Young Canadiens Are Maturing into Playoff Contenders
The Canadiens might not win this series tonight in Buffalo. That’s just the reality of playoff hockey—nothing is guaranteed, especially on the road in a Game 7-type atmosphere. But even if this run ends short of where they want it to go, there’s something pretty clear: this team is not the same group it was a year ago.
Or even two seasons ago. And that’s probably the bigger story here.
Last postseason, the Canadiens were pushed around by the Capitals.
Last year against the Washington Capitals, Montreal looked like a team still learning what playoff hockey actually feels like. The speed was there, the talent was there, but the physical side of the game often felt like too much. They got pushed around at times, lost too many board battles, and just couldn’t consistently match the intensity shift-for-shift.
This season? Completely different feel. The Canadiens have embraced the physical game in a way they simply didn’t before. They’re not avoiding contact anymore—they’re initiating it. Montreal is actually leading the NHL playoffs in hits, with 425, which says a lot about how their identity has changed.
And it’s not coming from one guy either. Josh Anderson is still setting the tone with speed and heavy forechecking, but now you’ve got players like Juraj Slafkovsky, Zachary Bolduc, Kaiden Guhle, Arber Xhekaj, and Alexandre Carrier all jumping into that physical layer of their game. It’s not optional anymore for this group—it’s part of how they play.
That matters in the playoffs more than people like to admit.
The Canadiens have learned that they must make their own space.
Because once the postseason hits, space disappears. Everything gets tighter, heavier, and more chaotic. Teams that refuse to engage physically usually don’t last very long. Montreal has flipped that script and made physical play part of their identity, not just a reaction.
Fans can feel it in their forecheck, too. They’re harder to play against now. Defencemen are getting hit earlier in their zone exits, puck carriers don’t have clean options, and turnovers are starting to come from pressure instead of just mistakes. It also feeds into the crowd at the Bell Centre. Big hits aren’t just momentum plays—they shift the energy in the building. You can literally feel games tilt after a couple of heavy shifts.
The Canadiens have improved their defence.
Then there’s the defensive commitment, which might be the most important growth area of all. The Canadiens are second in the playoffs with 170 blocked shots, which tells you everything about buy-in. That’s not glamour hockey—that’s sacrifice hockey.
Mike Matheson has been leading that charge, and players like Carrier and Guhle are right there with him. It’s a full-group effort, not just a few defenders throwing themselves in front of pucks. That kind of detail work doesn’t always show up on highlight reels, but it absolutely shows up in wins.
Game 7 might not go the Canadiens way, but there’s a bigger picture.
So even if tonight doesn’t go Montreal’s way, it’s hard to ignore the bigger picture. This young team that’s learning how to play playoff hockey the hard way—through hits, blocks, structure, and experience.
And that’s usually how teams eventually grow into contenders.