The Canadiens have the league’s sixth-best power play since the holiday season began.

The Canadiens’ power play is always an issue. After all, despite good runs once in a while, it doesn’t seem to be working much more often than not in recent years.

When things go wrong, it’s quickly pointed out. But these days, things are going well… and we’re going to say it.

As Renaud Lavoie reported this morning on BPM Sports, since Christmas, the Habs have ranked sixth in the NHL on the power play, with a 27% success rate.

And since the Habs have played 17 games since Christmas, that’s an interesting sample.

Only the Oilers, Canucks, Lightning, Panthers and Hurricanes are ahead of the Habs. We’re talking about good clubs in the NHL, which makes us realize even more just how good a job the Habs coaching staff is doing, with one more man since Christmas.

Of course, it will be interesting to see if the Habs can keep up the pace. I see the Habs slowing down as the hockey gets more intense late in the season… but also because without Sean Monahan, it won’t be easy.

He was excellent on the power play… and Tanner Pearson is no Sean Monahan.

That said, even if Monahan has left Montreal, the impact he left on the Habs can still be felt and his lessons can still be applied.

Juraj Slafkovsky, in particular, is a player who comes to mind in these circumstances.

It’s a good sign to see the 2022 first-round pick gaining such confidence. On Tuesday, he scored two goals, including one on the power play. They were great shots.

And it’s all thanks to Dr. Shot (Glen Tucker), who’s been helping the Habs a lot lately.

We don’t know exactly what’s driving the Habs’ success on the power play these days, but it’s clear that seeing the guys shoot a little more often is a factor.

You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take,” once said the great Michael Scott Wayne Gretzky…

In bursts

– Yes, it’s starting.

The Patrick Roy effect is starting to be felthttps://t.co/TUAVLNXo0s

– TVA Sports (@TVASports) February 9, 2024

– Read more.

Oilers’ gameplan for the trade deadline, plus latest on Lindholm, Lightning and more in my latest Rumblings for@TheAthletic https://t.co/a3awKc5lzv

– Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) February 9, 2024

– Logical.

Daniel Brière is very greedy ahead of the trade deadline https://t.co/pV74rgwExV

– TVA Sports (@TVASports) February 9, 2024

– Jesse Ylönen: why is he still here? [BPM Sports]

– Interested?

– Official.