The Montreal Canadiens were pretty much immediately written off when the NHL announced the 24-team format that would see the Habs in as the bottom seeded team. Nobody expected much of them and many fans were hoping they would lose in the play-ins so that they would get either the ninth overall pick or have a 12.5 percent chance of drafting first. This would be the scenario for Montreal selecting forward Alexis Lafreniere.
To the surprise of many, the Canadiens beat the Pittsburgh Penguins to take on the Flyers in round one of the playoffs. Ultimately, the Habs fell in game two of the series, but there was a lot to be happy about despite leaving the bubble early on.
Carey Price Is Still Here
Carey Price has not been the player he’s proven to be over the past couple of years. The superstar goaltender, who’s widely regarded as the world’s best, hasn’t played to the caliber that the hockey world has come to expect of him. Entering the NHL playoffs, everyone knew that if Montreal were to beat the Penguins and have even a shot at a potential deep run, Carey Price would need to be their best player.
Fortunately for the Habs, Price did not disappoint. In fact, he has been one of, if not, the best goaltender so far this postseason. Only three goaltenders have played at least 10 games so far this postseason with Price having been one of them. He put up a phenomenal save percentage of .936 and a 1.78 GAA.
Price knows that his window is closing, and when given the chance to compete for the Stanley Cup, he played every game like it was his last. It is comforting to know that when given the opportunity, Price can still compete as the world’s best goaltender when it matters most.
This Team May Not Be As Far Away As People Think
Philadelphia won the series fair and square, but that does not mean that they were the better team. The Flyers have a talented roster, one capable of making a deep cup run. However, the roster they put on the ice was not as big a threat to Montreal as they should have been. Whether it was because the Habs shut down their stars or because Price was simply on his A game, Philadelphia’s offence was pretty quiet throughout majority of the first-round series.
Carter Hart playing like a vintage Carey Price when it mattered most was arguably the biggest reason why Philadelphia beat the Canadiens. The Habs offence was better, their defence was very good and their young players really stepped up. Montreal is not a team filled to the brim with superstar players like many of their rivals such as Toronto and Tampa Bay.
However, the team they put on the ice had a lot to offer and will moving forward. They have depth which is crucial when in a playoff run, and more importantly, they play with a lot of heart. The absence of Brenden Gallagher was a devastating blow in game six to the hockey club.
However, even without Gallagher, Montreal remained strong and played well. What we saw on the ice was an underdog team that normally would not have been in the playoffs. They were given a chance to do so against a team far superior to them, but were able to outplay them. Unfortunately, they couldn’t outlast their competition.
The Atlantic Division is getting tougher and tougher to compete in, but if the Habs can make the necessary offseason additions, they may surprise quite a few opponents this year. This would also include using their abundance of cap space to build off their playoff appearance.
Suzuki And Kotkaniemi Stepped Up
Big games in the NHL playoffs are when you get to really see what your players are made of. For the Montreal Canadiens, we got to see a lot. For starters, Nick Suzuki, who had a promising rookie season in Montreal, looked like a whole new player through their playoff run.
He was promoted to the team’s first line and was an offensive machine through and through. His contributions took place when it mattered most. In game six, he scored both goals for Montreal in order to keep them in the game and the series.
This highlighted his calm demeanour in the biggest of games as well as his offensive skill. Alongside Jonathan Drouin, Nick Suzuki led his team in points with seven, but more importantly, he showed management and Canadiens fans that he has the skill necessary to become a star player.
Alongside Nick Suzuki, another Canadiens youngster really stepped up during their Stanley Cup playoff run. Former third overall pick Jesperi Kotkaniemi became a key player during the Habs playoff run. Kotkaniemi had a very promising rookie season last year, but was hit with a major case of the sophomore slumps this season.
He faced a handful of injuries and was even sent down to the AHL where he looked really solid before an injury derailed it all. Returning from injury and entering the playoffs, Kotkaniemi appeared a very different player. He showed off his versatility and improved size by driving to the net to score goals among other things. This included relying more on his wicked shot, referred to as criminally underrated.
What we didn’t see as much from the Finnish center was his playmaking abilities that have been his biggest NHL asset so far. He has been working on improving his strength and becoming more physical which was shown in the playoffs. He was dependable when in his own zone and was aggressive along the boards and near the goalie crease as well.
His confidence was arguably the biggest difference in his game which was fairly evident through their run in the playoffs. It caught the attention of not only his teammates, but opposing players, and most importantly, management. He played with confidence we didn’t see this season and this resulted in him shooting the puck more.
There’s still room for Kotkaniemi to improve and take everything that he has learned and incorporate it into his game. If given more ice time and responsibility while entering the season with similar confidence, if not, more, Kotkaniemi could become the player that management saw in when chosen two years ago. The native of Pori, Finland was drafted third overall back in 2018.
Moving down from ninth to 16th overall in this draft may seem like a blow for a team that would not have made the playoffs had the league not suspended play. They did as a 24-team format was adopted which was hardly a bad thing for the Canadiens. Montreal gained valuable experience and got a clear picture on what they need to improve on. As such, this provides that vision that the Habs will be chasing to ensure an impact next year.
They saw what they are hoping their young players can turn into and also that there’s still hockey left to be played for some of their stars such as Shea Weber and Carey Price. This young team gained playoff experience and a lot of confidence knowing that they can compete amongst the best in the league. Of course, something like that is invaluable. Once your players have a mix of both of these, they will be eager and hungry for seasons to come.