The Montreal Canadiens’ powerplay has been underwhelming for as long as some fans can remember. With that said, the team has often made up for that in the penalty-killing department.
These days, though, those stats look like they’ve been inverted. And while Montreal seems to be finding their groove when they have an extra skater, the same cannot be said when they’re shorthanded.
According to data from StatMuse, with 10 goals against, the Canadiens are currently tied with the Carolina Hurricanes and Anaheim Ducks for allowing the most goals from opposing powerplays this season.
And at an efficacy rate of just 75.6%, the Habs find themselves in the 20th spot on the league’s penalty-killing leaderboard.
Part of their struggles on the PK stem from them arguably being the least disciplined team in the league. For those who may doubt that claim, the numbers don’t lie.
With an average of 17.88 penalty minutes per game, the Canadiens are logging more time in the box on a given night than any other team in the NHL, which is likely causing their penalty-killing unit to be overworked and give up more goals than it should.
The Arizona Coyotes are a close second with 17.29, while the Toronto Maple Leafs are at the complete other end of the spectrum, averaging just 9.13 minutes.
Stat Muse
Not only are the Canadiens averaging more penalties than any other team, but they also lead the NHL in total penalty minutes this season, despite playing one less game than many teams across the league.
As of now, they have accumulated a total of 143 penalty minutes. The Carolina Hurricanes are a distant second in this case with 136 on the year so far.
Unsurprisingly, Canadiens blueliner Arber Xhekaj is tied with Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk for the most penalty minutes at 34. But to be fair, he’s only put the team shorthanded for 14 of those minutes, logging two five-minute fighting majors and a 10-minute misconduct.
Stat Muse
Pair Montreal’s lack of discipline with the recent loss of David Savard and the fact they have one of the youngest, least experienced defensive cores in the NHL, and there’s the potential of special teams units costing them games down the line.
Luckily, their power play, which is firing at a respectable 22.6% these days, is helping to balance things out.
And special teams aside, Montreal’s five-on-five play has been solid, allowing them to start the ninth game of the year with a respectable record of 5-2-1.