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And then there were three: Canadiens eliminated

Carey Price

In this photo taken May 17, 2014, Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price (31) lies on the ice after being run into by New York Rangers’ Chris Kreider during the second period in Game 1 of the NHL hockey Eastern Conference final Stanley Cup playoff series in Montreal. Price’s status for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference final is still unclear. Price briefly tested his right knee Sunday before the Canadiens’ optional practice. Coach Michel Therrien said the team will know more Monday before they host the New York Rangers trailing 1-0 in the series. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Ryan Remiorz)

AP

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The Montreal Canadiens can’t feel great about the way they ended their 2013-14 season. The New York Rangers only beat them 1-0 in Game 6, but it was a thorough domination; the Habs only managed five shots on goal with their season on the line in the third period.

Maybe the Canadiens ran out of gas or maybe the Rangers were just that much better. Still, the good news is that Montreal can take this disappointment and potentially build something promising going forward. Let’s look back at their season overall.


  • Aside from some hiccups and maybe some evidence that his style might not hold up under long-term scrutiny, Dustin Tokarski played well enough that the storyline of Carey Price’s injury gets knocked down a paragraph or two. The Habs can still be allowed to ask “What if?” mainly because Price is just that good. If there was any doubt about Price as a No. 1 goalie, he eliminated most of it by playing great hockey and winning gold as Canada’s top netminder.
  • P.K. Subban might be a lightning rod for criticism, but he showed that he can be a big-minute, big-game defenseman in a big way. Just look at the time on ice from Games 4 (33:16), Game 5 (30:25) and Game 6 (27:04). The Canadiens face a challenge in re-signing the restricted free agent this summer, yet he’ll likely be worth the money (assuming something doesn’t go wrong in negotiations, naturally).
  • In case you didn’t keep up with incessant commentary on social media, Thomas Vanek’s rental with Montreal finished on a sour note. It would be surprising to see him come back, but GM Marc Bergevin deserves credit for giving his team a shot with a top-six forward for a reasonable price.
  • Michel Therrien made a lot of headlines by bickering with Alain Vigneault, yet he also managed to guide Montreal within two wins of a Stanley Cup Final appearance. He’s likely to get a chance (if not a few more chances) to bring the Habs even further after some nice work this season.
  • The Canadiens beat the hated Boston Bruins, which is probably some great solace for Habs fans who are especially invested in that rivalry.
  • This is a young team with a ton of cap space. If Bergevin presses the right buttons, Montreal could be a perennial East contender.

Follow James O’Brien @cyclelikesedins