As disappointingly as the 2025-26 season ended for the Montreal Canadiens, it was easy for many to focus on how badly the Carolina Hurricanes beat them in the end. A game one win breathed hope into the city, two consecutive overtime losses were a gut punch that left it breathless, and then the more experienced team just took over the series completely.
We even learned afterwards of the the impending loss of franchise mainstay Brendan Gallagher. One of the toughest clips to watch in some time was him acquiescing that his time with the organization has come to an end, and so without a chance to go out on his shield, as we know would be his wish. With everything that has happened over the last few days, it is more than fair for fans to be disappointed, to be sad.
But also, to be hopeful. Let’s not forget how we got here.
This team returned to the playoffs ahead of schedule the season prior, and looked similarly stunned by the Washington Capitals during a 4-1 series loss in the first round. It was eerily similar. They forced overtime once, had one game where they truly controlled the play, but otherwise seemed like deer in the headlights. They weren’t ready, but it gave them a hunger to get back in there and try again.
They learned from that. They embraced the intensity against Tampa Bay, often being the aggressors en route to a seven-game series win. Round two didn’t get any easier, drawing the Buffalo Sabres, who won the Atlantic. Again, they fought and clawed their way to a seven-game series win. Through those two series, they looked far more playoff ready than they had the year prior.
Yes, they were soundly overmatched by the Hurricanes, but is that really any different than what they experienced against Washington in 2024-25? If they learned, and grew from that defeat, shouldn’t we believe that this recent disappointment will have the same effect? They were, once again, the youngest team in the league to make the playoffs. If the experience of getting there ahead of schedule last year was valuable, the experience of getting as far as they did this time around should be worth even more, notwithstanding how it ended. As they did before, they’ll be back, and they’ll be better next time around.
There is work to be done, roster spots to address, but if you don’t think the youngest team in the playoffs just put the rest of the league on notice, you’re ignoring how far they’ve come in two short years.
Click the play button below to listen to the final Bottom Six Minutes of the 2025-26 season. We’ll be back next year, but stay tuned for plenty of coverage around the draft and through the offseason on our channel.
