Why Are the Canadiens Better Than Anyone Expected?

Almost every season, a team shows up a little ahead of schedule. That team isn’t supposed to be bad—but it’s not supposed to be this good either. This year, the surprise team might just be the Montreal Canadiens.

They’re young enough that you’d expect inconsistency to creep in and drag them down at some point. Still, here they are, sitting near the top of the Atlantic Division and refusing to fade. You can look at the standings and call it a surprise. But if you look a little closer, it starts to make sense.

Three Reasons the Canadiens Are Better than Expected

There are three reasons the Canadiens are better.

Reason One: The Canadiens Won’t Go Away. Ever.

The Canadiens lead the league in comeback wins, and that tells you something deeper than just “they score goals.” It tells you they believe they’re never out of a game. That’s not always a natural trait for a young team. Usually, youth means swings—good nights, bad nights, and a tendency to sag when things turn.

Montreal doesn’t sag much. They fall behind, and they just keep playing. It’s a simple thing, but it wears on opponents. You can’t get comfortable against them. And over 82 games, that kind of persistence quietly stacks points in the standings.

Reason Two: The Canadiens Can Score in Different Ways.

This isn’t a one-line team riding a hot streak. They’re top 10 in goals per game, their power play is clicking, and they even chip in the odd shorthanded goal. That’s a sign of a group that’s starting to understand how to create offence in layers.

They’re really fast, and it shows in how they push the tempo and turn rushes into scoring looks. The thing is, it’s not just running around. They control pucks in the offensive end, spend time down low, and actually generate plays from the slot and high slot instead of forcing everything wide.

That balance matters. It means when one part of their game cools off, another can pick it up.