The Montreal Canadiens 2021-22 season could be described as a lost year for the organization.
They now have nine games left to play and they really knew what their fate would be this season after their first nine games.
There were a few weeks, maybe months, where the schedule felt like quite a grind. The team was icing a lineup that looked like an early preseason squad due to all the injuries, everyone knew they weren’t making the playoffs, and there was still half a season to play.
But, things have picked up as the team has played better in the second half of the season. It isn’t difficult to be better than eight wins in the first 45 games, but there were many encouraging signs late in the year. At the very least, fans were given some exciting hockey to watch for a while and there was some hope flickering for the future once again.
There were a few distinct reasons for that return of hope after the desolate days of December and January.
Still, the Canadiens are last in the Eastern Conference and look certain to finish with a bottom three record in the league. That is not ideal, and was definitely not the plan for a team that was in the Stanley Cup Final last season.
But the 2021-22 season will not go down in the record books as a complete waste of time for the Canadiens. There are many positives to take out of this season and things that will benefit the team for many years to come.