After a torrid start that no team could realistically sustain, the Montreal Canadiens slumped for much of the past month before a resurgence right before the Holiday Break. The Habs won five out of six games to forge a tie for the top spot in the Atlantic Division with the Tampa Bay Lightning. While Montreal reignited their season the Lightning, Detroit Red Wings, and Toronto Maple Leafs were all cooling off. The pesky Florida Panthers were in the race and just two points out of the final Eastern Conference playoff spot. It all added up to a great looking race that should go down to the season’s final night in April.
Hot Habs Price of Success
Montreal boasts the NHL’s sixth ranked unit for goals against as D PK Subban cleaned up his play with a +7 along with eight goals and 15 assists. Goalie Carey Price is again proving to be in elite status with a .926 save percentage on the season and an outstanding .934 mark for December. Left Wing Max Pacioretty was on a tear with a team high 27 points on 13 goals and 14 assists.
Few Bolts of Lightning
Tampa Bay cooled off considerably heading into the break with just three wins in their final nine games. The Lightning were still a dangerous offensive club ranking second in the NHL for goal scoring. Center Steven Stamkos remains a top shelf NHL lamp-lighter with a team high 19 goals to go with 17 assists. The Ryan Callahan acquisition looks better by the day as the heart and soul former Ranger captain had 11 goals and 16 assists. Second-year center Tyler Johnson was Tampa Bay’s leading scorer with 13 goals and 24 assists for a sensation start. Ben Bishop‘s December slump is ultimately what hurt the Bolts as his save percentage for the month was a subpar .896 in an era where .920 is needed. For fans that like a style of hockey that is up tempo, skill oriented, and just plain exciting, the Bolts are appointment television.
Wings in the Red as Leafs Fall
Detroit lost six out of their last seven games before the break as the lamp went unlit. The Red Wings scored one goal or less in five of those six losses.
As we mentioned here last week the Leafs lack of defense made their ability to sustain success unlikely. Toronto lost three out of their last four games before the break and ranked 24th in the NHL for goals against.
