Management’s goal heading into this season was for the Canadiens to be “in the mix” for a playoff spot.
The Canadiens did more than that in year three of a rebuild, actually making the playoffs before losing to the Washington Capitals in five games in their best-of-seven first-round series.
In this season-ending episode of the Hockey Inside/Out Show, The Gazette’s Stu Cowan is joined by former Canadiens teammates and 1986 Stanley Cup champions Chris Nilan and Rick Green to look back on the season that was and, now that it’s over, how they rate the entire season and what happened in the playoffs against the Capitals.
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25 Comments
A return to the price of wearing the habs jersey ! Lived thru the teams win e the late 50's glad I am still around to witness this team reach for the cup. Tks Stu and guests. We have hope ,we have a future.
One thing I learned from this season and playoffs the habs are adopting true story
It is nice to hear Rick Green analyze the Habs. The other guy is an idiot.
The turning point was game 1 when the refs were allowing cross checks to the face to be ok. Both teams own one game in the series. The refs determined the outcome for 3.
Thanks guys.
Carrier is a great addition, he plays so good
Great season on HIO, well done men. Three hackey guys telling us how it is.
Am I proud of them? Sure……..but I have this theory on competitive sport. You're either building a winner or your not. Kent Hughes at the deadline chose to "not" make the team better and fans settled for it. Not me, I'm a pucking fighter, and going into battle understrength and against all odds is not a winning formula.
When my team makes the playoffs, they're competing for the Cup, not to be "in the mix." I actually heard a fan this sns brag about how many 10+goal scorers we had. So that's it, that's the bar, 10+goal scorers. Fans have forgotten what a winner looks like (forget the Covid Cup, that was a joke.)
Thankfully, a lot of NHL teams sat back on the Habs this season and even more near the end. That's why they made the playoffs. Had Kent Hughes knew that would happen (Demidov) I think he would have tried his hardest to grab a player or two at the deadline and actually compete instead of whatever this model was.
But Hey, we all cheer differently. Now the bar is set…..they have to make the playoffs next sns, they have to actually have four lines that can play with these teams. David Savard: I don't think fans understand how important he was for our goals against, and now he's gone. That can't be good for a team who can't keep the puck out of their goal.
This summer will be fun, love the hackey drama, can't wait to see how Kent fixes the holes this team is about to have and then play out the season with two new lines. The Caps rebuilt a loser in one summer, maybe next year is the year they are leading the East. That's one high bar, but that's attainable, just like the Caps.
I'm 53, I feel like I had this conversation with fans my age 15 years ago on HIO, in fact, I was the optimistic, the Habs could do no wrong, meanwhile, those old fans back then were 100% right. The by's needed talent and lots of it……today, we have some talent, but is it playoff talent. Guess we'll see next sns. You're Up Kent, No pressure. Too early to end the HIO show, hope you do a draft day show and then 1 July. By then we'll all be camping, golfing and loving summer. #GoJetsGo #2VP4Ever #031INFVet
Thanks for the commentary…too small for playoffs? Yes…but the Habs have great teammates, dialed in. 11, 13, 45, 48 big hearts but small bodies. 28 had a good series. We want to see 51 with more minutes. The Habs will get better, but if not bigger, getting past the 1st round will again be tough.
Great season from H Inside O, a character win!
Habs need to develop Xhekaj next season and quit giving Matheson 25 minutes to eat up ice time that Arber needs. Sure Matheson was great during the playoffs, not taking anything away from him.
We need a player on this team next year like the great Claude Lemiex. He was a great agitator especially come playoff time in setting the tone.
Thank you all for a great season. Please all come back next year
Thanks for the analysis but just to share a general comment, my biggest take away is that the NHL is a bush league starting with the refs, not enough rules to protect players and Bateman mentality. I am watching less and less men's hockey and more women's hockey.
Great shows, thank you guys. But Tom Wilson laid a predatory hit on Carrier and is a blight on the sport of hockey.
The 3 of you are great. It’s always a fun watch. Beers are on me next time I’m in Montreal.
Great season. For a team that was 2nd last in December, no one expected them to even be close to the playoffs. Hold your heads high boys!
As far as next year.
First line stays intact
2nd line Newhook "trade for a 2nd line C" Demidov
3rd line Anderson Evans Gallagher
4th line Heineman F Xhekaj Touch
D
Guhle Carrier
Hutson Reinbacher
Xhekaj Mailloux
Without Suzuki's leadership, Hutson's emergence, Montembeault giving them a chance most every night (and no shade to Dobeš…other than that hesitation / mishandling that led to a goal in game 4) and Carrier coming in to stabilize the Montreal 'D', there'd have been NO post-season. Add that Demidov got thrown in to the deep end and got valuable experience, I'm very much looking forward to seeing how this organization fills in that #2 center as well as the defense (especially now that Savard has retired) and the expiring contracts. The rebuild is trending in the right direction. Thanks for a great season Montreal Hockey Inside Out!
Nilan can't have a podcast without mentioning Pittsburg game. it's over….history.
quelle belle saison 2024-2025. derniers dans l'Est, arrivées de Laine, Dobes, Carrier. Séquences de victoires (notamment mi-décembre à fin janvier), lane hutson ,meileure saison de caufield, 89 points et selke Suzuki (post 4 nations il était en feu !!) Montembault vezina, MSL adams, efforts du 3e et 4e trio, Slaf en fin de saison, but de Suzuki avec 8.9 secondes restantes vs panthers et but en OT !! Demidov premier match !
2025-2026 lineup:
Caufield Suzuki Slaf
Newhook Crosby Demidov
Anderson Dvorak Gallagher
Roy Evans Dach
Beck
Dobson Carrier
Guhle Hutson
Matheson Reinbacher
Monty
Dobes
Fowler
Crosby vs hage, ,mailloux, ergstrom et 3 frp.
Dobson contre qq picks.
on va en demi-finales
Anderson Playoff MVP for the team
Not saying this should be the future but the guys that will have a lot to prove next year are:
Slafkovsky new contract
Demidov new to the team
Laine
Dach
Newhook…
Always an excellent view. Like the format, the topics and the personnel. Looking forward to next season to see where this team shapes up. GHG
Great season guys. Thanks for all that you shared and for your insights. The future looks very bright!
well done on the season coverage guys… Go Habs Go
Great Season …Like to see Hughes go after ..Quinton Byfield…or Jordon Kyrou ..!! Big add ons ..will cost ..but WORTH IT ..!!