After going from last place to second place in the Eastern Conference in 2013, the Montreal Canadiens were expected to come back down to earth a little in 2013-14. This common prediction seemed accurate until Montreal caught fire and won nine out of ten.

The hot streak came to a screeching halt Wednesday night as the Habs dropped a 6-0 decision at home to the scalding-hot Los Angeles Kings, but Montreal has worked its way to the top of the Eastern Conference nonetheless.

The Canadiens may not keep up their torrid pace throughout the rest of the year, but there are several reasons for their rise through the standings.

Maybe the two biggest reasons for the turnaround are the team's top two defensemen: P.K. Subban and Andrei Markov.

Subban, last year's Norris Trophy winner, has established himself as an elite NHL defenseman and arguably the absolute best in the league. He currently leads the team in points with 24: four goals and a whopping 20 assists. Subban brings everything anyone would want in a defenseman to the table. He can score, he can hit, he can set up plays and he can stir things up.

When there was a contract dispute last winter that caused Subban to miss several games, the team struggled. As soon as he came back, however, his presence was immediately felt.

Markov has missed significant time in the past few seasons, but for a different reason. Markov has struggled with injuries throughout his career, and the Canadiens seem to struggle when he is out. This year, he has played every game and has seventeen assists in a plus-ten rating.

Another factor in Montreal's success has been stellar goaltending from both Carey Price and Peter Budaj.

Price, who has faced scrutiny in the past, boasts a 2.08 goals against average and a .934 save percentage, some of the best numbers in hockey.

Budaj has only played in eight games, but he has an even better goals against average at 1.92.

Stellar defense and goaltending have both contributed to wins for Montreal, but the development of young players has given the offense a spark as well. Alex Galchenyuk and Brendan Gallagher do not appear to be suffering from sophomore slumps and Michael Bournival has been a very pleasant surprise.

Again, other teams in the division (like the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs) will heat up as the Canadiens will cool down, but expect Montreal to continue to be a in the thick of the playoff race for the remainder of the year.