Here are my three takeaways from tonight’s 6-1 Montreal Canadiens loss to the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final.
1- Montreal goes out with a whimper
On one hand, it’s unfortunate that the lasting image of the Montreal Canadiens’ season will be an elimination game where they went down without much of a fight. On the other hand, maybe that’s not the worst thing.
For the players, this is a game they should sit with all summer. They’ll know that while they were only seven wins away from the Stanley Cup, they weren’t particularly competitive against the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final. Sometimes that’s the reminder young players need. There’s always another level to reach.
Game 5 was a carbon copy of Game 4. Carolina pounced early and never looked back. Mike Matheson getting pickpocketed seconds into the game leading to a quality scoring chance felt like foreshadowing for what was about to happen. The goals came early, the Hurricanes took control and before anyone could settle in, the game was out of reach.
The playoffs are a grind and the Canadiens looked like a team that had nothing left in the tank. That’s not an excuse, it’s reality. Their path to the Eastern Conference Final went through two long, emotional series against excellent teams. Meanwhile, Carolina earned the right to face weaker opponents by finishing first in the Eastern Conference.
The Hurricanes are also simply the better and more experienced team.
Sticking with the status quo made sense. There wasn’t a lineup change that was suddenly going to bridge the gap. Brendan Gallagher and Arber Xhekaj are fan favourites, but a fourth-line forward or sixth defenseman isn’t the difference when you’re getting dominated territorially the way Montreal was.
People want answers. They want accountability and someone to blame.
Sometimes the answer is simple.
It’s just not your time yet.
2- It was a wonderful season for the Canadiens
This season was an overwhelming success for the Canadiens.
At the start of the year, most people would have considered a playoff berth and looking competitive in the postseason a major step forward. Instead, Montreal beat two higher-seeded teams and finished as one of the final three teams standing.
Individually, there was significant growth throughout the roster.
Cole Caufield scored 50 goals. Nick Suzuki reached 100 points. Ivan Demidov was a Calder Trophy finalist. Jakub Dobes showed he can handle the spotlight when the games matter most. Lane Hutson built on his Calder-winning rookie season and rounded out his game even further.
And that’s only scratching the surface.
As a team, they took major strides under Martin St. Louis. They played more connected hockey, improved defensively, increased their point total and won multiple playoff rounds for the first time since 2021.
All while remaining one of the youngest teams in the league.
But the biggest takeaway isn’t the individual milestones or playoff wins.
For the first time in more than 30 years, the Canadiens look like they’re being built the right way.
This wasn’t a run fueled by a superstar goalie standing on his head. It wasn’t a veteran group sneaking into the playoffs hoping lightning would strike.
Their best players are young. Their core is intact. And many of them are still years away from their peak.
Montreal isn’t going anywhere.
3- What now?
If there’s one thing Carolina showed, it’s that building a contender takes time.
The Canadiens are clearly not a finished product and internal improvement alone won’t be enough. Kent Hughes has work to do this summer.
Oliver Kapanen had an excellent rookie season, scoring more than 20 goals and developing chemistry with Ivan Demidov. But his game fell off in the playoffs and he’s probably better suited to a complementary role.
The same can be said for Jake Evans. He battled hard and filled the role of 2C as best he could, but he’s not the long-term answer.
Montreal still needs a legitimate top-six center to play alongside Demidov. They need someone who can think the game at the same level and finish some of the elite plays the young winger creates.
Hughes admitted he was close to making a significant move at the trade deadline before a deal fell through. He also hinted it could be revisited in the summer.
One would assume it has to be that missing piece in the top-6.
The Canadiens should also be looking to add some sandpaper to the fourth line, preferably someone with playoff experience, while continuing to add size and physicality on the blue line.
The Canadiens made enormous progress this season and are ahead of schedule.
Now comes the hard part.
Turning a promising young team into an eventual Stanley Cup winner.
