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Through the first quarter of the season, the Canadiens were a middle-of-the-road team. Through the first 12 games, they sported a record of 9-3 and were amongst the leaders in the NHL. While this sounds great, the truth is the team had more wins in OT (5) than in regulation (4). Furthermore, the team only played four games against playoff teams from last season. In other words, the team was squeaking by weak opponents. Once they started playing better opponents and overtime luck equalized, their record came back down to earth. Still, a much better start to the season compared to last year and to still be near a playoff spot at this point is a good position for the team.

Some key stats for the team from the end of the first quarter.

• Record: 11-7-3 record (17th overall)
• Powerplay: 22% (10th overall)
• Penalty kill: 76% (25th overall)
• Goals for: 72 (8th overall)
• Goals Against: 76 (28th overall)
• Shooting percentage: 11.8% (1st overall)
• Shots per game: 24 (29th overall)
• Save percentage: .875 (27th overall)

Players must have played in five games to receive a grade. Our writers each voted on a scale of one to ten for a rating for each player; the average rating appears here.

Forwards

Nick Suzuki – Writer Vote Average: 8.9/10

On pace for his best point production season, Suzuki is once again raising the bar on performance. There is no part of his game that is lacking, except for when he plays the full two minutes on the power play – at the end of that shift, he is completely exhausted. I also don’t like that he is playing 0:39 per game on the penalty kill, as this type of assignment should be handled by others. But this just goes to show how weak the team is up the middle.

Stats: 21 GP, 5 goals, 18 assists, 23 points, 11 rating, 4 PIMS, 44 shots, 20:27 ATOI

Cole Caufield – Writer Vote Average: 8.8/10

Caufield led the team in shots and had a very high shooting percentage (22%) which translated into him being among the top NHL goal scorers at the end of the quarter. What makes this year different than others, perhaps, is that Caufield is not just the recipient of Suzuki’s passes, but he’s also creating his own scoring chances. This wasn’t always the case in previous years and it is very encouraging to see him continue to grow and improve. His deployment on the power play is baffling as he is mostly stationed on the goal line which is a curious place to put your best goal scorer. But this is almost certainly a coaching decision and is likely the main reason he only has one power play goal despite playing more than three minutes per game on the man advantage.

Stats: 21 GP, 13 goals, 9 assists, 22 points, 9 rating, 8 PIMS, 59 shots, 18:28 ATOI

Ivan Demidov – Writer Vote Average: 8.1/10

Demidov came into the season with much hype and has not disappointed. Among the top rookie scorers in the league, Demidov plays with poise and patience of someone who is a 10-year veteran. His deceptive moves and quick hands prevent defenders from predicting his moves and create a ton of space for teammates. Highlight reel passing plays between Demidov and Lane Hutson have created a lot to be excited about for fans. It’s tough to remember he’s still just 19 years old in his first season. Demidov needs to shoot more as there are times when he passes too much, but I feel this is being nitpicky at this point given how well he has performed. The future looks bright!

Stats: 21 GP, 4 goals, 13 assists, 16 points, 2 rating, 10 PIMS, 24 shots, 14:30 ATOI

Oliver Kapanen  – Writer Vote Average: 7.9/10

Somewhat surprisingly, Kapanen is getting on the scoresheet with regular consistency and is amongst the leaders in rookie scoring league-wide. Undeniably, he has been the recipient of some great plays by his fellow rookie linemate Demidov and has had some right place/right time opportunities. But the youngster still has to know where to be to make those plays and it appears that his hockey sense and smarts are some of his biggest assets. It’s no wonder head coach Martin St. Louis tells fans Kapanen has a high-powered computer in terms of his hockey sense.

Stats: 21 GP, 7 goals, 4 assists, 11 points, 2 rating, 4 PIMS, 28 shots, 12:55 ATOI

Alex Newhook – Writer Vote Average: 7.4/10

Before the injury, Newhook was on pace for 57 points which would have almost doubled his previous career high. While his 25% shooting rate would likely have regressed, the season looked very promising for the third-year Canadien. Newhook was using his speed to push back defenders and getting quality chances playing with two rookies, while still playing responsibly in his own end.  He was logging 1:50 minutes per game on the penalty kill, taking the load off Suzuki. He was becoming a major asset to the team after struggling to find his place in his first two seasons. His injury couldn’t have come at a worse time for both him and the team. Best wishes for a full and speedy recovery.

Stats: 17 GP, 6 goals, 6 assists, 12 points, 7 rating, 8 PIMS, 24 shots, 14:38 ATOI

Juraj Slafkovsky – Writer Vote Average: 7.4/10

On the plus side, Slafkovsky is doing much better in the early part of the season than in previous years. He is much more engaged, using his body better and making an impact on the game. Unfortunately, he started off slowly on the scoresheet and was on pace for just 39 points on the season at the end of the quarter. For someone getting prime ice time, including the power play, and playing with the team’s best scorers, this result leaves a lot to be desired. Considering this is his first year under his new massive contract, the team needs Slafkovsky to step it up big time. In recent games, Slafkovsky had been playing on the second line with Kapanen and Demidov and performed considerably better. He has taken control of the game at times and been the driver of the line. This is the Slafkovsky the team needs.

Stats: 21 GP, 6 goals, 4 assists, 10 points, 4 rating, 16 PIMS, 46 shots, 17:37 ATOI

Josh Anderson – Writer Vote Average: 6.2/10

Anderson is among the team leaders in hits and is sporting an abnormally high 19% shooting clip while being on pace for 20 goals this season. This would be much-needed secondary scoring but I expect this will drop off as his shooting percentage regresses to his career average of 11%. Aside from that, Anderson is struggling with the rest of his game as the penalty killing success and defensive awareness that brought him much success last season have seemed to elude him so far.

Stats: 21 GP, 5 goals, 3 assists, 8 points, -8 rating, 14 PIMS, 22 shots, 15:00 ATOI

Jake Evans – Writer Vote Average: 5.8/10

Evans is really struggling defensively thus far in the season with a team-worst plus/minus rating at the one-quarter mark.  Offensively, he’s on pace for his career average of 29 points per season so something has gone amiss at the other end of the ice. While fans need to recognize that he’s often playing tough minutes with nearly 30% of his starts in the defensive zone, his Corsi rating was just 36%. The penalty kill has also taken a step back from last season, coming in near the bottom of the league. While Anderson has been a staple on his wing, he’s had a variety of other wingers rotating through which can’t be helping. Finding some consistency and reliability on the defensive side of things will be key for Evans and the team in the remainder of the season.

Stats: 21 GP, 3 goals, 4 assists, 7 points, -11 rating, 12 PIMS, 24 shots, 15:44 ATOI

Kirby Dach – Writer Vote Average: 5.7/10

Who would have guessed that Dach is hurt and will miss significant time? When healthy despite getting the quality minutes, including power play time and top quality linemates (Demidov), Dach never seemed to find his groove and was quickly replaced as the 2C by Kapanen. Sporting an abysmal 42% at faceoffs, and despite being twice his size, Dach nearly had the same number of hits as Cole Caufield. There really wasn’t any part of his game that one could call successful. When Dach returns, he needs to elevate every part of his game. It will be tough to find a place for him long-term as there are just too many other prospects with higher ceilings and more reliability.

Stats: 15 GP, 5 goals, 2 assists, 7 points, -2 rating, 16 PIMS, 22 shots, 14:01 ATOI

Zachary Bolduc – Writer Vote Average: 5.3/10

Bolduc got off to a great start with three goals in his first three games but cooled off with only one in the next 18. As a pleasant surprise, he is leading the team in hits which is much needed on this smaller Habs squad. In the last few games, he had elevated to play on the top line and responded well with six points in five games while bringing strong body positioning and forechecking to the line. It hasn’t been the most consistent debut for Bolduc but fans need to remember he’s just in his second year in the NHL and still adjusting to the NHL, his new team, and the pressure of playing in Montreal as a native Quebecer.

Stats: 21 GP, 4 goals, 3 assists, 7 points, -4 rating, 10 PIMS, 30 shots, 13:50 ATOI

Brendan Gallagher – Writer Vote Average: 5.3/10

Despite seeing his ice time drop and him playing on the fourth line, Gallagher continues to hit the scoresheet and was on pace for 35 points at the end of the quarter. When his abnormally low 2.9% shooting rate balances out to his career average of 9.7%, expect Gallagher to be pushing for 20 goals and 40 points again. He is an outlier in the bottom six as the only player in the bottom six to have a strong Corsi rating (53%) and even plus/minus, with all other regulars sitting in the mid 40% for Corsi and large negatives for plus/minus. Throughout his career, Gallagher’s relentless forecheck has forced turnovers and driven strong possession stats; what he needs is quality linemates to take advantage of his efforts.

Stats: 21 GP, 1 goal, 8 assists, 9 points, 0 rating, 10 PIMS, 34 shots, 13:22 ATOI

Joe Veleno – Writer Vote Average: 3.3/10

With just one point, Veleno didn’t bring much in the way of offence and thus far has been very weak defensively with a very negative plus/minus. It has not been a strong debut for Veleno. But you can’t criticize his efforts or his intensity while on the ice. He’s a strong skater and willing to play physical hockey without taking weak penalties. At only 25 years old, if he can focus on being more reliable on the defensive side of things, there is definitely a role for him on the team in the bottom six. But without a major course correction, Veleno’s stay may be short-lived.

Stats: 16 GP, 1 goal, 0 assist, 1 point, -7 rating, 13 PIMS, 15 shots, 11:38 ATOI