Last Monday night, the Montreal Canadiens completed their heroic sweep of the Winnipeg Jets, setting up a six-day rest that has seen them play no games, as they awaited their eventual semifinal foe – the Vegas Golden Knights.
Fast forward to today, and the Canadiens haven’t played a game in a week, after having played 11 games in 19 days during the opening two rounds. As they ventured through those 19 days, the Canadiens established themselves as the hottest team in the NHL – punching off seven straight victories en route to being hailed this year’s “Kings of the North Division.”
Amidst the anticipation of the Canadiens’ semifinal matchup with the Golden Knights, the question has been raised as to whether or not the Canadiens would be hindered as a result of their extended rest between Rounds 2 and 3.
When a team is clicking on all cylinders, the last thing they want is to get off the ice and go back to their couch as they await their next opponent. Look no further than the Canadiens’ second-round opponent, the Winnipeg Jets. The Jets stormed into round two after having swept the McDavid-Draisaitl led Oilers. They went on to wait eight days for the Canadiens, only to get swept in a matter of five days.
On the other hand, the Canadiens were coming off a hard-fought battle with the Toronto Maple Leafs that saw them play seven emotional games, before enjoying a single night off ahead of Round 2. They followed that series up with some of their best hockey all year – scoring three goals in the first period of Game 1 and never looking back.
Despite how superb the Canadiens played, it still seemed fluky to see the Jets handle the Oilers in four games only to collapse in Round 2, and the dreadful thought of “sweeping only to be swept” has come to fruition for a number of teams in recent years’ Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Looking back to 2019, the New York Islanders swept the Penguins in the first round only to be swept by the Carolina Hurricanes in Round 2, and then went on to be swept by the Boston Bruins in that year’s Eastern Conference Final. History has given Canadiens fans reason to be concerned that a long-rest could prove costly in Round 3. However, the Canadiens should still have a number of reasons to be thankful for some rare time off this season.
In sparking their unbelievable playoff run, the Canadiens have leaned heavily on a number of veteran players – most notably Carey Price, Shea Weber, and Corey Perry. The youngest of the three is Price, who turns 34 this summer, and who has been exceptional thus far after having the last month of the regular season off due to injury.
If the Canadiens are going to topple Vegas en route to the Stanley Cup Finals, they will need to see these three guys and the likes of others such as Eric Staal and Jeff Petry – who is currently nursing a dislocated finger – continue to excel in order to be successful in Round 3.
With that being said, the Canadiens could surely have benefited from a few nights off as their decisive veterans enjoy some time to recuperate ahead of what should be their toughest assignment yet in the Vegas Golden Knights.
The Golden Knights will be the Canadiens toughest matchup of not only the playoffs, but all season long, and the Canadiens will need to be at their best right out of the gates. After having waited six days for Game 1, it will be difficult for the team to do so against a Golden Knights team that is arguably just as hot and will have a true home-ice advantage.
The rest might help the Canadiens keep their legs deeper into the series but it could prove costly if they aren’t able to carry their previous momentum into the opening minutes of Game 1. In this case, the Canadiens’ time off could prove costly to their pursuit of the Stanley Cup Finals.
Although, when the puck drops on Monday night, all bets will be off and soon enough it won’t matter how each team got there – what will be important is that a trip to hockey’s most sacred series will be on the line.
The Canadiens will need a spirited effort, regardless of the circumstances, to prove that’s all that matters as they continue their pursuit of the franchise’s 25th Stanley Cup.