WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Montreal Canadiens` season, marked by resilience, ultimately concluded in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, leaving a sting of defeat.
This pain, however, serves not only as a difficult experience but also as a hardening one, which is precisely what this young Canadiens squad needs right now.
As the youngest team to enter the tournament since the 1970s, they arrived eager for victory and desperate for the unique lessons only playoff hockey can provide. They certainly received them — facing punishing checks and experiencing wild swings in momentum that brought both emotional highs and lows, all of which offered invaluable learning opportunities.
Despite the growth shown, a 4-1 series loss to the Washington Capitals is not an outcome that is easily forgotten or accepted. And it shouldn`t be if the Canadiens are truly committed to reaching their goals in this ongoing rebuild.
The sting of this defeat is necessary because, as head coach Martin St. Louis remarked after the final game of the series ended 4-1 at Capital One Arena, “The pain you feel right now is not even close to the joy that’s coming.”
Tristan Blackwood