The Montreal Canadiens swept the Winnipeg Jets to win their Second Round series. This is a team that upset the top-seeded Toronto Maple Leafs and just swept a great Jets team. The Canadiens in a way have been the shock of the Stanley Cup Playoff to this point. A team that almost backed their way into the playoffs now representing Canada. It should be pointed out that this team is playing remarkable hockey, not trailing in any of the last seven games. The problem is that this team will be regarded as a Cinderella story. This idea not only neglects how playoff hockey works but also discredits this Canadiens roster.
The Montreal Canadiens Were Built to Contend
The off-season was a short one, with the pandemic altering time. The Stanley Cup Playoffs ended in late September and the season started in January. This left all off-season activities a brief timeframe as teams were scrambling to sign players and built their rosters.
Through all this, it was easy to forget that the Montreal Canadiens were one of the busier teams in the NHL. The team signed Josh Anderson, Tyler Toffoli, Jake Allen, and Corey Perry with the intention of competing for the Cup. Allen became a viable backup goaltender throughout the season for Montreal. Tyler Toffoli led the team in goals in the regular season as part of the top line with 28. Corey Perry and Josh Anderson meanwhile have provided a veteran presence to the backend of the offense, especially in the first two rounds of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Moreover, the Montreal Canadiens already had the pieces in place to contend. Carey Price is a world-class goaltender, Jeff Petry is one of the best two-way defensemen in the NHL, and the roster already had depth. In addition, the young skaters in Nick Suzuki, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, and Cole Caufield just needed time to improve. The few moves that were made only made a team that was already good into a Stanley Cup contender.
The First Two Rounds Were Ideal Matchups
One constant theme in the Stanley Cup Playoffs is that a team might not better than another on paper. Rather, they can find ideal matchups and continue to exploit them. While it’s rare for a team to continue to outclass their opponents on the way to a Cup, the Canadiens have done it twice already with the help of a few collapses.
The Montreal Canadiens were outplayed in the first four games against the Maple Leafs, a fair result as the Leafs finished the regulars season with the best record in the North Division. The last three games of the series were truly a testament to exploiting matchups. The Canadiens’ defensive pairings were able to enter passing lanes to limit the top line of Auston Matthew and Mitch Marner. Likewise, the defensemen were able to constantly survey Matthews and make sure he never beat them, he didn’t. Meanwhile, on the offensive end of the ice, the Canadiens were able to find shots from the point and take advantage of turnovers. The mismatches were on full display as the Canadiens took the three games to win the series.
The Jets were a similar story but different matchups. The Canadiens didn’t find anyone in particular on the ice to exploit, rather they controlled the pace of the game. The Jets tend to take advantage of their speed and passing on odd-man rushes. The Canadiens were able to keep the puck in the offensive zone while also forcing the Jets to slowly transition off turnovers. The Canadiens also took advantage of a Jets defense that is good but struggles to generate speed in the defensive zone. As a result, the series unraveled rather quickly, with a sweep to close out the North Division.
Goaltending and Defense Can Carry
This season’s Stanley Cup Playoffs have truly been a testament to the goaltending of Carey Price. Price has been a world-class goaltender throughout his career, yet never had the supporting cast. This season the team finally had the depth and defensive pairing that made the job easier for Price. However, in the playoffs, the team has needed their star goaltender to step up and he did just that.
Carey Price has been playing at a different level in the Stanley Cup Playoffs this season. He has a .935 save percentage and is only allowing 1.9 goals against. The stats don’t even tell the full story as Price has faced two of the top offenses in the North Division, arguably the best in the NHL. In recent games, the offenses are constantly firing open shots on the net yet Price continues to eliminate scoring chances. In a way, the veteran goaltender has single-handedly carried this team with one of the best playoff performances in his career.
As an added bonus to the phenomenal play from their goaltender, the Montreal Canadiens have received great play from their defense. While Jeff Petry has been a great defenseman throughout his career, the backend of the unit has also been able to step up. Joel Edmunson, Shea Weber, Brett Kulak, the unit is constantly able to limit any offense in the game. It’s unclear if the Canadiens will continue their playoff success but they have the key components in place for a Stanley Cup run, as they continue to show.
