Canadiens fired up to be in Stanley Cup Playoffs, ready for tough test against Capitals

BROSSARD, Quebec -- The lessons have been learned throughout the season. Now, with the thorough studying and cramming of the past few days complete, it’s time for the Montreal Canadiens to take the exam.

It can’t come a day too soon.

The Canadiens held their final practice Sunday before traveling for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference First Round against the Washington Capitals at Capital One Arena on Monday (7 p.m. ET, MNMT, ESPN, SN, TVAS).

There were no surprises at Montreal’s practice facility, no revelations on the ice or in the dressing room afterward. There was just a sense of anticipation, an eagerness for the puck to drop.

“This market loves hockey, OK?” said coach Martin St. Louis, who is a native of Montreal-district Laval. “But it’s another level with playoff hockey and they wish for that every year. Us as players, coaches, we want to give that to everybody.”

St. Louis won the Stanley Cup in 2004 as a Hall of Fame-bound forward with the Tampa Bay Lightning. He has fond memories of his boyhood, watching the Canadiens bring the city to life in the playoffs. It was the only time he was allowed to stay up past his usual bedtime to watch televised games.

St. Louis was a little less than a month shy of his 11th birthday when Montreal won the Cup in 1986, its second-most recent.

“I was really happy when the Canadiens made the playoffs,” he said with a laugh.

He’s now 283 games into his career as their coach, but Monday will be his first in an NHL playoff game.

“Growing up here, I couldn’t wait for the weather changing, hockey in May,” he said. “We understand it’s a big part of what makes this market so great, it’s that playoff feel. We’re glad that we get to do that this year.

“We’ve felt the support from the fans from Day 1 (this season). I think we were very honest in what we were trying to do, from (owner) Geoff Molson down to Kent (Hughes, GM) and ‘Gorts’ (Jeff Gorton, executive vice president of hockey operations), what were the steps and expectations.”

Montreal has taken a few days to catch its breath, having clinched the second wild card in the East with a 4-2 win against the Carolina Hurricanes at Bell Centre last Wednesday in its regular-season finale.

“We’re excited,” said forward Brendan Gallagher, his 71 games in the postseason the most of the 13 Canadiens with playoff experience. “We’ve had enough time as a group here to decompress, to get back to a level of focus that we need. Preparation has been going on here the last few days.

“I’m excited for the guys to be a part of this. It’ll be nice to get to Washington, get settled in, and get ready for what the series has in store. We expect a long, physical series. It should be a lot of fun.”

Gallagher’s experience will be an important factor on a roster whose majority of players know the playoffs only by what they’ve seen on television.

“There’s highs and there’s lows,” he said of what those untested by the postseason can expect. “It’s important to get back to neutral before every game. You’ve got to enjoy it, have fun.

“There’s going to be some really exciting moments, some tough moments to handle, but stay on an even keel, stay in neutral. Not letting one game affect the next is really important in the playoffs. Be prepared for that and don’t forget to enjoy it, because that’s what we play for all year.”

Gallagher grinned at the suggestion that it’s been only “the last few days” the Canadiens have been preparing for the challenge ahead.

“We’ve been a pretty desperate hockey club for a few months,” he admitted, Montreal riding a performance roller coaster that went to the last few yards of track before it earned a playoff berth. “That side of it for sure, but in terms of having a few days off here to get ready for a team, that’s something you don’t have very often.

“We’re trying to take advantage of it the best we can. Both teams should be plenty prepared, plenty ready for Game 1. It should be a very intense, physical game that both sides look forward to.”

Forward Juraj Slafkovsky, who will skate on the Canadiens’ first line with captain Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield, has played 200 NHL games since they selected him with the No. 1 pick in 2022 NHL Draft. Not one has been in the playoffs.

“Exciting times. Honestly, I can’t wait to play,” Slafkovsky said. “It’s a pretty good schedule, a couple days off, the body could recover. I’m ready to go, I feel that everybody here is ready to go. I feel that playoff hockey could be a good fit for me, playing physically, using your body a lot. Let’s see what it’s going to be (Monday).”

The 21-year-old is among those feeling the buzz in Montreal, which draws playoff oxygen deep into its lungs when the team is in the postseason. This is the first time since 2021 the Canadiens have qualified.

“I saw the clips outside the Bell Centre (last Wednesday night),” Slafkovsky said. “Yesterday I watched Winnipeg (defeat the St. Louis Blues 5-3). I saw their streets. I can imagine that our streets are going to be double that. It’s going to be packed. That’s what it’s all about.”

Defenseman Mike Matheson, whose 20 playoff games predate his arrival with his hometown team in 2022, said the Canadiens turned the page “pretty quickly” after clinching.

“That’s the reason you work so hard during the season, to get a chance like this,” Matheson said. “I realize that you don’t get offered a playoff chance like this every year. Only half the teams make it, you can go a long time in your career without getting a chance. It’s not like you can think that just because we made it this year that we’ll make it next year. You have to take advantage of any time you get.”

No matter that the series will be No. 1 in the East against No. 8, St. Louis is eager to see how it will be decided not by rankings, but on the ice.

“Of course, internally the boys wanted to make the playoffs, that’s normal, that’s what drives you,” he said. “You start the season, and everyone has their own opinion.

“But that’s what I love about sports, you actually get to play the games and then you see where everybody falls. That’s what we did this year. It’s a fun time for everybody … and it’s nice to be able to go through that.”