HabsWorld.net -- 

In the second quarter, the Canadiens remained remarkably consistent compared to their first quarter with one fewer loss and a record of 11-6-3 including two overtime wins. They avoided any major losing streaks, never going more than two games between wins. This is critical in the Atlantic Division as only 10 points separate the top seven teams and any major losing streak can quickly see the team fall in the standings. The team has spent a number of days leading the division which, considering the injuries and goaltending struggles, is a very good achievement thus far in the year. With recent acquisitions (Alexandre Texier, Phillip Danault), improved goaltending performance, and the return of injured players, the team is setting itself up for a strong second half.  The strong showing resulted in some strong grades from our writers.

Players must have played in at least five games to receive a grade.

Forwards

Juraj Slafkovsky: Writer Vote Average 9.7

What a remarkable change from Juraj Slafkovsky. Almost immediately once he was moved to Oliver Kapanen’s line, Slafkovsky started to take control of the ice. He seemed to have figured out that the other team can’t take the puck from him as he imposes his will on the ice team. He now takes extra time with the puck and makes perfect passes to his linemates for easy goals. He played at a point-per-game pace in the second quarter, doubling his point production from the first quarter. Without his performance, the team would most certainly not be in a playoff position.

Stats: 20 GP, 8 goals, 12 assists, 20 points, +2 rating, 22 PIMS, 35 shots, 18:29 ATOI

Ivan Demidov: Writer Vote Average 9.0

Demidov continued and even improved upon his play in the first quarter. While he is still a pass-first player, he is shooting more which helps to limit his predictability. Demidov is leading all NHL rookies in scoring and he plays a big role on the second line for the team. The emergence of the second line as a scoring threat is a sorely needed addition to the team.

Stats: 20 GP, 6 goals, 12 assists, 18 points, +2 rating, 10 PIMS, 33 shots, 15:51 ATOI

Nick Suzuki: Writer Vote Average 8.4

For the most part, Suzuki continued his strong play, leading the team in points, playing in all situations, and leading the forwards in time on ice. After Slafkovsky was moved off his line, Suzuki’s line struggled during some games to have an impact. But he remains over a point-per-game pace and recently hit a milestone iron man streak of 500 games. Suzuki remains the leader for the team in all facets of the game.

Stats: 20 GP, 9 goals, 13 assists, 22 points, +4 rating, 4 PIMS, Shots: 45, 21:21 ATOI

Oliver Kapanen: Writer Vote Average 8.1

Kapanen currently leads all NHL rookies in goals. He has put together two very consistent quarters of hockey and has developed great chemistry with Demidov and Slafkovsky. Considering Kapanen is only 22, the team has much to be excited about with the potential that these players could be together for years to come.

Stats: 20 GP, 5 goals, 5 assists, 10 points, even rating, 6 PIMS, 43 shots, 16:24 ATOI

Cole Caufield: Writer Vote Average 8.1

Caufield continues to lead the team in shots and goals and maintains a high shooting percentage. He is on pace to slightly improve upon his points totals from last season. His performance on the man advantage significantly improved in the second quarter and is a big reason the power play is successful.

Stats: 20 GP, 7 goals, 11 assists, 18 points, +1 rating, 0 PIMS, 58 shots, 18:36 ATOI

Alexandre Texier: Writer Vote Average 7.0

Due to injuries, the team signed Texier to a contract partway through the quarter and immediately, he made a positive impact. His highlight-reel goal in the shootout against Toronto started to build momentum. His strong play on the third line continued after that and he has now been promoted to the top line where he had two three-point games back-to-back, both career highs. (Note, these occurred after the quarter end and are not included in his point totals here). Nobody expects this pace to continue, but if the chemistry is right, there’s no doubt that Texier has the skills and smarts to continue to be a solid contributor to the team.

Stats: 19 GP, 3 goals, 5 assists, 8 points, +2 rating, 6 PIMS, 28 shots, 14:07 ATOI

Josh Anderson: Writer Vote Average 6.3

Anderson was at nine goals on the season at the halfway mark and on pace for a strong rebound year for himself personally. He continues to be among the team leaders in hits and has not lost a step in speed. Prior to his injury, he was singlehandedly providing scoring from the bottom of the lineup while being a strong contributor on the penalty kill.

Stats: 19 GP, 4 goals, 1 assist, 5 points, even rating, 24 PIMS, 30 shots, 14:32 ATOI

Samuel Blais: Writer Vote Average 6.1

Blais brings feistiness and energy to the fourth line as he battles for a full-time spot on the team. He plays a simple game to get it down low and drive to the front of the net. He is fearless in his pursuit of the puck and has demonstrated some offensive abilities in very limited ice time. While he won’t be a difference maker in the grand scheme of things, there’s a lot to like about how Blais plays the game.

Stats: 6 GP, 2 goals, 2 assists, 4 points, +3 rating, 2 PIMS, 5 shots, 8:30 ATOI

Zachary Bolduc: Writer Vote Average 5.5

Bolduc is struggling to find his identity. Being promoted to the top line should have been a great opportunity but it only seemed to reveal his hesitations and poor decision-making. Defensive miscues happened too often for Bolduc. In just his second full season in the NHL, Bolduc has great skills and a good future, but he needs more time to establish good habits and adjust to the speed of the game. In recent games, he’s been playing with Phillip Danault and Brendan Gallagher on the third line which seems to be a better fit at this point in time.

Stats: 20 GP, 6 goals, 4 assists, 10 points, -2 rating, 4 PIMS, 28 shots, 14:12 ATOI

Jake Evans: Writer Vote Average 5.9

Evans’ defensive play improved in the second quarter and he continued with a strong performance in faceoffs at 54%. Offensively, the struggles continue as he’s playing at a 24-point pace over 82 games, a mark he won’t come close due to injury. As long as his defensive and penalty killing play remain strong, the team can make this work given the recently developed second-line scoring threat. With Danault added to the roster, it will be interesting to see how Evans’ deployment will change.

Stats: 13 GP, 2 goals, 1 assist, 3 points, -2 rating, 6 PIMS, 10 shots, 14:20 ATOI

Owen Beck: Writer Vote Average 5.9

It’s not often that someone can score their first goal three times in the NHL, but that’s what Owen Beck managed to do. With one goal called back due to offside and another deflecting off someone else, Beck finally managed to seal the deal for good against Pittsburgh with a beautiful top corner shot off the rush. With limited minutes and sheltered deployment, he is just learning the ropes in the NHL. As injured players return, it’ll be good for Beck to get back to Laval and play significant minutes to continue his development.

Stats: 8 GP, 1 goal, 0 assists, 1 point, +5 rating, 4 PIMS, 7 shots, 9:36 ATOI

Brendan Gallagher: Writer Vote Average 5.3

Gallagher continues to bring the effort, which should surprise nobody. But his offensive struggles continue. He’s getting shots and some good quality chances which is positive, but unfortunately, too many of those miss the net, hit the post, or get called back after a coach’s challenge. His shooting percentage at the end of the quarter was a dismal 3%. He has looked better of late, however, playing with Danault. Together, they play great defensively but the team needs Gallagher to step up his offensive contributions as well.

Stats: 20 GP, 1 goal, 3 assists, 4 points, even rating, 8 PIMS, 33 shots, 12:26 ATOI

Joseph Veleno: Writer Vote Average 4.6

Over the quarter, Veleno developed into being much more responsible defensively. Giveaways and high-risk plays are gone and a simpler approach to the game was established with dump-ins and more play along the boards. He still uses his size and speed well and has improved his penalty killing. While not providing much in the way of offence, he is contributing well in other ways.

Stats: 20 GP, 1 goal, 1 assist, 2 points, even rating, 0 PIMS, 21 shots, 12:33 ATOI