Are the 6-0 Montreal Canadiens for real?

Entering the 2015-16 season, the experts picked the Montreal Canadiens to make the playoffs, but there weren’t many who thought of them as the best in the Atlantic Division, let alone the Eastern Conference. We sit here on Oct. 19 and the Canadiens are the NHL’s only unbeaten team at 6-0.

NHL columnist Kevin Allen and editor Jimmy Hascup discuss and debate their fast start.

HASCUP: The Canadiens have a storied history, and this is the first time they’ve started 6-0. They have scored 20 goals and allowed seven. Carey Price looks more unbeatable than last season: 5-0-0 with a 1.20 goals-against average and .957 save percentage. Eleven different players have goals, with veteran Tomas Plekanec leading the way with five. Sure, it’s a small sample size, but is it time for us to believe in the Canadiens as one of the best teams in the NHL?

ALLEN: I believe they are a Stanley Cup contender, but I'm not ready yet to make them the favorite. I need to see their offense continue to play at this level for a longer period. We know how talented Price is and we know where Montreal's defensive game is at. But after Plekanec and Max Pacioretty, the Canadiens' offensive game still feels like a work in progress. Can't we see how they look after 20 games before we plan the Stanley Cup parade?

HASCUP: I certainly agree with that. I'm not totally sold yet, either. This was a team that relied too much on Price last season. Per war-on-ice.com, they were 23rd in possession, 48.5%. Their PDO (a sum of shooting percentage plus save percentage at five-on-five) was 101.6, meaning they were somewhat lucky to be where they were at. That being said, the very early returns on this season have been much better. Through six games, they have a 54.7% Corsi. Couple that with Price and you have a winning formula. To be considered a serious threat, you need to be spending time in the offensive zone, and the Canadiens are doing that. If there's one forward you think is a key to this group, who are you picking?

ALLEN: I believe it is Alex Galchenyuk. At 21, he should be ready to take his game to another level. He has some wizardry in his offensive game. He had 46 points last season, and he should be ready to generate 60-plus this season. With five points in six games, he's off to a strong start. He has the ability to be a game-changer.

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HASCUP: I'm with you because of how important center depth is. So we don't bore the readers, I'm going to also pick Tomas Fleischmann, who has found a home on the third line with David Desharnais and Dale Weise. He has two goals and three points. This was a player who has scored 19 or more goals three times, and has recorded 50-plus points twice. You need balance in this league. Fleischmann is an enigmatic player, though. The Canadiens' hope is that he plays inspired because he's on his last life as an NHL regular. I think they'd take 15 goals and 35 points.

ALLEN: With as much time as we've spent discussing Montreal's offense, you would think the NHL is a goal-scoring league. As we all know, that isn't true. It's a goal-prevention league. We can talk about offense all day, but the reality remains that Price is the team's best player and gives them their best chance of postseason success. They shouldn't apologize for that. They should celebrate that.

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