Since Marty took over on February 9th, the Habs are a brand-new team.

It’s hard not to talk about the Montreal Canadiens, or I should say, Martin St. Louis’ Montreal Canadiens. Since Marty took over on February 9th, the Habs are a brand-new team, although they are still battling for last spot in the NHL.

I’ve noticed a transition by watching the Habs under St. Louis. They are much faster, are using more options, and if they miss the transition, they establish their forecheck because they have a lot of speed. Here are three small details that could help coaches and teams from any level.

Outlet Options

Right away, we notice they hold onto the puck through the middle, having two players coming back low and opening up on each side. They have two flat options and can decide which side they can go if they don’t carry. They are filling up the three lanes. In some videos, we can see another forward coming down low, curling, and being an option behind F1.

Curling Fs

I’ve talked about it previously, but this video is all about the forwards curling. We can notice F3 on the far blueline, ready to receive and dish out both sides or tipping the puck for the forecheck. With the forwards curling and building speed, they have more options and no need to make stretch passes. If you notice, in the neutral zone, they are filling up all the space and covering most of the zone. Easier for a defenceman to make a play, harder for the opponent to cover, and more time, space, and speed for the Habs.

Middle and Forecheck

We talked about the defenseman with the puck and the forwards curling. The other nice thing about their transition is how the middle-high guy shields the puck. It is easier for him to kick it back to a forward (by protecting the puck) or kick it out left or right to the forward who has built their speed. The other thing is, look how both forwards are coming hard on the forecheck, creating turnovers below the goal line and both forwards are all out.