This Canadiens 10-game report card starts with the record: Montreal finished its first 10 games at 5-3-2 with 12 points, two points behind where they stood after 10 games a year ago (7-3-0, 14 points). Five of the ten games went past regulation, and Montreal went 3-0-2 in them, which is why the record looks better than the goal differential (34 for, 35 against). Heading into Game 11 they sit 5th in the Atlantic Division, 9th in the Eastern Conference and 17th in the NHL. Chicago on Friday was the first regulation road win since opening night in Toronto.
Underneath the record there are two stories. The first is territory: Montreal has the puck more often than its opponent in almost every game and owns 56.8% of the 5-on-5 shot attempts (2nd in the NHL). The second is the price of that territory: 51 minor penalties (the most in the NHL), a power play at 12.5% (28th) and 13 goals against in third periods. On top of that, Nick Suzuki missed Game 10, Ivan Demidov has been out since Game 3 and Oliver Kapanen has played only three games.
Note: this report covers Games 1 to 10 (Sept. 29 to Oct. 23, 2026). Game 11 is not included. Jayden Struble played three games before he was traded to Nashville and is not graded.
The 10 Games
| # | Date | Opponent | Result | Shots (MTL-opp) | Goalie (saves/shots) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sept. 29 | at Toronto | W 3-2 | 24-28 | Dobeลก 26/28 |
| 2 | Oct. 3 | at Pittsburgh | OTL 5-6 (OT) | 25-30 | Dobeลก 24/30 |
| 3 | Oct. 6 | vs Carolina | L 4-6 | 20-33 | Dobeลก 27/32 |
| 4 | Oct. 8 | vs Nashville | L 2-5 | 33-20 | Fowler 15/18 |
| 5 | Oct. 10 | vs Detroit | W 1-0 (SO) | 30-30 | Fowler 30/30 |
| 6 | Oct. 13 | vs Buffalo | W 4-3 (SO) | 38-16 | Fowler 13/16 |
| 7 | Oct. 14 | at Washington | L 4-5 | 29-24 | Dobeลก 19/24 |
| 8 | Oct. 17 | vs Buffalo | W 4-3 (OT) | 34-26 | Fowler 23/26 |
| 9 | Oct. 20 | vs San Jose | OTL 3-4 (OT) | 34-30 | Dobeลก 26/30 |
| 10 | Oct. 23 | at Chicago | W 4-1 | 28-21 | Fowler 20/21 |
Shots are shots on goal in regulation and overtime. Saves and shots for the goalies exclude shootout attempts. Click an opponent to open that game’s recap page.
Team Stats
| Category | 2026-27, Games 1-10 | NHL rank | 2025-26, Games 1-10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standing (Atlantic / Eastern Conference / NHL) | 5th / 9th / 17th | โ | โ |
| Record (W-L-OTL) | 5-3-2 | โ | 7-3-0 |
| Regulation wins (RW) | 2 | T-25th | 4 |
| Points | 12 | โ | 14 |
| Point percentage | .600 | 12th | .700 |
| Goals for | 34 (3.40 per game) | 10th | 36 (3.60 per game) |
| Goals against | 35 (3.50 per game) | 26th | 30 (3.00 per game) |
| Goal differential | -1 | 19th | +6 |
| Power play | 12.5% (4 for 32) | 28th | 23.3% |
| Penalty kill | 81.0% (34 for 42) | 13th | 75.0% |
| Faceoff win % | 53.7% | 4th | โ |
| Shots for per game | 29.5 | 9th | 26.3 |
| Shots against per game | 25.8 | 12th | โ |
| Minor penalties taken | 51 (5.1 per game) | 32nd (most) | โ |
| Times shorthanded per game | 4.2 | 32nd (most) | โ |
| Penalties drawn per game | 4.4 | 7th | โ |
| Net penalties (drawn minus taken) | -11 | 32nd (worst) | โ |
| Giveaways per 60 minutes | 14.2 | 6th (fewest) | โ |
| Hits per 60 minutes | 20.1 | 23rd | โ |
| 5-on-5 goals (for-against) | 20-21 | 16th | โ |
| 5-on-5 shot attempts % | 56.8% | 2nd | โ |
| 5-on-5 shots on goal % | 54.0% | 4th | โ |
| 5-on-5 shooting % | 9.2% | 17th | โ |
| 5-on-5 save % | 88.6% | 26th | โ |
| 5-on-5 PDO (shooting % plus save %) | 97.8 | โ | โ |
| 5-on-5 expected goals % (MoneyPuck) | 54.3% | 6th | โ |
| 5-on-5 expected goals for (MoneyPuck) | 21.6 | 11th | โ |
| 5-on-5 expected goals against (MoneyPuck) | 18.2 | 7th (fewest) | โ |
| 5-on-5 goals against minus expected (MoneyPuck) | +2.8 | 26th | โ |
Rank is among the 32 teams on a per-game basis, 1st being best. The 5-on-5 shot numbers are counted from the play-by-play of the ten games. Last year’s comparison column comes from the first 10 games of 2025-26; categories left blank were not part of that data.
What the Numbers Tell Us
Start with the shots. Montreal takes 29.5 a game (9th in the NHL) and allows 25.8 (12th), and at 5-on-5 it out-attempted its opponent in nine of the ten games. The only exception was Carolina, a game in which the Canadiens had 21 attempts to 53. That is the profile of a team that plays well enough to win most nights.
The scoreboard does not follow, and 5-on-5 is where you see it: 20 goals for, 21 against, even though Montreal out-attempted opponents 478 to 364. That gap shows up in two other 5-on-5 numbers: the team shoots 9.2% (17th in the NHL) and its goalies stop only 88.6% (26th), so the finishing is about average and the 5-on-5 goaltending is the weak link. Add the two together and you get a 5-on-5 PDO of 97.8. A league-average team sits around 100, so part of the gap between the shot numbers and the standings is a below-average bounce on the goaltending side, not only bad process. The 5-on-5 goal count ranks 16th. The offense is 10th at 3.40 goals per game, down 0.20 from last year’s first 10. The defense is the bigger drop. Montreal is 26th at 3.50 goals against per game after allowing 3.00 a year ago, and 13 of the 35 goals against came in third periods (three of them into an empty net), against only 7 scored (one of them into an empty net).
Goaltending is part of that, and it flipped from last year. Jakub Dobeลก was 5-0 with a .940 save percentage after five games last season; this season he is 1-2-2 with a .847 and a 4.47 goals-against average in his five starts. Jacob Fowler has taken over the better numbers: 4-1-0, .910, 1.94. The two together sit at .875 on shots faced by the goalies. Samuel Montembeault has not played this season.
Special teams tell the other half of the story. The penalty kill is better than last year (81.0%, 13th, up from 75.0%), but it is working far too often: Montreal has been shorthanded 42 times, 4.2 a game, the most in the league, and the 51 minors taken are also the most. The power play is the opposite problem. It gets 3.2 chances a game (14th), which is not the issue, but it has converted only 4 of 32 (12.5%, 28th) after finishing last year’s first 10 at 23.3%. The net penalty count is -11, the worst in the NHL, so the team gives up special teams time at both ends of that equation.
Two small positives: faceoffs (53.7%, 4th) and puck management (14.2 giveaways per 60, 6th fewest). The coaching staff cares about both, and both are part of why the Canadiens keep the puck.
One more number puts the 5-3-2 record in perspective. Only 2 of the 5 wins came in regulation (at Toronto on Sept. 29 and at Chicago on Oct. 23), which is tied for 25th in the NHL on a per-game basis. The other three needed extra time: shootout wins over Detroit and Buffalo and an overtime win over Buffalo. Last seasonโs team had 4 regulation wins in its first 10 games. Regulation wins are the first tiebreaker in the NHL standings, so the Canadiens need more of them to make their good underlying play count where it matters.
Canadiens Stats (Situational)
| Situation | Home (6 GP) | Road (4 GP) | Overall (10 GP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Record (W-L-OTL) | 3-2-1 | 2-1-1 | 5-3-2 |
| Goals for – against | 18-21 | 16-14 | 34-35 |
| Shots for – against | 189-155 | 106-103 | 295-258 |
| Shots per game (for – against) | 31.5 – 25.8 | 26.5 – 25.8 | 29.5 – 25.8 |
Game States
| State | Record (W-L-OTL) |
|---|---|
| Montreal scored first (3 games) | 0-2-1 |
| Opponent scored first (6 games) | 4-1-1 |
| Scoreless game that went to a shootout | 1-0-0 |
| Leading after one period (2 games) | 1-1-0 |
| Tied after one period (8 games) | 4-2-2 |
| Trailing after one period (0 games) | 0-0-0 |
| Leading after two periods (5 games) | 4-0-1 |
| Tied after two periods (3 games) | 1-2-0 |
| Trailing after two periods (2 games) | 0-1-1 |
| One-goal games (7 games) | 4-1-2 |
| Games past regulation (5 games) | 3-0-2 |
First Five Games vs Last Five Games
| Games 1-5 | Games 6-10 | |
|---|---|---|
| Record (W-L-OTL) | 2-2-1 | 3-1-1 |
| Points | 5 | 7 |
| Goals for – against | 15-19 | 19-16 |
| Shots for – against | 132-141 | 163-117 |
| 5-on-5 shot attempts % | 54.6% | 58.8% |
| 5-on-5 goals for – against | 8-10 | 12-11 |
| Goalie save % | .884 | .863 |
The process got better as the season went on: Montreal went from being outshot 141-132 in the first five games to outshooting opponents 163-117 in the last five, and the 5-on-5 attempts share rose from 54.6% to 58.8%. The results followed in the standings (7 points in the last five games against 5 in the first five) and in the goal difference (from -4 to +3), but the save percentage actually dropped from .884 to .863. The team is playing the right way more often; the goaltending has not kept up yet.
Scoring by Period
| Period | Canadiens | Opponents |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | 12 | 10 |
| 2nd | 12 | 10 |
| 3rd | 7 | 13 |
| Overtime | 1 | 2 |
| Shootout | 2 | 0 |
| Total | 34 | 35 |
Shots per Period
| Period | Canadiens | Opponents |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | 89 | 86 |
| 2nd | 105 | 90 |
| 3rd | 91 | 76 |
| Overtime | 10 | 6 |
| Total | 295 | 258 |
The shootout row counts the winning shootout goals against Detroit and Buffalo, and the totals match the official standings (34 for, 35 against). The first thing to notice is how rarely Montreal scores first: only three times in ten games, and it won none of them (0-2-1). The team is 4-1-1 after allowing the first goal and has not trailed after the first period once. This is a group that tends to get tied up early, then wins or loses the game in the second half.
The third period is the real problem. Montreal outshot opponents 91-76 in the third period but was outscored 13-7. Three of those goals were empty-netters, but even without the empty-netters on both sides it is a 10-6 split against Montreal in the third period. When Montreal leads after two periods it is 4-0-1, so the issue is not protecting a lead in general; it is the games that are tied or close going into the third, where the penalties and goaltending show up.
Players Stats
Each table shows this season’s first 10 games against the first 10 games of last season. Players with no second row were not with the Canadiens at that point last season.
Nick Suzuki
| GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | PIM | SOG | S% | TOI/GP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27, Games 1-10 | 9 | 5 | 7 | 12 | +6 | 2 | 26 | 19.2 | 21:47 |
| 2025-26, Games 1-10 | 10 | 2 | 11 | 13 | +7 | 2 | 23 | 8.7 | 20:28 |
Suzuki was producing at 1.33 points per game before the upper-body injury he suffered against San Jose, a better pace than last year’s 1.30. He is out two to four weeks, and he missed Game 10.
Cole Caufield
| GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | PIM | SOG | S% | TOI/GP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27, Games 1-10 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 8 | +3 | 6 | 36 | 16.7 | 19:20 |
| 2025-26, Games 1-10 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 10 | +5 | 2 | 26 | 26.9 | 18:24 |
Six goals in 10 games on a team-high 36 shots (3.6 per game), including the overtime winner against Buffalo. Last year he had seven goals after 10 games.
Juraj Slafkovskรฝ
| GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | PIM | SOG | S% | TOI/GP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27, Games 1-10 | 10 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 12 | 27 | 7.4 | 18:35 |
| 2025-26, Games 1-10 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 5 | +3 | 8 | 23 | 17.4 | 18:22 |
Seven points in 10 games, but only 2 goals on 27 shots (7.4%) and a team-high 12 penalty minutes among forwards. His shot volume is fine; the finish and the penalties are what to watch.
Josh Anderson
| GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | PIM | SOG | S% | TOI/GP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27, Games 1-10 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 6 | +2 | 10 | 22 | 18.2 | 13:54 |
| 2025-26, Games 1-10 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 14 | 12 | 8.3 | 15:07 |
Four goals on 22 shots and 6 points, three times last year’s two-point start. He also took 10 penalty minutes, down from 14 a year ago.
Zachary Bolduc
| GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | PIM | SOG | S% | TOI/GP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27, Games 1-10 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 6 | +2 | 4 | 17 | 23.5 | 13:52 |
| 2025-26, Games 1-10 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 6 | -1 | 4 | 20 | 20.0 | 13:19 |
Four goals, two of them on the power play, on only 17 shots and 13:52 a game. Bolduc has matched last year’s 6 points in the same 10 games.
Chris Kreider
| GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | PIM | SOG | S% | TOI/GP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27, Games 1-10 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 4 | -1 | 4 | 9 | 11.1 | 14:38 |
New this season. Four points (1 goal, 3 assists) on 9 shots in 14:38 a night, with a -1 rating.
Alex Newhook
| GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | PIM | SOG | S% | TOI/GP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27, Games 1-10 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 4 | -5 | 6 | 11 | 9.1 | 16:10 |
| 2025-26, Games 1-10 | 10 | 3 | 4 | 7 | +6 | 4 | 11 | 27.3 | 15:06 |
Four points compared with seven last year, and a -5 rating that is the worst on the team (last year +6). He won 58.9% of his faceoffs.
Phillip Danault
| GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | PIM | SOG | S% | TOI/GP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27, Games 1-10 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 3 | +5 | 0 | 17 | 0.0 | 16:06 |
Zero goals on 17 shots, but 3 assists and a +5 rating, and 54.2% on faceoffs. Danault is playing the checking role and doing the details.
Jake Evans
| GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | PIM | SOG | S% | TOI/GP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27, Games 1-10 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 3 | -1 | 2 | 9 | 22.2 | 13:55 |
| 2025-26, Games 1-10 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -3 | 0 | 15 | 6.7 | 16:13 |
Two goals (one short-handed) and one assist, one game-winning goal, in 13:55 a night. He scored twice in Chicago.
Alexandre Texier
| GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | PIM | SOG | S% | TOI/GP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27, Games 1-10 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -2 | 8 | 14 | 7.1 | 13:02 |
One goal and 2 assists with 14 shots in 13:02 a night, with 8 penalty minutes and a -2 rating.
Kirby Dach
| GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | PIM | SOG | S% | TOI/GP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27, Games 1-10 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 2 | -4 | 6 | 5 | 0.0 | 9:59 |
| 2025-26, Games 1-10 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 11.1 | 13:31 |
Two assists, a -4 rating and 5 shots in 9:59 a night, which is a fourth-line workload. He had 2 points in 7 games a year ago.
Ivan Demidov
| GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | PIM | SOG | S% | TOI/GP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27, Games 1-10 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 25.0 | 15:37 |
| 2025-26, Games 1-10 | 10 | 2 | 7 | 9 | +3 | 6 | 9 | 22.2 | 13:58 |
Played Games 1 and 2 (1 goal, 1 assist), and has been out since Game 3 with a lower-body injury. Last year he had 9 points in 10 games.
Oliver Kapanen
| GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | PIM | SOG | S% | TOI/GP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27, Games 1-10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 | 2 | 5 | 0.0 | 12:25 |
| 2025-26, Games 1-10 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 7 | +2 | 2 | 15 | 26.7 | 12:36 |
Played only Games 8, 9 and 10 and has no points on 5 shots in 12:25 a night. He moved to center between Caufield and Slafkovskรฝ. Last year he had 7 points in 10 games.
Owen Beck
| GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | PIM | SOG | S% | TOI/GP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27, Games 1-10 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | -1 | 0 | 4 | 0.0 | 8:23 |
| 2025-26, Games 1-10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 | 0 | 1 | 0.0 | 8:22 |
Played Games 6, 7 and 10 in 8:23 a night, with 1 assist. Last year’s first 10 games gave him 2 games and no points.
Florian Xhekaj
| GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | PIM | SOG | S% | TOI/GP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27, Games 1-10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -4 | 0 | 2 | 0.0 | 7:36 |
Played Games 3 and 4 in 7:36 a night with no points and a -4 rating.
Lane Hutson
| GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | PIM | SOG | S% | TOI/GP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27, Games 1-10 | 10 | 2 | 7 | 9 | +3 | 6 | 21 | 9.5 | 25:58 |
| 2025-26, Games 1-10 | 10 | 1 | 8 | 9 | +2 | 0 | 14 | 7.1 | 22:33 |
The most-used player on the team at 25:58 a game, with 9 points in 10 games, 7 of them assists. Hutson drives the offense from the back end, though the Chicago game also showed his turnover risk.
Alexandre Carrier
| GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | PIM | SOG | S% | TOI/GP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27, Games 1-10 | 10 | 1 | 4 | 5 | +6 | 6 | 11 | 9.1 | 19:52 |
| 2025-26, Games 1-10 | 10 | 1 | 4 | 5 | -2 | 6 | 9 | 11.1 | 18:19 |
Five points, the same as last year, and the best plus-minus on the team (+6) in nearly 20 minutes a night.
Noah Dobson
| GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | PIM | SOG | S% | TOI/GP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27, Games 1-10 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 2 | -4 | 8 | 23 | 0.0 | 21:24 |
| 2025-26, Games 1-10 | 10 | 1 | 4 | 5 | +2 | 6 | 16 | 6.3 | 22:38 |
No goals, 2 assists and a -4 rating despite 23 shots, the most among Canadiens defensemen. Last year he had 5 points and a +2.
Kaiden Guhle
| GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | PIM | SOG | S% | TOI/GP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27, Games 1-10 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | +1 | 4 | 9 | 11.1 | 22:10 |
| 2025-26, Games 1-10 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | +1 | 7 | 7 | 14.3 | 19:14 |
Played Games 5 to 10 after missing the first four. In 6 games he has 3 points and a +1 at 22:10 a night, while last year’s number was 2 points in 5 games.
Mike Matheson
| GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | PIM | SOG | S% | TOI/GP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27, Games 1-10 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -2 | 6 | 12 | 8.3 | 23:30 |
| 2025-26, Games 1-10 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 6 | +7 | 8 | 15 | 20.0 | 24:39 |
Played games 1 to 5 and Game 10 (1 goal, 1 assist) at 23:30 a night. Last year he had 6 points and a +7 over the first 10 games.
Arber Xhekaj
| GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | PIM | SOG | S% | TOI/GP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27, Games 1-10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -2 | 16 | 5 | 0.0 | 11:59 |
| 2025-26, Games 1-10 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 1 | -2 | 15 | 7 | 0.0 | 10:31 |
No points in 10 games, a -2 rating and a team-high 16 penalty minutes in 11:59 a night.
Adam Engstrom
| GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | PIM | SOG | S% | TOI/GP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27, Games 1-10 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +2 | 0 | 5 | 0.0 | 11:24 |
Played five games (4, 5, 6, 7 and 9) in 11:24 a night, with no points and a +2 rating.
David Reinbacher
| GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | PIM | SOG | S% | TOI/GP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27, Games 1-10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 | 0 | 1 | 0.0 | 9:09 |
Played one game (Game 8) for 9:12. He is now with the Rocket.
Goaltenders
| GP | W-L-OTL | GAA | SV% | Shots against | Saves | SO | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jakub Dobeลก (2026-27) | 5 | 1-2-2 | 4.47 | .847 | 144 | 122 | 0 |
| Jakub Dobeลก (2025-26, first 10 team games) | 5 | 5-0-0 | 1.77 | .940 | 150 | 141 | 0 |
| Jacob Fowler (2026-27) | 5 | 4-1-0 | 1.94 | .910 | 111 | 101 | 1 |
| Samuel Montembeault (2026-27, injured reserve) | 0 | โ | โ | โ | โ | โ | โ |
| Samuel Montembeault (2025-26, first 10 team games) | 5 | 2-3-0 | 3.82 | .842 | 120 | 101 | 0 |
Dobeลก started Games 1, 2, 3, 7 and 9 and stopped 26 of 28, 24 of 30, 27 of 32, 19 of 24 and 26 of 30. Fowler started Games 4, 5, 6, 8 and 10 and stopped 15 of 18, 30 of 30 (a shutout that Montreal won in the shootout in Detroit), 13 of 16, 23 of 26 and 20 of 21.
Analytics: 5-on-5 On-Ice Numbers
These numbers show what happened at 5-on-5. CF and CA are the shot attempts for and against (goals, shots on goal, misses and blocks) while the player was on the ice, and CF% is the share Montreal had. GF and GA are the goals for and against while he was on the ice. G is the player’s own 5-on-5 goals, and xG is his own 5-on-5 expected goals from MoneyPuck: every shot he took is valued by where it came from and what kind of shot it was, so xG shows how many goals his chances were worth. When G is well above xG he is finishing hot, and when G is below xG the puck is not going in as often as it should. Everything except xG is counted from the NHL play-by-play and shift data for the ten games.
| Player | GP | CF | CA | CF% | GF | GA | GF% | G | xG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zachary Bolduc | 10 | 140 | 66 | 68.0% | 5 | 2 | 71.4% | 2 | 1.80 |
| Phillip Danault | 10 | 121 | 72 | 62.7% | 7 | 4 | 63.6% | 0 | 1.49 |
| Lane Hutson | 10 | 241 | 145 | 62.4% | 11 | 8 | 57.9% | 1 | 0.52 |
| Adam Engstrรถm | 5 | 61 | 39 | 61.0% | 4 | 2 | 66.7% | 0 | 0.31 |
| Alexandre Texier | 10 | 111 | 71 | 61.0% | 3 | 4 | 42.9% | 1 | 1.21 |
| Nick Suzuki | 9 | 149 | 104 | 58.9% | 8 | 3 | 72.7% | 2 | 2.21 |
| Cole Caufield | 10 | 155 | 115 | 57.4% | 8 | 7 | 53.3% | 5 | 2.52 |
| Josh Anderson | 10 | 134 | 101 | 57.0% | 8 | 7 | 53.3% | 4 | 3.10 |
| Kaiden Guhle | 6 | 100 | 76 | 56.8% | 3 | 3 | 50.0% | 1 | 0.53 |
| Noah Dobson | 10 | 185 | 145 | 56.1% | 4 | 9 | 30.8% | 0 | 0.89 |
| Juraj Slafkovskรฝ | 10 | 140 | 110 | 56.0% | 4 | 3 | 57.1% | 1 | 1.21 |
| Jake Evans | 10 | 105 | 83 | 55.9% | 3 | 6 | 33.3% | 1 | 0.95 |
| Alexandre Carrier | 10 | 148 | 121 | 55.0% | 9 | 5 | 64.3% | 1 | 0.44 |
| Arber Xhekaj | 10 | 101 | 85 | 54.3% | 4 | 6 | 40.0% | 0 | 0.25 |
| Alex Newhook | 10 | 112 | 99 | 53.1% | 3 | 6 | 33.3% | 1 | 1.43 |
| Chris Kreider | 10 | 117 | 111 | 51.3% | 7 | 6 | 53.8% | 0 | 0.92 |
| Mike Matheson | 6 | 82 | 84 | 49.4% | 3 | 6 | 33.3% | 0 | 0.28 |
| Kirby Dach | 10 | 69 | 83 | 45.4% | 3 | 7 | 30.0% | 0 | 0.70 |
| Oliver Kapanen* | 3 | 36 | 26 | 58.1% | 0 | 1 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.50 |
| Owen Beck* | 3 | 19 | 15 | 55.9% | 1 | 2 | 33.3% | 0 | 0.14 |
| Ivan Demidov* | 2 | 16 | 13 | 55.2% | 0 | 1 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.10 |
| Florian Xhekaj* | 2 | 9 | 19 | 32.1% | 0 | 4 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.08 |
* Fewer than five games, so treat the numbers as a small sample.
The best 5-on-5 numbers belong to Zachary Bolduc (68.0% of the attempts), Phillip Danault (62.7%) and Lane Hutson (62.4%), and the Hutson number comes with the heaviest workload on the team. Nick Suzuki was on the ice for 8 goals for and only 3 against (72.7%) before he was hurt. At the other end, Kirby Dach is at 45.4%, Mike Matheson at 49.4%, and Chris Kreider (51.3%) and Alex Newhook (53.1%) are both below the team’s 56.8%.
The line that does not match the shot numbers is Noah Dobson. He is a plus on attempts (56.1%) but was on the ice for 9 goals against and only 4 for, which is 30.8% of the goals, the worst of the regular defensemen. Jake Evans has a similar split (55.9% of the attempts, but 3 goals for and 6 against).
Coach’s note on the chances: Cole Caufield has 5 goals at 5-on-5 on 2.52 xG (+2.48), the biggest gap on the team, and Josh Anderson has the most xG (3.10) with 4 goals, so he is getting the looks and cashing in. Caufield’s finishing is the part that is hard to keep up all season. On the other side, Phillip Danault has no goals on 1.49 xG, and Chris Kreider (0 on 0.92), Noah Dobson (0 on 0.89) and Kirby Dach (0 on 0.70) are also still waiting. Nick Suzuki has 2 goals on 2.21 xG, which is about what his chances are worth, so there is no hot streak to worry about there. Players who get good chances and miss are usually the first to turn the corner, so keep an eye on Danault.
Goaltenders at 5-on-5
| Goalie | GP | 5-on-5 shots against | 5-on-5 goals against | 5-on-5 SV% | All-situations SV% | GSAx (MoneyPuck) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jacob Fowler | 5 | 76 | 7 | .908 | .910 | +3.3 |
| Jakub Dobeลก | 5 | 109 | 14 | .872 | .847 | -6.2 |
| Team | 10 | 185 | 21 | .886 | .875 | -2.9 |
Fowler faced 76 shots at 5-on-5 and gave up 7 goals, while Dobeลก faced 109 and gave up 14. The gap between the two goalies is close to four percentage points at even strength, and that gap is where most of the 26th-ranked 5-on-5 save percentage comes from.
GSAx (goals saved above expected) adjusts for the quality of the shots a goalie faces, so it tells us whether the save percentage is the goalie or the shots. Fowler is at +3.3, which means he has stopped about three more goals than an average goalie would have on the same shots. Dobeลก is at -6.2, about six goals worse than expected. That is a 9.5-goal gap between two goalies who each started five games, and it says the problem is not only shot quality in front of Dobeลก. It is still a small sample, and every site builds its expected-goals model differently, so these numbers are best read as a direction, not a final verdict.
How Player Grades Are Determined
The grades below are for Games 1 to 10 only, and they run from A (outstanding) to D (poor). Players who played fewer than five games are not ranked because the sample is too small. They are based on five things:
- Statistics and analytics: points, shots, plus-minus and the underlying shot numbers.
- Role and expectation: what the player is asked to do on his line or pair, and how he does against that.
- Consistency and game impact: whether he shows up every night and changes games.
- Coaching trust and usage: ice time, special teams and late-game situations.
- Growth and development: progress compared with last season, especially for the younger players.
Canadiens Report Card: Players Ranking
Forwards
| Player | GP | Grade, Games 1-10 |
|---|---|---|
| Nick Suzuki | 9 | A+ |
| Cole Caufield | 10 | A |
| Juraj Slafkovskรฝ | 10 | B- |
| Josh Anderson | 10 | B |
| Zachary Bolduc | 10 | B |
| Phillip Danault | 10 | B |
| Chris Kreider | 10 | C |
| Alex Newhook | 10 | C |
| Jake Evans | 10 | C |
| Alexandre Texier | 10 | C+ |
| Kirby Dach | 10 | D |
Not ranked (fewer than five games): Ivan Demidov (2 GP), Oliver Kapanen (3 GP), Owen Beck (3 GP), Florian Xhekaj (2 GP) and David Reinbacher (1 GP).
Defensemen
| Player | GP | Grade, Games 1-10 |
|---|---|---|
| Lane Hutson | 10 | A |
| Noah Dobson | 10 | B |
| Arber Xhekaj | 10 | B |
| Alexandre Carrier | 10 | B |
| Kaiden Guhle | 6 | B |
| Mike Matheson | 6 | B- |
| Adam Engstrรถm | 5 | B- |
Goaltenders
| Player | GP | Grade, Games 1-10 |
|---|---|---|
| Jacob Fowler | 5 | A |
| Jakub Dobeลก | 5 | D |
Head Coach
| Coach | Grade, Games 1-10 |
|---|---|
| Martin St-Louis | B |
Team Grades
| Category | What the numbers say | Grade, Games 1-10 |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 5-3-2, 12 points, 5th in the Atlantic, 9th in the East, 17th in the NHL; 2nd in 5-on-5 shot attempts | B- |
| Offense | 3.40 goals per game (10th), 29.5 shots per game (9th) | B- |
| Defense | 3.50 goals against per game (26th), 25.8 shots against per game (12th) | C- |
| Goaltending | .875 combined save percentage, 5-on-5 save percentage 88.6% (26th) | C- |
| Power play | 4 for 32, 12.5% (28th) | D |
| Penalty kill | 34 for 42, 81.0% (13th) | B- |
| Discipline | 51 minors (most in the NHL), net penalties -11 (worst) | D |
Coaching Staff Evaluation: Martin St-Louis (B)
The record (5-3-2, 12 points) is a decent return given how many lineup changes St-Louis has had to make. Suzuki missed a game, Demidov has missed eight, Kapanen has played three, Guhle missed the first four, Matheson missed four in a row, and Montembeault has not played. Fowler and Dobeลก each started five games, and the staff has had to keep re-balancing the lines around the injuries.
The coaching questions are about habits, not talent. The team has the most minor penalties and the most times shorthanded in the NHL, the power play is 28th, and third periods are going against Montreal on the scoreboard even though the shots are in its favour. In the positive column, the team is 3-0-2 in games past regulation, 4-0-1 when leading after two periods, and has looked organized at 5-on-5, controlling shot attempts in nine of ten games.
Final Thoughts
Four players stand out after 10 games. Lane Hutson leads the team in ice time (25:58 a night) and has 9 points. Cole Caufield has six goals on 36 shots. Nick Suzuki produced 12 points in 9 games before getting hurt. Jacob Fowler has been the better of the two goalies, with a 4-1-0 record and a .910 save percentage.
The concerns are the ones the numbers keep repeating: discipline (51 minors and 42 times shorthanded), a power play that is only 4 for 32, the goals against in third periods, and the plus-minus of Alex Newhook (-5), Noah Dobson (-4) and Kirby Dach (-4). Montreal also has to find a way to score first, since it did that only three times in ten games.
The next test comes without the captain. Suzuki is out two to four weeks, so the group that finished the first 10 games has to hold its place in the standings (5th in the Atlantic, 9th in the East, 17th in the NHL) while fixing the penalties and the third periods. Follow the Lineup Tonight and Injury Report pages for the latest, and our next report card will cover Games 11 to 20.
KEEP READING
- Evans scores twice as Canadiens beat Blackhawks 4-1
- Canadiens without Nick Suzuki: who steps up
- Habs Tuesday Report: better in the last 4, not fixed yet
- Why can’t the Canadiens protect a lead?
- St-Louis: good hockey, not enough, penalties
- Canadiens Stats of the Week
Sources: NHL game data (box scores, play-by-play, shift data, team and player statistics), NHL statistics for the first 10 games of 2025-26, and MoneyPuck (goals saved above expected, expected goals).
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