Article content

We’ve almost reached the three quarter-mark of the NHL season and there’s no doubt the Canadiens, along with the New York Islanders, are the surprise teams of the year.

When you think of head coach Claude Julien’s modus operandi, the first thing that probably comes to mind is his obsession with playing a sound defensive game. And while the Canadiens aren’t remotely close to the worst defensive team in the league, they’re not among the NHL’s elite when it comes to how many shots or scoring chances they allow. However, they’ve more than compensated for their defensive woes with their ability to sustain a constant flow of offence.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Analyze This: Kudos to Claude Julien for unleashing Canadiens' offence Back to video

Photo by John Mahoney / Montreal Gazette

The Canadiens rank second in the NHL in shots per 60 minutes, sixth in scoring chances per 60 and seventh in goals per 60. To get an idea of their massive improvement in those areas, last season they ranked 13th in shots per 60, 18th in scoring chances per 60 and a pitiful 30th in goals per 60.