Montreal Canadiens are the most successful Canadian franchise in the last 20 years

[Shark Finn]

Astonishing.

 

[PaulD]

Not a single brag or proud hab poster in here and all these comments acting like we’re doing laps around town. It’s a pathetic stat for all 7 teams

Exactly

 

[Man Purse]

Well 2 don’t count 2020 they were in the expanded bubble playoffs 24th ranked team, or around there

2021, they were 18th, probably not a playoff team in a normal year. Habs fans don’t like it when that gets mentioned. But it’s the truth.

Help me recall, which team did they upset in the first round on their way to the Stanley Cup Final ?

 

[Kane One]

This thread has some “respect at the handshake line” vibes.

 

[PaulD]

Well 2 don’t count 2020 they were in the expanded bubble playoffs 24th ranked team, or around there

2021, they were 18th, probably not a playoff team in a normal year. Habs fans don’t like it when that gets mentioned. But it’s the truth.

And leafs fan don't like it when it gets mentioned Matthews and company lost were bounced in first round by that 18th place bottom feeder.

LOL is the Montreal's "handshake line respect"?

borrowed from Keefe and the Maple Leafs .....who invented the term.
Reminded me of the year leafs players were awarded Norris Division Champ Rings ......by their own organization

 

[Baksfamous112]

Well 2 don’t count 2020 they were in the expanded bubble playoffs 24th ranked team, or around there

2021, they were 18th, probably not a playoff team in a normal year. Habs fans don’t like it when that gets mentioned. But it’s the truth.

Washington just made the playoff tied with the 18th place Red Wings.

Last year, Florida also went to the finals while finishing 17th, tied with Nashville’s 18th place (same exact season/points).

2018-2019 - Montreal finished 14th overall and missed the playoff.

 

[Man Purse]

I'll just drop this here: LOL

 

[Golden_Jet]

I'll just drop this here: LOL

View attachment 858801

Who’s that.

 

[hamzarocks]

Bolded #1 - absolutely not.
Bolded #2 - maybe.

But that's difference. Habs enter a season and are like "if only we make the playoffs, we may have a puncher's chance with Carey Price in nets". We don't enter playoffs as a contender, but as an underdog who can do damage.

Habs have never had a core of Matthews/Marner/Nylander + Tavares UFA signing that was expected to win. Or a McDavid+Drai. Or Vancouver in 2010 and 2011 (and arguably again now, with all of hughes, EP, etc).

The habs won the division thrice these 5 years

There league wide finishing ranking was:

1. 2012/2012 --> 4th
2. 2013/2014 --> 9th
3. 2014/2015 --> 2nd
4. 2015/2016 --> 22nd
5. 2016/2017 --> 7th

The habs had better D-core than the leafs + star goalie (Subban, Markov were an elite top 2 D, also had Webber for a year in that period, then had Emelin, Georges, and a few other guys during that time play with their d-core being superior to any current canadian team)

They lacked elite centers sure. However that wasnt really crazy before. Most teams didnt have high end scoring players with lower scoring league and offense being spread more between top 9 (less PPs, 2D on PPs, PP time usually split between 2 units, larger goalie equipment, no 3 on 3s etc)

The habs were a a team built to contend most of those years, with bergerons inability to draft + develop at that time or use draft capital to add 1 big name center or winger who could drive offense consistently/drive a PP

 

[josra33]

Habs have a weird definition of successful

 

[FriendlyGhost92]

It's funny considering that SCF appearance was an abomination and they wouldn't have been a playoff team under normal conferences.

 

[Strangle]

This feels similar to Ottawa bragging about their cup wins

Or disparaging other teams for their lack of cup wins

 

[Baksfamous112]

It's funny considering that SCF appearance was an abomination and they wouldn't have been a playoff team under normal conferences.

Kinda like Florida last year?

 

[torontoblood]

L'élite de la nation est partout, incroyable.

Exactement.

Même sur des sites les plus inusités comme celui ci, tu peux toujours trouver des kheys. Et nous arrivons quand même à se reconnaître entre nous grâce au language codé du fofo. Nous sommes littéralement partout.

 

[Bear of Bad News]

It's funny considering that SCF appearance was an abomination and they wouldn't have been a playoff team under normal conferences.

Hopefully you saw my response to the guy who said the same thing earlier in the thread:

I'm not a Canadiens fan; however, this isn't a great argument.

Teams in 2021 played an intra-divisional schedule. You can't really compare between divisions (and so "18th in the league" doesn't mean much).

So it's not really "the truth" regardless of whether you want to offer the "HABS FANS HATE THIS ONE WEIRD TRICK" crap. Can you make the argument? I guess. But there are valid counterpoints (you could argue that because the "worst" team in the North had the most points among worst teams that no North team could beat up on the worst team to accumulate points).

 

[Golden_Jet]

Kinda like Florida last year?

Florida didn’t get in, by adding more teams to the playoffs.

 

[FriendlyGhost92]

Kinda like Florida last year?

Not sure how that's anything like Florida. This isn't a matter of, "Just barely made it as the 8 seed". Montreal under the standard Eastern Conference in 2021 finished 10th in points.

Meaning they would not have qualified if not for COVID divisions...

 

[Moose Head]

Florida didn’t get in, by adding more teams to the playoffs.

The year the habs made the finals, 16 teams made the playoffs, top 4 in each division. Habs beat the Leafs, Jets and knights to get to the finals. You’re mixing it up with the previous season, where they had a play in round.

 

[Baksfamous112]

Florida didn’t get in, by adding more teams to the playoffs.

Neither did Montreal?

Not sure how that's anything like Florida. This isn't a matter of, "Just barely made it as the 8 seed". Montreal under the standard Eastern Conference in 2021 finished 10th in points.

Meaning they would not have qualified if not for COVID divisions...

They played in a very strong division at the time. Unlucky that the rebuilding Buffalo, NJ, Detroit and Columbus were moved to a different divisions. They had no easy games

They had to face prime Toronto, Edmonton and Winnipeg 1/2 of their game. The rest of the division were either decent teams or playoff bubble teams.

 

[Lshap]

Not sure how that's anything like Florida. This isn't a matter of, "Just barely made it as the 8 seed". Montreal under the standard Eastern Conference in 2021 finished 10th in points.

Meaning they would not have qualified if not for COVID divisions...

You realize teams have been mixed & matched in countless different divisions over the decades, right? It's a non-argument to claim a team 'would not have qualified' had they played different teams in a different season in a different division.

 

[SheldonJPlankton]

The Habs recent SC run makes one wonder just how many other SC contenders were denied a chance for a SC because of placement in the standings while mediocre teams and SC pretenders moved on, were bounced early and exposed as frauds.

The clear answer is to expand the number of playoff slots to include all likely contenders.

 

[FriendlyGhost92]

You realize teams have been mixed & matched in countless different divisions over the decades, right? It's a non-argument to claim a team 'would not have qualified' had they played different teams in a different season in a different division.

You realize that the NHL changing the divisions for one year to accommodate lockdown restrictions is not the same as permanent realignment, right?

Neither did Montreal?


They played in a very strong division at the time. Unlucky that the rebuilding Buffalo, NJ, Detroit and Columbus were moved to a different divisions. They had no easy games

They had to face prime Toronto, Edmonton and Winnipeg 1/2 of their game. The rest of the division were either decent teams or playoff bubble teams.

"Very strong division" is a hell of a way to describe the Canadian division lol.

Maybe they'd have feasted on teams like Detroit though... After all 4 of Detroit's 17 wins the year before were against Montreal.

 

[Lshap]

You realize that the NHL changing the divisions for one year to accommodate lockdown restrictions is not the same as permanent realignment, right?

None of the previous divisions were permanent. Likewise, when the current divisions change, they'll cease to be permanent. What does any of that have to do with qualifying for the playoffs?

We both know there's no legit argument to this. The Covid season was a one-off, but it was business-as-usual for every team vying for the playoffs.

 

[dirtydanglez]

numbers are pumped from their covid run.

good for them tho

 

[Man Purse]

Who’s that.

One of the Four Towers that shut down Mathews & company ... Jeff Petry

picture taken in the locker room after the game 7 win over Toronto

Joel Edmundson, Ben Chairot, Shea Weber, and Petry defended like Gods during that run

The Habs basically rolled 4 D the entire playoffs to the final