This post will focus on each Montreal Canadiens player's play in the defensive-zone. Their performances will be quantified using their success-rates when attempting to remove puck-possession from the opposition, as well as their success-rate when attempting to maintain puck-possession by way of a pass, or deke.
DEFENSIVE-TOUCH SUCCESS-RATES
Successful D-touch% represents a player's success-rate when attempting to remove puck-possession from the opposition by way of a stick/body check, blocked pass, or blocked shot. Only those events that occur while the other team is in possession at the time of the event are used. This means that loose-puck recoveries are not included in these success-rates.
It is important to note that defensemen are far more active defensively in the defensive-zone. That means that their success-rates have a greater impact on a team's performance than the defensive success-rates of wingers; as wingers engage in fewer defensive-zone events than both centres and d-men.
Among defensemen, Josh Gorges has the top defensive-zone defensive success-rate. He's followed by Francis Bouillon and Andrei Markov. The lowest d-touch success-rate actually belongs to PK Subban, who's d-touch success-rate is just slightly lower than both Raphael Diaz and rookie Nathan Beaulieu.
Among centres, the top defensive-touch success-rate has been produced by Ryan White, while the lowest d-touch % belongs to David Desharnais. Desharnais actually has the fourth-lowest d-touch percentage on the team.
Excluding newcomers Michael Blunden and Patrick Holland (SSS), the Habs top defensive-winger in the d-zone has been Brandon Prust. Prust's high d-touch success-rate is slightly better than Travis Moen. The lowest d-touch percentages in the defensive-zone have been produced by Rene Bourque, Max Pacioretty, and rookie Michael Bournival.
OFFENSIVE-TOUCH SUCCESS-RATES
Successful O-touch% represents a player's success-rate when attempting maintain puck-possession by way of a deke or pass. Only those events that occur while that player has possession of the puck are included in the calculation. For passes, it is the position of the player passing the puck that determines whether it is a defensive, neutral, or offensive-zone event.
As with d-touches, it is important to note that the majority of a team's offensive-touches in the defensive-zone are produced by that team's defense-core. Expressed more simply, the higher a player's o-touch success-rate, the less-often they turn the puck over.
Among Habs d-men, Gorges has the top offensive-touch success-rate in the defensive-zone. Subban has the second-best rating, followed by Markov. The lowest o-touch% was produced by Jarred Tinordi.
Among centres, White has the top o-touch success-rate, while Tomas Plekanec has the lowest. That said, it is important to remember that Plekanec faces the other team's top players more often than any other Montreal center.
Moen has the top o-touch success-rate in the d-zone among Habs wingers; followed by Bournival, and Galchenyuk. Outside of the small sample size produced by Holland, it is actually Brendan Gallagher who has the lowest o-touch success-rate among Montreal wingers.
