A Winning Habit
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Canadiens’ Player Report Cards: Play-In Series Against the Pittsburgh Penguins

By Sebastian High

TORONTO, ONTARIO - AUGUST 07: Jake Guentzel #59 of the Pittsburgh Penguins congratulates Carey Price #31 of the Montreal Canadiens on the game and series win after Game Four of the Eastern Conference Qualification Round prior to the 2020 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena on August 07, 2020 in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/Freestyle Photo/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ONTARIO - AUGUST 07: Jake Guentzel #59 of the Pittsburgh Penguins congratulates Carey Price #31 of the Montreal Canadiens on the game and series win after Game Four of the Eastern Conference Qualification Round prior to the 2020 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena on August 07, 2020 in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/Freestyle Photo/Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MARCH 03: Montreal Canadiens Carey Price (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MARCH 03: Montreal Canadiens Carey Price (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /

C. I quite like Ouellet. I gave him a strong B- grade for his regular-season performance and even stated that I wouldn’t be against him cracking the lineup next season. But the Laval Rocket captain has quite clearly been the weakest link of the Montreal Canadiens’ defensive corps thus far; would this team really be worse off with <a rel=. . . XAVIER OUELLET

A -. <a rel=. . . BEN CHIAROT

. . BRETT KULAK. A. There isn’t all that much for me to add; every praise I gave Petry for his defensive play equally applies to Kulak, if not more so. Kulak became Crosby’s personal bodyguard for the final two games of the series, in that he never left his side. Sid the Kid had a far harder time producing anything of value once Kulak got the assignment of covering him at all times. If what we’re seeing is the real Kulak and not just a hot streak that will eventually dissipate, the Montreal Canadiens have themselves a really dependable top-4 defenseman. Oh, and Kulak also showed that he could be a real threat offensively, turning into a fourth attacker on multiple offensive rushes in the series, which often culminated in a dangerous scoring opportunity or a powerplay; this guy has been solid.

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