Scott Cowan: For the past few seasons, I’ve always felt as though the Canadiens have been stuck in a limbo of sorts. While Bergevin’s quick “rebuild” last year impressed me greatly, and I loved the ‘what do have to lose’ speed-focused approach the team took, its something that hasn’t worked quite as well this season. It’s always felt like one step forward, two steps back, and this playoff performance, to me, added a step.
While Montreal still has issues within their roster, this postseason showed that they can keep up with some of the better teams in the NHL, even outplaying them at times. At the end of the day, the Habs have a number of talented players on this team, and while none of them are game-breaking stars, when they play as a team, they can be a formidable foe. While I believe they are far from being a true playoff contender, I feel as though these playoffs showed their capable of at least making the playoffs, if they execute a proper game plan.
Omar White: My takeaway from these playoffs may be a bit of a bittersweet symphony. The Montreal Canadiens can dance with top talent in the team, but they need more. Games 3 and 4 are clear examples of that.
The Habs were able to expose the Flyers’ and Carter Hart when they’re defensive broke down in Games 2 and 5. They used their speed to win puck battles and fight for ice in the crease to capitalize on. But when Philadelphia shut things down, the team didn’t have a single answer. Their best offensive players in terms of straight production were Tatar and Gallagher, who weren’t nearly as effective as they could’ve been.
Kotkaniemi and Suzuki are turning into game-breakers, but the Montreal Canadiens need more. It’s not feasible to wait for Cole Caufield and expect him to be that right off the bat. Whether it’s via a trade or a free agent signing, the Habs need another impact player to fit into this lineup and help the team hit that next level.