The Montreal Canadiens will play their first game after the Olympic break on February 26 against the New York Islanders. The Habs are undoubtedly in a good position at this point in the season, as they have a record of 32-17-8 and are second in the Atlantic Division standings with 72 points.
There are several reasons why the Canadiens are one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference this season, and forward Oliver Kapanen is undoubtedly one of them. After recording two assists in his first 18 career NHL games last season, Kapanen has broken out this campaign for the Canadiens and established himself as a key part of their forward group.
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In 57 games so far this season with the Canadiens, Kapanen has recorded 18 goals, 13 assists, 31 points and a plus-5 rating. Kapanen is currently tied with Anaheim Ducks forward Beckett Sennecke for the most goals among all NHL rookies. He is also fourth in points among all NHL rookies, so he has undoubtedly been one of the best rookies in the NHL this season.
With all that said, there is no doubt that Kapanen had an impressive year for the Canadiens. The young striker should only improve as he continues to gain experience, and it will be fascinating to see how he finishes the season from here.
