MONTREAL -- Max Pacioretty said he didn't hear the chatter, but he knew it was out there.

He knew because his Montreal Canadiens were feeling it.

The Canadiens entered this week atop the NHL standings with a rough stretch of four games staring them directly in the face: The Pittsburgh Penguins and St. Louis Blues at home, the Boston Bruins and New York Rangers in a back-to-back on the road.

It was as stiff a test as they had faced and an opportunity to silence critics saying their hot start was not sustainable, that they didn't belong among the elite teams of the NHL.

In the first leg of that test, the Canadiens did not silence their critics. They empowered them.

VANCOUVER -- Ryan Kesler admitted Wednesday it was awkward to walk into Rogers Arena and past the Vancouver Canucks locker room he called home for 10 seasons, continuing down the hall to the visitors' room with his new Anaheim Ducks teammates.

It could get even more uncomfortable Thursday, when the 30-year-old Ducks center skates out in front of Vancouver fans for the first time as the enemy.

"Hopefully they appreciated the 11 years I played here and remember all the good times," said Kesler, who spent one of those years in the minors. "Hopefully a warm reception, but if not it's part of the game."

Kesler isn't sure if it will be cheers or jeers, but he's used to both by now.

"I guess that's my personality," he said. "You love me or you hate me."

Philadelphia Flyers coach Craig Berube said he doesn't try to reflect on what happened the last time the Flyers played the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden.

It was Game 7 of their 2014 Eastern Conference First Round series and the Flyers lost 2-1.

"I don't think about it anymore," Berube said. "I think once it was over it's really over with me. I think the way I look at it is we played good hockey at times but we didn't play very good hockey a lot of times during that series and it cost us. If we had been more consistent we could have beaten them. They're a very good team, not taking anything away from them. We gave them a good battle. In my mind we could play better."

He'll have a chance to see if he's right when the Flyers visit the Rangers in the Wednesday Night Rivalry game (8 p.m. ET, NBCSN).

When Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Michael Del Zotto walks into Madison Square Garden on Wednesday, he says his focus will be on two things: the two points at stake when his team plays the New York Rangers (8 p.m. ET, NBCSN, SN1, TVA SPORTS).

But in the back of his mind the 24-year-old will be looking to show the Rangers what they gave up when he was traded to the Nashville Predators on Jan. 22.

"I think anytime you get too emotional, too caught up in a certain game or a moment, it seems to get the best of you," Del Zotto said. "I'm sure [Wednesday] when I get there it'll hit me a little bit, bring back some memories."

Prior to coming to Philadelphia, Del Zotto's most recent hockey memories weren't very good.

MONTREAL -- Marc-Andre Fleury is not judged the same as any other goalie in the NHL.

Marc-Andre Fleury

Goalie - PIT

RECORD: 11-3-0
GAA: 1.98 | SVP: .930

When Fleury was signed to a four-year, $23 million contract extension on Nov. 6, removing his lame-duck status, it was his history in the Stanley Cup Playoffs that became the source of a raging online debate on the wisdom of the move by Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford.

The knee-jerk reaction when it comes to Fleury has been, and will likely remain, "Yeah, but can he do it in the playoffs?"

MONTREAL -- The Montreal Canadiens enter games Tuesday as the top team in the NHL, but doubts have swirled all season about their legitimacy in holding that spot.

Just about the only statistic that would suggest the Canadiens are an upper-echelon team is their 14-4-1 record, which is the most important one, but can sometimes be the most misleading as well.

The Canadiens, and the rest of the NHL, should have a better idea of where they stand by the end of this week, starting Tuesday when they put their six-game winning streak on the line at home against the Pittsburgh Penguins (7:30 p.m. ET) in a battle between the two Eastern Conference division leaders.

Montreal then welcomes the St. Louis Blues, the hottest team in the Western Conference, to Bell Centre on Thursday before visiting the rival Boston Bruins on Saturday and the New York Rangers on Sunday.

The Canadiens can erase or confirm the doubts surrounding their strong start to the season by the end of this brutal stretch.

Eric Lindros and John LeClair always were together on the ice during their time with the Philadelphia Flyers, so it makes sense that when they are inducted into the Flyers Hall of Fame on Thursday they will be honored together.

The pair combined, along with Mikael Renberg, to create the "Legion of Doom" line that helped the Flyers reach the Eastern Conference Final in 1995 and the Stanley Cup Final in 1997.

"[Flyers president] Paul Holmgren gave me a shout, gave Johnny a shout, in September," Lindros said. "Right away we were both deeply honored to get the call and then we started talking a little bit further and we decided to do it together, which was appropriate. Here we are and we're looking forward to Thursday night."

NEW YORK -- Martin St. Louis knows it's inevitable he'll find himself opposite Steven Stamkos at some point during the game when his New York Rangers play host to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday at Madison Square Garden.

When it happens, it will mark the first time in eight years St. Louis won't be looking to dish Stamkos the puck for a chance at that wicked one-timer from the circle.

"It's definitely going to be weird; I just hope I don't pass him the puck," St. Louis said.

When told of the comment, Stamkos laughed before offering, "I hope he does; it's been a while since I got a pass from him."

Emotions will certainly be high for St. Louis on Monday when he faces the team he spent 13 seasons with for the first time since a blockbuster trade last March sent the Lightning captain to the Rangers in exchange for their captain, Ryan Callahan, and two draft picks.

TAMPA -- Eight months have passed since right wing Ryan Callahan played a game at Madison Square Garden, but Monday night the former New York Rangers captain is set to return as a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

For seven-plus seasons, The Garden was home for Callahan. The Rochester, N.Y., native was a fourth-round draft pick (No. 127) for the Rangers in 2004 and made his debut in Nov. 2006. He was announced as New York's captain before the 2011-12 season.

But he was traded to the Lightning in March as part of a package for Martin St. Louis after a contract extension with the Rangers could not be worked out. Although Callahan said he wasn't surprised about the trade, he admits it was a difficult thing to digest.

CALGARY -- Captain Mark Giordano has found more than one way to lead the Calgary Flames.

The 31-year-old not only serves as the focal point for Calgary's leadership contingent, the defenseman is at the forefront of the Flames offense. It doesn't stop there for Giordano though. The product of Toronto not only leads the Flames in points, he's tops among all NHL defensemen with 20.

Which leaves but one adjective, albeit a surprising one, for Calgary coach Bob Hartley to describe his leader.

"Boring," Hartley said before cracking a smile.

"He's the perfect example. He's a great mirror. I always enjoy sitting with him. I know we can always count on him. I've said it many times. In Denver, they were calling Joe Sakic 'Ordinary Joe.' Maybe over here we have 'Simple Gio.'"