By the numbers: Montreal Canadiens in total free fall

By foxsports
Published

If it was not already obvious how important Carey Price is to the Montreal Canadiens based off his success and the team's subsequent success last season, Montreal's free fall in the standings while Price remains on injured reserve with a lower-body injury is all the proof anyone needs. The Canadiens are one point away from falling out of playoff position after they lost to the Chicago Blackhawks Sunday, and Montreal's declining numbers are starting to reach impressive proportions. 

The Canadiens have lost 16 of their last 20 games for the first time since 1940. If they kept up their current pace through a full season, they'd finish the year with just 37 points. Here is a look at some of the team's numbers since Nov. 25, the last time Price was able to play. 

6-15-2: The Canadiens are 6-15-2 without Carey Price, and they have the fewest wins in the NHL since Nov. 25. 

68: Montreal allowed the seventh-most goals-against in the NHL since Nov. 25 with 68 goals-against.

648: The bad news for Montreal's goaltenders is that the Canadiens are actually doing a pretty good job of limiting shots on goal, as the Canadiens rank fifth in the NHL in fewest shots against with 648 shots against since Nov. 25. It makes that seventh-most goals against number look worse. 

29: Montreal's problems are not limited to their own net. The Montreal power play is ranked 29th in the NHL since Nov. 25 as it operates at 11.8 percent, a success rate higher only than that of the Florida Panthers (9.4 percent). That's a number that cannot be excused by Price's absence. Montreal previously had the third-best power play in the NHL from Opening Night through Nov. 25 with a 24.4 success rate in that time. 

28: The Canadiens' sputtering offense has scored just 48 goals since Nov. 25. That's good for 28th in the NHL and marks a decrease of 30 fewer goals than the 78 tallies Montreal scored from Opening Night until Nov. 25. 

52.2: One of the areas where Montreal is performing well is in the face off circle, as the Canadiens rank fourth in the NHL in face-off win percentage with a 52.2 win rate since Nov. 25. The number even improved from earlier in the season, as Montreal ranked 15th in the NHL from Opening Night until Nov. 25 with a 50.1 win rate. Montreal is getting possession of the puck; it simply is not taking care of business once plays take shape.