diff --git a/src/lib/core/datetime/simple-date.ts b/src/lib/core/datetime/simple-date.ts
index 29e19338162d..75a498425d57 100644
--- a/src/lib/core/datetime/simple-date.ts
+++ b/src/lib/core/datetime/simple-date.ts
@@ -7,12 +7,12 @@ export class SimpleDate {
    * Create a SimpleDate from a native JS Date object.
    * @param nativeDate The native JS Date object to convert.
    */
-  static fromNativeDate(nativeDate: Date) {
+  static fromNativeDate(nativeDate: Date): SimpleDate {
     return new SimpleDate(nativeDate.getFullYear(), nativeDate.getMonth(), nativeDate.getDate());
   }
 
   /** Creates a SimpleDate object representing today. */
-  static today() {
+  static today(): SimpleDate {
     return SimpleDate.fromNativeDate(new Date());
   }
 
@@ -29,22 +29,22 @@ export class SimpleDate {
   }
 
   /** The year component of this date. */
-  get year() {
+  get year(): number {
     return this._date.getFullYear();
   }
 
   /** The month component of this date. (0-indexed, 0 = January). */
-  get month() {
+  get month(): number {
     return this._date.getMonth();
   }
 
   /** The date component of this date. (1-indexed, 1 = 1st of month). */
-  get date() {
+  get date(): number {
     return this._date.getDate();
   }
 
   /** The day component of this date. (0-indexed, 0 = Sunday) */
-  get day() {
+  get day(): number {
     return this._date.getDay();
   }
 
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ export class SimpleDate {
    * Adds an amount of time (in days, months, and years) to the date.
    * @param amount The amount of time to add.
    */
-  add(amount: {days: number, months: number, years: number}) {
+  add(amount: {days: number, months: number, years: number}): SimpleDate {
     return new SimpleDate(
         this.year + amount.years || 0,
         this.month + amount.months || 0,
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ export class SimpleDate {
   }
 
   /** Converts the SimpleDate to a native JS Date object. */
-  toNativeDate() {
+  toNativeDate(): Date {
     return new Date(this.year, this.month, this.date);
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/lib/datepicker/calendar-table.scss b/src/lib/datepicker/calendar-table.scss
index f6c99a7df15e..2b3503ef0227 100644
--- a/src/lib/datepicker/calendar-table.scss
+++ b/src/lib/datepicker/calendar-table.scss
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ $mat-calendar-table-font-size: 12px !default;
 $mat-calendar-table-cell-padding: 1px !default;
 $mat-calendar-table-cell-content-size: 32px !default;
 $mat-calendar-table-cell-content-border-width: 1px !default;
+$mat-calendar-table-label-padding-start: 10px !default;
 
 
 .mat-calendar-table-table {
@@ -11,7 +12,7 @@ $mat-calendar-table-cell-content-border-width: 1px !default;
 
 .mat-calendar-table-label {
   height: $mat-calendar-table-cell-content-size;
-  padding: 0 0 0 10px;
+  padding: 0 0 0 $mat-calendar-table-label-padding-start;
   text-align: left;
   font-weight: normal;
 }
@@ -33,7 +34,7 @@ $mat-calendar-table-cell-content-border-width: 1px !default;
 
 [dir='rtl'] {
   .mat-calendar-table-label {
-    padding: 0 10px 0 0;
+    padding: 0 $mat-calendar-table-label-padding-start 0 0;
     text-align: right;
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/lib/datepicker/calendar-table.spec.ts b/src/lib/datepicker/calendar-table.spec.ts
index a7f12e786d3f..fb9869bda99a 100644
--- a/src/lib/datepicker/calendar-table.spec.ts
+++ b/src/lib/datepicker/calendar-table.spec.ts
@@ -69,8 +69,8 @@ describe('MdCalendarTable', () => {
       expect(rowEls.length).toBe(2);
       expect(labelEls.length).toBe(1);
       expect(cellEls.length).toBe(11);
-      expect(rowEls[0].firstElementChild.classList.contains('mat-calendar-table-label')).toBe(
-          true, 'first cell should be the label');
+      expect(rowEls[0].firstElementChild.classList)
+          .toContain('mat-calendar-table-label', 'first cell should be the label');
       expect(labelEls[0].getAttribute('colspan')).toBe('3');
     });
 
@@ -80,8 +80,8 @@ describe('MdCalendarTable', () => {
       todayElement.click();
       fixture.detectChanges();
 
-      expect(todayElement.classList.contains('mat-calendar-table-selected')).toBe(
-          true, 'today should be selected');
+      expect(todayElement.classList)
+          .toContain('mat-calendar-table-selected', 'today should be selected');
     });
   });
 });