A Winning Habit
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It’s not possible for the Montreal Canadiens to tank the Qualifier

By Omar L

BOISBRIAND, QC - OCTOBER 05: Alexis Lafreniere #11 of the Rimouski Oceanic skates during the warm-up prior to the game against the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada at Centre d'Excellence Sports Rousseau on October 5, 2019 in Boisbriand, Quebec, Canada. The Blainville-Boisbriand Armada defeated the Rimouski Oceanic 5-3. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
BOISBRIAND, QC - OCTOBER 05: Alexis Lafreniere #11 of the Rimouski Oceanic skates during the warm-up prior to the game against the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada at Centre d'Excellence Sports Rousseau on October 5, 2019 in Boisbriand, Quebec, Canada. The Blainville-Boisbriand Armada defeated the Rimouski Oceanic 5-3. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images) /
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Montreal Canadiens
QUEBEC CITY, QC – OCTOBER 18: Montreal Canadiens (Photo by Mathieu Belanger/Getty Images) /

The Montreal Canadiens have a chance to win the first overall pick and have the right to draft Alexis Lafreniere, but it won’t be a tank that gets it done.

Friday night was ultimate chaos for the NHL, so much so that “rigged” was trending on Twitter. The 2020 NHL Draft was simple yet complicated, and the way it ended gave a reality TV show-like ending to the mystery of who is going to select Alexis Lafreniere first overall. It initially looked as if one of those bottom-seven teams, likely Detroit or Ottawa, would get the right to call out his name. But now we know the Montreal Canadiens could have a chance to do so.

If you missed the event, a to-be-determined team won the lottery. To be more specific, Team E won with a 2.5% chance to do so. That’s what makes these kinds of things exciting to watch, the best odds doesn’t guarantee a victory. In fact, if things were normal, that would’ve been the Winnipeg Jets winning as they would’ve been in that 12 spot.

Now there is going to be a second draft lottery composed of the eight teams who are eliminated in the Stanley Cup Qualifier. And as fate would have it, Habs fans are screaming one word at the top of their lungs for the whole world to hear: TANK!

Unfortunately, it’s not that simple.

There’s one thing we need to make clear here: players do not tank, teams tank. Teams may “give up” closer to the end of the season when they have nothing to play for, but this isn’t it in the slightest.

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