The Canadiens might be down – but they’re not out

Apr 25, 2025, 09:00 EDT

The Canadiens might be down – but they’re not out

Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

The good news for the Montreal Canadiens is that they have only allowed three goals at 5-on-5 in regulation against the top-ranked team in the Eastern Conference.

The bad news is they’re down 2-0 and they haven’t led either game for even a second.

Most didn’t expect the Canadiens to get to this point. They were second-last to kick off December with no hope in sight. So many Habs fans will just be content with the fact they’re in the playoffs for the first time in nearly half a decade and go from there.

But, it doesn’t have to go down like that. They’re about to play back at home tonight in front of one of the craziest crowds in hockey – a road team’s nightmare. And to this point, they’re still hanging around.

The Washington Capitals haven’t looked like world beaters as they did throughout the regular season. Washington’s depth was a huge part of their success this season, but they’re not throttling the Canadiens right now. The reality is, Montreal is still giving them too many opportunities to create around the net and forcing goaltender Samuel Montembeault to be perfect. John Carlson and Jakob Chychrun haven’t registered a point, while Pierre-Luc Dubois and Ryan Leonard have tallied just one each.

The Canadiens have found themselves in a hole before. The second half of the regular season was about defying the odds and doing the impossible. It was a mental grind, but you saw how they reacted when they clinched the last spot in the East. Getting here took so much – but nobody wants to play just play. Just like in 2010 and 2021, Montreal entered as underdogs against a playoff giant and wanted to put up a fight.

Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson has been a difference-maker, as many expected. The potential Vezina finalist boasts a 2.82 goals saved above expected at 5-on-5. He got lucky with a couple of posts in Game 2, but his ability to lock things down after the first Canadiens goal kept them in it. But at the same time, Samuel Montembeault hasn’t been bad, either. His 2.27 GSAx is one spot behind Thompson out of the 13 goalies who have seen playing time so far.

There are a few concerning elements in the Canadiens’ lineup, though. When the Canadiens needed a goal late, Patrik Laine was benched for the third period. Montreal’s defense had its fair share of lapses around the net, and a missed opportunity to keep the puck in the O-zone in the final minute of the game prevented a late-game charge. Missed chances by Jake Evans and Christian Dvorak didn’t help, either.

Dvorak told the media Wednesday night that the Canadiens aren’t in the playoffs to learn lessons. They came to win. The Canadiens gave themselves plenty of opportunities to capitalize and get back on the right track. But they just haven’t. At some point, the dam will open, and they’ve got to be ready to push through.

For many of Montreal’s younger players, the first two games were valuable experience, especially for Juraj Slafkovsky, who was emotional when talking to the media after the second game. He wants to win more than anyone – he’s a competitive soul. After the run they went on to get to this point, they’re not willing to just roll over.

Let’s not forget that Montreal lost 3-1 to the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2021 before making a Cinderella run to the Stanley Cup final. The same happened in 2010 against the Capitals – Jaroslav Halak didn’t begin his miracle run until they were trailing 3-1. This isn’t uncharted territory for the team. And while the roster each time has been quite different, the Canadiens have shown multiple times they don’t back down from a fight.

You don’t need numbers to tell you Montreal has struggled defensively recently. The eye test have proven that time and time again over the past few weeks. The Canadiens need to get better at starting on time and not having to chase as the minutes die down. It worked in Game 1, but then they fell flat in overtime and ultimately lost.

But despite all that, the series has truly been tight. Washington has had the better expected goals-for percentage at 5-on-5 at 55.93 (compared to Montreal’s 44.07), but the Canadiens have outmatched them in the Corsi department. And, not to mention, just one extra goal at 5-on-5 (Connor McMichael’s second goal on Wednesday came with an empty net). It’s not like the Canadiens are getting severely outplayed by the best team in the conference. Montreal is absolutely still in this series.

The Canadiens made a habit of punching above their weight this year. Despite icing one of the youngest teams in the league, they’ve made it this far. And when the puck drops at the famed Bell Centre tonight, you know it’ll be rocking.

Habs fans: do yourself a favor. Breathe.

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The Canadiens might be down – but they’re not out

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