Don’t look now, but the Montreal Canadiens are closing in, and they’re after the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. After a huge 3-2 comeback victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning, forward Jake Evans put the rest of the league on notice about the unbreakable fight spirit brewing up north.
Montreal has won seven of its last ten games, getting points in eight of them. A team that looked destined for the NHL‘s basement is suddenly sitting in a wildcard spot. As the Habs continue to shock the league, many are left wondering how did this happen?
It’s all about mentality, according to forward Jake Evans. The Canadiens simply won’t back down, and they can never be counted out. The franchise plays with the dangerous freedom of knowing that few had high expectations for them this season, and as a result, they have nowhere to go but up.
“I think we just have so much belief in how we play and no lead is too far off for us to chase off,” Canadiens’ JakeEvans said, via NHL.com. “We were down two and weren’t playing our best, and we knew if we started playing our hockey, it’s going to be easy to get back in it.”
Nick Suzuki #14, Jake Evans #71 and Xavier Ouellet #61 of the Montreal Canadiens arrive for their game against the New York Islanders at the Barclays Center on March 03, 2020 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City.
Montreal is a confident team, and that’s a dangerous sight for every squad in the league—especially in the East, where the battle for playoff spots is jam-packed.
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Getting recognition from opponents
If Tampa Bay had any doubts about whether Montreal was for real, those quickly erased during their 3-2 loss, after squandering a 2-0 lead on the road. Lightning forward Jake Guentzel voiced an honest statement, acknowledging the big opportunity they let slip away.
“They play a difficult game. They put pucks in and obviously they’re really fast and really skilled. They battled back, and that’s a good team,” Guentzel stated, per NHL.com. “It’s bunched up. It’s part of the game now. Every game matters coming down the stretch here so we’ve just to make sure we go out and get our points.”
Patrik Laine #92 of the Montreal Canadiens is seen in crutches as he is introduced during the pre-game ceremony against the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Bell Centre on October 9, 2024 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Montreal Canadiens defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 1-0.
Dogfight in Motor City
On January 23, the Canadiens will travel south to Michigan, where they’ll take on the Detroit Red Wings in a pivotal matchup between two franchises desperate to make the postseason.
