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“We’re undoubtedly not that far off from being a playoff group and competing for the Stanley Cup,” captain Nick Suzuki says.
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If there’s unbridled optimism initially of each Canadiens’ season, those self same emotions permeated the dressing room on the conclusion of this 82-game marathon, regardless of Montreal but once more lacking the playoffs.
“I feel we’ve quite a lot of room to develop and it’s thrilling,” captain Nick Suzuki mentioned Wednesday on the group’s season-ending media availability on the CN Sports activities Complicated in Brossard. “We’re undoubtedly not that far off from being a playoff group and competing for the Stanley Cup.
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“That’s our purpose undoubtedly going into subsequent season, to make the playoffs and go for a run.”
A group should study to crawl earlier than it could actually stroll, and the Canadiens have been taking child steps on this arduous course of, lacking the playoffs three consecutive seasons following their surprising run to the Cup closing through the abbreviated 2020-21 COVID marketing campaign.
Montreal additionally completed final within the Atlantic Division for a 3rd successive season, two factors behind the Ottawa Senators.
The Canadiens went 30-36-16 and the group has improved marginally the final three seasons, going from 55 factors to 68 then to 76 this season. However the rebuilding Detroit Crimson Wings, a division rival, gained 41 video games and had been edged by Washington for the ultimate wild-card spot within the Japanese Convention. And solely 4 groups — Columbus (27), Anaheim (26), Chicago (23) and San Jose (19) gained fewer video games than Montreal.
Competing for an NHL championship seems to be nothing greater than wishful pondering at this juncture.
“I feel, as a gaggle, we created lots (offensively), particularly over the second half of the 12 months,” mentioned Suzuki, who led the group in scoring with 33 objectives and 77 factors over 82 video games. “We tried to implement quite a lot of new issues this 12 months offensively. I feel it actually helped us. There’s quite a lot of expertise within the room already. We’ve got younger guys developing which have quite a lot of expertise as properly. I feel there’s quite a lot of good items which can be going to work properly collectively.”
Highway to the Cup
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Opposite to Suzuki’s perception, the Canadiens seem to require offensive assist past their prime line. Montreal scored 236 objectives this season, the trio of centre Suzuki between Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky accounting for 81 of that complete (34.32 per cent). The departure of Sean Monahan, who had 13 objectives in 49 video games earlier than being traded to Winnipeg, together with the season-ending knee harm to Kirby Dach after solely two video games, didn’t assist the state of affairs. Nonetheless, the Canadiens require extra offensive stability.
Normal supervisor Kent Hughes admitted as a lot Wednesday morning, earlier than the participant availability.
“I feel it was an encouraging season. Thrilling,” mentioned Alex Newhook, who was acquired in a commerce from Colorado final June and produced profession highs in objectives (15) and factors (34) regardless of being restricted to 55 video games. “We’ve got quite a lot of key items right here. We play the best means. We’re actually near changing into a fairly harmful group on this league and a prime group. I’m simply wanting ahead to taking the subsequent step subsequent 12 months.
“We’ve received quite a lot of younger guys right here,” he added. “It takes a pair years to sort of work out what it takes to be a winner on this league and to be a successful group. Possibly it’s studying from what we went by means of this 12 months. I feel we’re proper there. I’m wanting ahead to what the longer term has for this group.”
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Following Montreal’s 9-3 drubbing of Philadelphia on April 9, the season ended with 4 straight defeats, all determined in additional time or a shootout. These losses served as a microcosm of yet one more of this group’s weaknesses — its incapability to carry leads. In a pair of video games in opposition to the Crimson Wings this week alone, the Canadiens squandered three- and two-goal leads. Montreal’s file in video games determined by one purpose was 17-11-16. The 27 one-goal defeats had been probably the most within the NHL.
“You’ll be able to’t simply sit there and (counsel) we’re lots nearer and we’re going to be nice subsequent 12 months,” mentioned defenceman Mike Matheson. “You’ll be able to say it but it surely doesn’t change displaying as much as the rink subsequent 12 months, attending to work and seeing the place it brings you. That needs to be the mentality. Get higher each single day and see the place it brings us.”
Be aware: Matheson, whose spouse is anticipating a child in Could, spurned a chance to symbolize Canada on the upcoming world championship. Suzuki has been invited however hasn’t dedicated, whereas goaltender Samuel Montembeault, who gained a gold medal final 12 months, has handed to focus on his summer time coaching routine. Caufield will play for the U.S. group, whereas Slafkovsky is predicted to symbolize Slovakia.
hzurkowsky@postmedia.com
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