Don't look now but the Montreal Canadiens are tied for a playoff spot

Maybe the Montreal Canadiens organization knew something that everyone else didn't when they said they'd be "in the mix" for a playoff spot this season. It seemed outrageous to think the Canadiens could crack a playoff spot in the Atlantic Division, as the Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Boston Bruins were all primed to dominate the division again this season. However, some of those teams have started the season poorly.

The Maple Leafs and Bruins are 4-4-1 after Boston defeated Toronto in overtime on Saturday night. The Buffalo Sabres and Detroit Red Wings are also 4-4-1, putting the Canadiens in a five-way tie for third place in the division. The Ottawa Senators are also a point back with a game in hand.

Let's be honest. It's less than a month into the season, and the standings could change tonight. Wins for the Sabres and Leafs would knock the Canadiens out of the playoffs again, and being tied for third after nine games doesn't give the Habs anything to hang their hats on. However, it shows that all the panic at the beginning of the season was a bit overblown.

An NHL season has plenty of ups and downs. Considering the grand scheme, starting the season on a downswing doesn't mean anything, as the Habs made it through and are still in the playoff hunt. If Montreal had started the year well and gone through their downswing in November, it wouldn't have been as big of an issue. Now, it's time for the Canadiens to stay in the race or fall back again.

It feels like the Canadiens are only going to get better. Their younger players will get more comfortable, and the offense will break out of the funk. The Canadiens may have found something with Kirby Dach on Nick Suzuki's wing, and the returns of Juraj Slafkovsky and Patrik Laine are on the horizon.

It may have been just a good weekend. The Habs defeated the St. Louis Blues and Philadelphia Flyers on back-to-back nights, and it would've been much more convincing if they hadn't given up two late goals to the Blues. They won 5-2 against the Flyers on Saturday night, then held a 4-1 lead against St. Louis before finishing the game 4-3. It'll take much more work, but the Canadiens are "in the mix," just like they said they would be.