If you’re a Canadiens fan and were told before the start of this season that the team would still be in the playoff hunt with three games remaining in the regular season, would you have been happy?
Surprised, maybe? How about in a state of disbelief?
But here we are, with three games left and the Canadiens are still in a playoff fight, one point behind the Carolina Hurricanes — who also have three games left — for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
The sportsclubstats.com website has the Canadiens’ chances of making the playoffs listed at 26.8 per cent, with games remaining against the Tampa Bay Lightning Tuesday at the Bell Centre, the Capitals Thursday night in Washington and the Toronto Maple Leafs Saturday night at the Bell Centre.
With a 42-29-8 record and 92 points, the Canadiens already have 21 more points than they accumulated last season when they finished 28th in the overall NHL standings. Their 92 points would also have them sitting comfortably in a playoff spot if they were in the Western Conference. But they aren’t.
“We’re going to determine our own destiny,” the Canadiens’ Andrew Shaw said after practice Monday in Brossard. “We’re going to go out there and do our best to win all three games. That gives us what, 98 points, right? I think that’s more than enough points to take your spot.”
The Canadiens face three tough teams to finish the season, but Shaw isn’t overly concerned about that.
“We’re a dangerous team at this point,” he said. “We’re fighting for our lives and they’re comfortably where they are. So I don’t think at this time of the year you can take us lightly.”
GM Marc Bergevin met with the media after Monday’s practice and was asked if he would consider this season a success even if the Canadiens miss the playoffs.
“That’s a tough question because we all want to win, we all want to have success,” he said. “Our ultimate goal is to win a Stanley Cup, so the first step is to make the playoffs. And yeah, obviously, after the season we had last year not many people thought we would be here today. So, obviously, in a way it is good, but you’re asking me with three games left when we know we have a chance to make the playoffs. It will be difficult. But overall I think we came a long way. We still have a pretty young team. We will evaluate at the end of the year, but hopefully we get in.”
The GM’s critics will note this is his seventh season on the job and that the Canadiens are in danger of missing the playoffs for the third time in four years, which is true. But team owner/president Geoff Molson decided to keep Bergevin after last season and allow him to try and clean up his mess, which he has done quicker than anyone could have expected without panicking and giving up future assets. It has been a successful season.
When asked in hindsight if he wishes he had done more at the NHL trade deadline with his team now so close to a playoff spot, Bergevin said: “Like I said, I was aware of what the price was to pay. Just a small example … sometimes the little things you make at the deadline pay dividends and we look so far, I think (Jordan Weal’s) points her game, he’s among the best players who went as a rental. Did I think he’d perform at this level? No. But I knew he was a good player that could bring some intangibles to our team. Sometimes it’s a fit and he’s been a good fit for us.”
In 13 games with the Canadiens, Weal has 3-5-8 totals. Matt Duchene — one of the big names available at the trade deadline — has 3-8-11 totals in 20 games with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Bergevin gave up Michael Chaput for Weal, while the Blue Jackets gave up Jonathan Davidsson, Vitaly Abramov, a first-round pick at the 2019 NHL Draft and a conditional first-round pick in 2020 to the Ottawa Senators to get Duchene.
Bergevin thinks the Canadiens might need to win all three remaining games to get into the playoffs, but added it’s possible.
“I guess I’m biased,” he said. “It’s our team, it’s the thing we put together. I like to believe we had a fun season. I think our fans should be proud of the team that performed this year. There’s always peaks and valleys during a season, unless you’re Tampa Bay this year. If you look at the standings, how tight it is, over 80 games, over seven months, two wins makes you jump four or five teams.
“Overall, I think we had a good season, but it’s not over yet,” he added. “A big game tomorrow and we’ll see what happens.”
It should be fun to watch.
