Now that the media has had some time to take a closer look at the NHL schedule, Daily Faceoff podcast co-host Jason Gregor has pointed out an interesting tidbit. Out of the Montreal Canadiens’ 84 games, 19 will be played against opponents who are playing the second game of a back-to-back sequence. That’s the most of any team in the league. The Anaheim Ducks are second with 18 duels against opponents on the tail end of a back-to-back, and the Detroit Red Wings and St. Louis Blues share third place with 16 such confrontations. At the other end of the spectrum, the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Winnipeg Jets will only be facing an opponent on the second game of a back-to-back five times.
On paper, it may mean the Habs’ opponent will be tired after playing a second game in as many days, but games are played on the ice, not on paper. It’s also worth noting that in four of those 19 games, the Canadiens will also be playing in the second game of a back-to-back, which means that they may be fresher in 15 of the 19 duels.
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Playing the second game of a back-to-back isn’t always a disadvantage, though. For instance, last season, the Habs played 16 back-to-back sequences, and their record in the second game of those back-to-back sequences was 9-5-2. Four other teams had nine wins in those circumstances, joining the Canadiens as league leaders in that department: the Buffalo Sabres (9-1-3), the Ottawa Senators (9-3-2), the Columbus Blue Jackets (9-5-2), and the New York Islanders. Which team had the worst record in those circumstances? The New York Rangers (2-10-1), the Red Wings (3-7-3), and the Utah Mammoth (3-7-1).
After skating in 16 back-to-backs last season, the Canadiens will play only 10 this season, which is not far from the fewest; the Calgary Flames and the Vegas Golden Knights have only 8, while Winnipeg has 9. The Pittsburgh Penguins get the short end of the stick with 15. Of course, the fact that there are no Olympics this season helps make the schedule somewhat lighter, and no one will complain about that.
Will the 19 duels against opponents on the tail end of a back-to-back favour the Canadiens? We’ll have to wait and see…
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