Article: Five reasons Canadiens clinched playoff berth

[RandR]

As each playoff-bound team clinches a spot, nhl.com runs an article giving their 5 reasons for why that team has made it to this year's post-season dance.

Montreal now has their turn, hence this article which can be condensed as follows:

For a franchise that had grown accustomed to scratching and clawing its way into the postseason, this has been a welcome change and one of many signs showing how successful Therrien's tenure has been in his second stint with the Canadiens.

Yet in each of those three seasons, there have been reasons to doubt the Canadiens were for real.

The reasons they were able to [make the playoffs] this season:
1. The safety net
Price is, far and away, the biggest reason
2. An elite defense pair
P.K. Subban and, to a lesser extent, his defense partner, Andrei Markov
3. Staying on track
Canadiens have not lost more than three games in a row at any point this season
4. Maxing out the consistency
Pacioretty's longest stretch without a goal has been five games
5. Ignoring the noise
...Canadiens never wavered in their belief in their system. Even when everyone else did.

I think nhl.com is spot on. Do others agree, and if not, what 5 reasons would you put up instead?

(And don't worry, anyone coming to this team board already is well aware that some of you think that "DD sucks", "Therrien is an idiot" and "it is only because of Carey". Fortunately, none of those qualify in a top 5 list for this particular topic. Let's try to stay on topic. Please.)

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[Price My Man Crush]

Because they got more point than other teams.

/thread

 

[Analyzer*]

Because Carey Price is one of the best goalies in the league in the recent years and this year he's been just exceptional.

That's 1-4.

Getting more points is number 5.

 

[FrontierPsyCHiatrist*]

Da system should be higher in the list. Way easier to win games when the other team is distracted by an annoying system.

 

[rockjngo]

I can give you 1 reason and save your time.

1. Carey Price

Without Price we have average goalie, average team, no scoring. Bottom of the pile.

 

[DJ Breadman]

1. Carry Price
2. Carry Price
3. Carry Price
4. Carry Price
5. Max Pacioretty

 

[Baruch]

1-5: Carey Price.

That's what I thought I'd see when coming in here.

 

[Frankenheimer]

6. Avoided injuries

 

[David_99]

Da system should be higher in the list. Way easier to win games when the other team is distracted by an annoying system.

Commentator: "Long pass up the middle by Subban and Gallagher's on a breakaway!!... and he dumps the puck into the corner? The goalie looks confused, scratching his head. Brenden gets the puck back tries the wrap around and scores!! Habs win it in overtime!!"

 

[Saundies]

Commentator: "Long pass up the middle by Subban and Gallagher's on a breakaway!!... and he dumps the puck into the corner? The goalie looks confused, scratching his head. Brenden gets the puck back tries the wrap around and scores!! Habs win it in overtime!!"

"What's this? Montreal has signed F Mathieu Darche to a 2 month contract to play with Max Pacioretty and David Desharnais on the top line?? That means Lars Eller will be relegated to the press-box for the playoffs."

 

[MD thaivuN]

Never doubt da system even if it is crap from a tactical point.

 

[Kriss E]

Yup, talent is what got us there, as well as luck with injuries.

 

[S Bah]

The Habs clinched a playoff spot due to having built a 1st class front office staff, that are quite possibly the best hockey people in the world. These people working with the core group of players kept from the 2011 - 2012 players, infused with key additions since new GM Bergevin came aboard with a new agenda(Balanced team that meshes together under a system built like a finely tuned machine, each player doing their specific job) build a championship team. Hardly a 5 point reason, more like a business with a couple of hundred employees hand picked that are absolutely committed to their part in becoming the best in hockey!!! Not really simple at all, simply great teamwork and effort throughout.

 

[Devourers]

When you have a top 5 d-man, top 15 d-man, top 30 center (area could improve but still) and a top 5 sniper and guy who has the best +/- in the league. It's really hard to say it's just the goalie, even if that goalie is leaps and bounds better than his peers.

We have a really solid team, how that team plays on ice due to coaching is one thing, but we still have our superstars and stars performing to a good level and we're a top team in the league.

I agree with the article mostly, it is hard to argue against the results but come playoff time all I care about is that Stanley cup, that's the one thing that will shut everyone's mouth. This team with Price has shown they're capable of doing that even in spite of a coach who most of us deem inefficient. I just hope that team can win 16 playoff games and raise that cup!

 

[Tarasenko]

1 - Carey Price
2 - Max Pacioretty
3 - Carey Price
4 - No important injuries
5 - Carey Price

HM : Carey Price

 

[Hackett]

Montreal's top 3 in price, subban, and pacioretty is a very formidable group.

You got the best goalie, one of the better d-men, and one of the best goal scorers who just happens to have developed a 2 way game.

Those guys have stayed healthy all year, so I'm not surprised that the habs have been doing well, but I didnt really expect them to be leading the division at this stage of the season.

 

[montreal]

March is the first month this season that the Habs weren't able to win 8 games, so they have been very consistent.

So avoiding key injuries, having the best goalie in the world, Pac having a his best season, consistently picking up points all season long, good on the road despite a terrible road PP.

 

[FrontierPsyCHiatrist*]

The Habs clinched a playoff spot due to having built a 1st class front office staff, that are quite possibly the best hockey people in the world. These people working with the core group of players kept from the 2011 - 2012 players, infused with key additions since new GM Bergevin came aboard with a new agenda(Balanced team that meshes together under a system built like a finely tuned machine, each player doing their specific job) build a championship team. Hardly a 5 point reason, more like a business with a couple of hundred employees hand picked that are absolutely committed to their part in becoming the best in hockey!!! Not really simple at all, simply great teamwork and effort throughout.

This too.

 

[c3z4r]

put puck net
don't get puck in price net

reasons win

 

[Jee]

Because we have one of the best team in the league.

 

[CanadiensforLife]

Because we have one of the best team in the league.

Teams.

 

[Stoneburg]

Team depth, I know, I know, many always say we are not deep. But we are, we have: one thirty goal scorer, three twenty goal scorers, seven players with 40 points, two top 30 defencemen, ten NHL defencemen, more depth in Hamilton, top goalie in the world, more than capable back-up, another NHL goalie in Hamilton, etc.

There are those that might argue some points, but the the overall point remains: depth.

 

[Whitesnake]

Price and not a lot of key injuries.

And all this means 13 points over Boston, a team who EVERYBODY was already scheduling the firing of Julien and Chiarelli. A team who had to deal with the absence of their #1 C in Krejci for half of the year. An up and down Rask and an extremely old Chara. 13 points.

 

[Saundies]

You can hate the way they're coached and you can hate the way they play, but you can't deny that this is truly a team. All of the guys genuinely like each other and get along, which goes a long way for how much you'll battle for someone on the ice. If you read Pacioretty's recent interview he talks about it, how different it is compared to when he came up especially for the young guys. If anything, the players have been provided with, and have succeeded in maintaining, a competitive atmosphere that's fun to be in.

When it comes to playing in a place like Montreal, that's a great dynamic to have. If you want to see the opposite of this and what it results in just take a look at the Leafs right now.

 

[Hackett]

Price and not a lot of key injuries.

And all this means 13 points over Boston, a team who EVERYBODY was already scheduling the firing of Julien and Chiarelli. A team who had to deal with the absence of their #1 C in Krejci for half of the year. An up and down Rask and an extremely old Chara. 13 points.

But is that much different from a typical gap between a 2nd place team and an 8th place team under the 3 point system?

That is a legitimate question I have because I don't know the answer, but it doesn't feel much different than years past.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. When we start asking the question of which opponent we would rather face, its really an exercise of picking at the margins, as the days of weak teams getting into the post season are basically long gone.