The 2018-2019 season was supposed to be a rebuilding year for the Montreal Canadiens. Many people expected the team to struggle and be in the mix for Jack Hughes in June. Instead the Canadiens currently occupy a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, and they’re doing it not by luck, but by being a legitimately good possession team.
In years past the success of the Canadiens was dictated almost entirely by the play of Carey Price in net, and not at all on the ability of the team in front of him. Price would be the one to carry a broken system kicking and screaming into the post-season.