Reaching playoffs ‘best feeling in the world,' Canadiens' Kaiden Guhle says
Montreal Canadiens
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In mid-November, the Canadiens were last overall in the NHL before improving to 31st two weeks later. Even the most fervent supporters had to admit the rebuilding process appeared to be regressing.
And yet today, Montreal is headed to the playoffs for the first time since 2021, when it made an improbable run to the Stanley Cup final before being overmatched by Tampa Bay.
The Canadiens' hard-fought 4-2 victory over Carolina Wednesday at the Bell Centre secured the second, and final, wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. Montreal will meet the top-seeded Capitals in the best-of-seven opening round, beginning Monday night in Washington.
Before February's 4 Nations Face-Off tournament, the Canadiens were six points short of a playoff berth. But then Montreal went 15-5-6 — the league's fifth-best record. That included a five-game winning streak coming out of the break, providing hope, along with a recent season-high string of six consecutive victories.
'I'm so proud of the group,' head coach Martin St. Louis said Wednesday night. 'Coming off the break, I think we had a two per cent chance of making the playoffs. For me, a two per cent chance, you still have a chance.'
There were some anxious moments during the final week of the schedule. Although the Canadiens needed only one win in their final four games, it was difficult to seal the deal, the team going 0-1-2 while Columbus — the last team that had a chance to catch Montreal — went on a five-game winning streak.
'I feel I experienced the same as the players,' said St. Louis, who should be considered a coach-of-the-year candidate. 'I was stressed as well. You almost have to normalize that. You have to let those feelings go when the game starts. Everything between the games, it's normal to feel the way you do, especially the way the schedule lined up. Columbus was playing when we weren't. You're not busy when they're playing. You're scoreboard watching or watching the game. It added to (the anxiety).
'I learned a lot the last four games. It's something I've got to go through as a coach.'
While the players weren't wrong when they repeatedly said they controlled their destiny, it appeared they were feeling the pressure of putting the final nail in the Blue Jackets' coffin. The Canadiens have one of the NHL's youngest teams and, while the roster's sprinkled with some veterans, the majority haven't played late-season meaningful games.
'Feeling something that no one expected us to do in November, December, this group's so resilient,' said defenceman Kaiden Guhle, who had the first two-goal game of his career. 'I'm so proud of every guy in this room. It's the best feeling in the world — winning big games.'
The Canadiens and Capitals are meeting in the playoffs for the first time since 2010, when they faced each other in a conference quarter-final. Montreal overcame a 3-1 deficit to upset the Presidents' Trophy winners, proving that anything's possible once the post-season begins.
The teams met three times this season and, although Washington won twice, the Canadiens are coming off a 3-2 overtime win at Capital One Arena on Jan. 10.
'Whatever happened during the regular season, it doesn't matter. It's going to be a whole different game out there,' said Lane Hutson, who tied Larry Murphy's record of 60 assists by a rookie defenceman. 'Anyone can beat anyone on any given night. That's why it's the best sport in the world.
'The last stretch was tough for everyone,' he said. 'I tried not to show that you're rattled, but everyone gets rattled and handles it differently.'
Winger Brendan Gallagher, in his 13th season with the Canadiens, knows the task of defeating Washington is formidable.
'They're one of the best teams in the league for a reason,' he said. 'It's going to be a tough challenge for us. It's a good opportunity for us to show what we've become and we're going to embrace the challenge. We'll be ready, but we know what's ahead of us.
'There's 16 teams with the opportunity to make the dream come true. We're one of them, and you try to take advantage of it.'
The Canadiens had the day off on Thursday and will practise Friday through Sunday at the CN Sports Complex in Brossard before leaving for Washington. Winger Joshua Roy won't be accompanying the team. He was assigned to AHL Laval on Thursday.
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