Stu Cowan: Are these guys definitely the Montreal Canadiens?

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“The younger men have seriously stepped up their activity,” Byron added. “They’re enjoying remarkable hockey for us. All people else suitable now is just trying to perform as really hard as we can. This matter could be in excess of any working day. It is a lot of determination for us understanding that every video game you just give it your all and we’ll see what takes place. You do not have to fear about the prolonged grind of the year and exactly where the standings are. It’s just one particular activity at a time. Put your concentrate on that match, and the guys are accomplishing truly effectively with that appropriate now.”

Marc Bergevin has preached through his eight a long time as Canadiens GM that obtaining into the playoffs is the important and then “anything can happen” — especially with a goalie like Carey Rate. Just about anything is happening now and Price tag appears to be like like the $84-Million Male with a 4-2 report, a 1.46 targets-versus normal, a .954 help you save percentage and two shutouts.

“He’s our greatest participant just about every single night,” defenceman Ben Chiarot reported about Price tag immediately after the goalie made 30 saves in Sport 2. “During the period, playoffs, I indicate he’s a rock for us every match. He’s just continuing now. It is not anything new for us when we see him each and every day. He’s like that just about every day, each individual video game, each and every observe he’s like that. So we’re type of spoiled that we get to see it just about every solitary working day.”

The Canadiens will go as much as Cost can carry them — once again — but he’s not carrying this workforce all by itself appropriate now. Nine gamers have scored plans for the Canadiens, which include a staff-primary four by 20-yr-previous centre Jesperi Kotkaniemi. None of the goal-scorers are named Brendan Gallagher, who you have to assume is due to split out of his slump like linemate Tomas Tatar did with his initial two plans in Sport 2 in opposition to the Flyers. Heck, the Canadiens even scored two electrical power-participate in objectives in Recreation 2 — one by Tatar — right after heading -for-12 in their qualifying-spherical victory about the Pittsburgh Penguins.

“I feel we arrived into Toronto in this article no expectations, no force,” coach Kirk Muller reported Saturday. “We acquired some younger guys that are led by these leaders. They arrived in and produced a choice that they want to perform hockey and they’ve been fully commited. They’ve labored tough, they’ve adopted the process and everything. Momentum’s a humorous factor. The moment you get it you can journey with it, and we just transpired to get off to the correct tracks and striving to get greater each working day. We’re up versus a really hard opponent proper now and we regard them a whole lot. Yesterday was good, but we obtained to be all set to roll again tomorrow.”