Expectations: Smashed

MONTREAL - The Canadiens might not have a 100-point player in the lineup, but Montreal has been the perfect example of the team-first concept this season.

Tasks and roles have been spread out and shared extremely well by the coaching staff, and each player is contributing in his own way.
On Friday, head coach Claude Julien reminded reporters that his club has been following the same game plan since day one.
"We've been saying it since the start of the season. To have success, we need everyone to chip in. We're not a team that can just count on two or three players to do the work. We don't have that. We know it and we respect it. But, that doesn't make us a bad hockey team or a team with bad players," outlined Julien on the annual team photo day on March 22. "This is how we're having success. We have balance on each of our lines. That's allowed us to play solid hockey at both ends all season."
Canadiens players have executed their coach's game plan brilliantly the whole season and proving the naysayers wrong in the process. And it's all been the result of their team effort.
As well, the Canadiens are the only NHL team to currently count 12 players with 10 goals or more, beating out League powerhouses, the Tampa Bay Lightning and San Jose Sharks, for first overall in that regard.
It's the first time since 1993-94 that 12 Canadiens players have reached or surpassed the 10-goal mark. Montreal also matched an old record from that same season on Tuesday night when they enjoyed their 18th game of scoring five or more goals in a campaign.
Also in Tuesday's 6-1 win over the Florida Panthers at the Bell Centre, forward Tomas Tatar hit the 25-goal mark with a two-goal performance. With that, Tatar and Max Domi became just the fourth duo in Canadiens history to score 25 goals each in their first season in Montreal. The last two to do so were Brian Gionta (28G) and Mike Cammalleri (26G) in 2009-10.

Domi (68 points) and Tatar (57 points) could also become the third pair of teammates in franchise history to finish first and second in team scoring in their inaugural season in Montreal. That would mark the first time the feat has been accomplished since 1940-41 when John Quilty (34 points in 48 games) and Joe Benoit (32 points in 45 games) finished first and second on the Habs' scoring list.
The Habs' attack has been reinvigorated this season: Montreal currently ranks fourth in the League for most goals scored at 5-on-5 with 178.
The Canadiens also have seven players with 40 points or more this season, which is tied for third in the NHL with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Washington Capitals. The Sharks lead the category with nine players having hit the 40-point mark and the Lighting are second with eight.
Looking at the teams with the most 30-point players, Montreal is tied for second with the Calgary Flames and Sharks with 10. The Lightning are tops with 11 players.
That all goes to show how much each player on the Canadiens has been contributing in 2018-19.
Max Domi
The centerman is enjoying an exceptional first year in Montreal. Domi hit the 20-goal mark for the first time in his career, and also surpassed his personal bests with 41 assists and 68 points. The Winnipeg native currently boasts 27 tallies on the season.

Tomas Tatar
The Slovakian forward is also enjoying a stellar first season in Montreal; Tatar's 32 assists and 57 points are new career highs.

Brendan Gallagher
Gallagher is the club's top goal-scorer with 33, exceeding his previous high mark of 31 set last season. The winger is just two points away from tying the career-high 54 points he collected in 2017-18.

Phillip Danault
The centerman has turned a lot of heads this season. Not only is Danault still incredibly effective defensively, but he's also set new marks for assists (37) and points (49). The Blackhawks' first-round pick in 2011 is just one goal away from equalling his best haul of 13 from 2016-17 with the Habs.

Jeff Petry
The rearguard played a huge role in Shea Weber's absence at the start of the season. Petry has also managed new personal bests with 32 assists and 43 points. He, too, can tie his career high of 12 goals with his next tally.

Andrew Shaw
The winger hit the 40-point mark for the first time in his career this season. Shaw has 18 goals, 24 assists, and 42 points in 2018-19. His 24 helpers are also a personal best.

Jonathan Drouin
The forward set a new high mark with 34 assists this season. The Sainte-Agathe native is just one point away from matching his highest NHL total of 53, which he earned with the Lightning in 2016-17.

Jordie Benn
The defenseman overtook his career high in goals with five this season. Benn's 20 points are also tied for most he's gotten in the NHL after reaching the plateau with the Dallas Stars in 2013-14.

Brett Kulak
The blue-liner has turned out to be a nice surprise this season, having reached new heights with five goals, nine assists, and 14 points.

Artturi Lehkonen
The Finn reached the 10-goal plateau for a third consecutive season, and he's now just one point away from his career high of 28 points set as a rookie in 2016-17.

Joel Armia
In his first season as a Hab, Armia is now just one goal away from matching his personal-best 12 goals scored in 2017-18 with the Winnipeg Jets.