Five things the Canadian lacks

1- You need productive supporting players

Who set the tone for the Rangers in Game 1 of their series against the Capitals? The fourth trio. Who is the Avalanche's second leading scorer? Artturi Lehkonen (we'll come back to that). Who is the leading scorer for the Carolina Hurricanes? Seth Jarvis. Of course, it's also nice to be able to rely on the best forwards, but that doesn't guarantee happy results (see: Toronto, Maple Leafs). What we're seeing more and more is that the best teams are the ones that can get points from all lines, and the biggest challenge for the Canadiens' management, in the near future, will be to ensure that there is no offensive production anymore. To go through the first line.

2- You just need productive players

It couldn't be clearer: In today's hockey, the teams that know how to score are the ones who have the advantage. Since the beginning of this series, some of the final marks we see pass are reminiscent of the good old days when the Platinum Blonde guys were at the top of the charts. Thus, prior to the Monday night games, a total of 31 playoff games had been played. Of those matches, 22 were won by the team that scored four or more goals. It is worth noting here that this season, the Canadian scored 236 goals in 82 matches, which placed the club in 28th place.^H – Arranging the goals scored in the circle. Only six teams scored fewer goals than the Canadian in the 2023-2024 season, and only one team, the Washington Capitals, was able to sneak into the playoffs. With the results we know.

3- We need a winning culture

All life coaches will tell you: In this world, it is impossible to win something without having the right culture. We can take a quick look at the Toronto-Boston series to better understand what it means; While the Leafs' stars are having tantrums on the bench, the Bruins' players are acting like players who know what it takes and like players who have been there before. It is a reminder that endless rebuilding can have the perverse effect of normalizing defeat, making it comfortable and acceptable. The Canadian has missed the playoffs six times in the past nine seasons, including the last three. We're starting to get a lot of players who don't really know what it's like to play a real stakes match.

4- It takes more than just simple emotion

The series between the Islanders and Hurricanes is certainly not over, but with a very impressive 3-1 lead, Carolina is in complete control. This is another reminder of the disproportionate importance given to the emotional factor in the hockey world. The arrival of Patrick Roy at the helm in January alone was supposed to be the catalyst for this team, and somehow Roy succeeded in leading his club to the playoffs. But emotion alone does not allow you to win series, and it cannot be viewed in the same way as talent and discipline, which are much more important elements.

5- We need Artturi Lehkonen

Canadian pro scouts had to be really convincing to put Justin Barron's name at the top of the list. At just 22 years old, the young defender certainly has time to prove things to us, but now he looks above all like an MLS player. Meanwhile, the guy the Canadiens traded to the Avalanche two years ago to acquire, Artturi Lehkonen, looks like the guy previous management was hoping to get when they drafted him in the second round in 2013. Since the start of the playoffs, the 28-year-old Finn has 4 years: 4 goals, 3 assists, 7 points in 4 matches. It's not complicated, he just looks like the type of player the Canadian could really use. In the words of Alanis Morissette: Isn't that ironic?