals over 82 games, but with an average of 3.53 goals per game this year, they’re on pace to reach 289 goals-a significant 47-goal improvement.
While last season saw the Tampa Bay Lightning leading the league with 292 goals, this year, the Colorado Avalanche are projected to hit 311, with the Edmonton Oilers aiming for 290. Yet, the Canadiens’ leap from 17th to 4th in goal-scoring is remarkable.
This offensive boost is largely thanks to the influx of young talent over recent years. The arrivals of Caufield, Slafkovsky, Hutson, and Demidov are paying off, setting the stage for continued success as more young players step up.
Noah Dobson is also on track to hit 54 points, potentially giving the Canadiens six players with at least 50 points this season. That’s a leap from previous years, where they had fewer players reaching that milestone. Injuries have played a role in past seasons, but this year’s health and depth are making a difference.
The last time the Canadiens had five players with 50 points was in the 2018-19 season. The last time they had at least six was way back in 2007-08-a standout year for the franchise.
For Canadiens fans, this offensive revival is a welcome sight. The team’s general manager, Kent Hughes, has been instrumental in this transformation, and the future looks bright as the team aims to recapture its former glory.