The Montreal Canadiens have made significant strides this season, moving away from the label of a rebuilding team. After 15 games, the Canadiens hold a 10-3-2 record, placing them first in the Atlantic Division. They recently secured a 6-2 victory over the Utah Mammoth at the Bell Centre. This performance puts them just one point behind the Colorado Avalanche, who lead the NHL standings with a record of 9-1-5.

In contrast, at the same point last season, the Canadiens were struggling with a 4-9-2 record. They had lost six consecutive games and were tied for last place in the league with the San Jose Sharks. The turnaround has been impressive, especially considering the team made the playoffs last season for the first time in four years. They finished strong, going 7-1-2 in their last ten games, which contributes to their current record of 17-4-4 over the last 25 regular-season games.

Head coach Martin St. Louis reflected on the team's progress, stating, "You always learn from yesterday. So for me, we were struggling … it’s not fun to struggle. But sometimes that’s what you need to get to a certain place. And with the struggle, you actually have answers if you’re looking carefully and you’re taking your time with it. We found some answers and we just went to work and we just stacked the days. That’s all we’ve been doing."

St. Louis emphasized the importance of managing success moving forward. "I feel being process-driven, the winning becomes a side effect and I feel that’s where we are," he said. "Am I happy? Of course, I’m happy. The guys are working really hard to get where we are today. But that’s today. We got to earn it every day. That’s what we plan on doing."

Kirby Dach, who scored a breakaway goal in the final minute of the recent game, expressed his satisfaction with the team's performance. After recovering from his second knee surgery in two years, Dach has scored five goals in 12 games this season, a notable improvement from last season when it took him 37 games to reach the same total. "I’m definitely feeling really good," Dach said. "It’s just nice to play hockey again and to be around the team and be around the guys and just enjoy the game."

Cole Caufield has also been a key player, scoring twice in the recent game and leading the team with 12 goals in 15 games. He is currently tied with Nathan MacKinnon of the Avalanche for the league lead in goals and is on pace to finish the season with 66. Oliver Kapanen leads all NHL rookies with six goals, while Ivan Demidov, who assisted on Kapanen’s goal, tops rookie points with 4-9-13 totals.

Caufield attributes the team's success to improved cohesion and understanding of the game. "I’d say everybody’s on the same page with the coaching staff and we’ve had a couple of years where it feels a lot more comfortable and you’re not really thinking about the systems," he said. "You’re kind of just playing it and it’s just ingrained in ourselves now. I think our collective game as a team has definitely taken a big step."

As the Canadiens continue their season, they aim to maintain their momentum and build on their recent successes. The team's management has worked diligently to create a competitive roster in a short time, and the players are eager to keep improving.