Montreal Canadiens: The most frustrating part of not being in the playoffs

It’s been almost a week since the Montreal Canadiens season came to an end and watching the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs doesn’t help soften the blow.

What is the most frustrating part of not having the Montreal Canadiens in the playoffs? Well, there are several ways to look at it.

For starters, the Habs not being in the playoffs is frustrating in of itself. It forces fans to latch on to other teams or cheer for individual players instead of having that emotional investment every time the puck is dropped. Another way to gauge the frustration is by looking at who is in instead of them.

This’ll be a conversation for another day, but the fact that the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche made it given their regular season point totals relative to the Montreal Canadiens is a salt-triggering. But that’s an issue with the format of playoff contention. Will it be resolved? Likely not because the league is in love with the playoff rivalries formed (Leafs-Boston, Sharks-Golden Knights) and the fact that new teams have a chance to make it every year.

However, there is one more frustrating aspect that encompasses all of this, and I wouldn’t be surprised if a number of you had this thought when taking in all the Game Ones over the last two days. The Montreal Canadiens could’ve been very successful if they made it likely being a team that could take a powerhouse by surprise and come out with a victory.

Hockey minds always praise how physical and empowering the game becomes once the Stanley Cup Playoffs begin, but the most fans have seen so far is speed, rushing speed, capitalization, and ridiculous goaltending. That, in a nutshell, is the Montreal Canadiens MO.

Take Tampa Bay vs. Columbus. The Lightning were up 3-0 after the first period and got some solid saves from Sergei Bobrovsky giving the Blue Jackets time to settle in and start playing their game. Eventually, they started to build off Tampa’s mistakes in the offensive and neutral zone and capitalize off scoring chances.

More examples can be found between the Leafs and Bruins. Boston got the first goal on the powerplay off a blown assignment giving Patrice Bergeron an empty net, but Toronto found a way to generate using their speed. The way they accelerated out of the zone created chances, but they also had some strong play in the crease that led to their first goal.

The Montreal Canadiens had that kind of style going all season.

Although it is frustrating to watch teams the Habs would likely have a good chance of beating, it’s also reassuring to know they have what it takes to compete. That makes everything the players said in their exit interviews all the more important.

They need to build off what they accomplished this season and not take a step in the other direction. That way, when April 2020 comes, and the Montreal Canadiens are likely in the show, they won’t be an option to bump out of the first round. They’ll be there looking to do some damage.