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There was little disparity when it came to the HabsWorld
readers making their selections for October’s edition of the HW 3 Stars.
Three players earned the vast majority of votes, while the number of other
Canadiens receiving votes roughly equalled the amount of Montreal’s 1st period
goals for the month.

1st Star Carey Price 9 GP – 7 W –
1 L – 1 OTL – 2.48 GAA – 0.920 SV%

Although Carey’s month
began in a rocky manner (he recorded a sub .910 save percentage his
first 4 games), many recognized that it was his team’s defensive play in
front of him accounting for his poor stats. In spite of that,
Price was able to keep the Habs in contention for most of those games,
and his numbers returned to the elite level to which Montreal fans are
accustomed before long. While it is
admittedly too early to attach too much significance to Price’s shootout
performances, he wasn’t beaten for a single goal in the skills
competition in October.

★

64%
★★


18%
★★★


5%
2nd Star Alex Galchenyuk 11 GP – 4 G –
4 A – 8 P – +2
Rating
It isn’t uncommon for talented players entering their third NHL year to
have breakout seasons, and Alex Galchenyuk is looking to be no exception
to this trend. “Chucky” appears to have spent his off-season
building up some bulk and a boat-load of confidence; as a result, he has
been a force to be reckoned with on a consistent basis. Meshing
well with Tomas Plekanec, Galchenyuk has brought the Bell Centre patrons to
their feet on many a shift, and is quickly becoming the best
stick-handler to don a Habs jersey since Alex Kovalev. His game
doesn’t end with his offense; Galchenyuk has improved upon his defensive
game, in spite of facing tougher competition, and surprisingly led all
Canadiens with 24 hits. Galchenyuk has been a bright spot on a
sputtering Montreal powerplay, earning points on two of the three
tallies with the man advantage.

★


21%
★★

28%
★★★


33%
3rd Star Tomas Plekanec 11 GP – 5 G –
4 A – 9 P – +1
Rating
In recent years, it has become typical for fans to question when one of
Montreal’s young centers will supplant Plekanec as the most utilized
centerman. It’s unknown if Plekanec pays attention to these
matters, but if he does, he should know that October went a long ways to
silencing this speculation. With the acquisition of Manny Malhotra
over the off-season, Plekanec has been given more of an opportunity to
flex his offensive muscles; the initial results have been overwhelmingly
positive. He and line-mate, Alex Galchenyuk, form a powerful duo,
and Plekanec’s enthusiasm is undeniable thus far. Plekanec led all
Canadiens with 5 goals and 9 points, and improved his faceoff win
percentage significantly from the 2013-14 season.

★


10%
★★

31%
★★★


28%
HM Andrei Markov 11 GP – 1 G –
3 A – 4 P – +4
Rating
Many questioned GM Marc Bergevin’s decision to sign Andrei Markov to a
3-year contract this past off-season, and although a verdict can’t be
reached until the contract’s end, the early signs are quite promising.
Presently, Markov’s offensive production is less than usual, but one can
attribute that to a powerplay that has struggled mightily this early
season. Nevertheless, Markov remains a stable presence on a
blue-line, and plays well with whomever he’s paired. Markov
continues to play tough minutes… and a lot of them, leading all
Canadiens in ice-time.

★

5%
★★


8%
★★★


5%


Thanks to all that voted, and be sure to check in for next month’s edition of
the HW 3 Stars.