As the Stanley Cup Playoffs pairings were announced, it was always going to be tough for the Canadiens against a high-flying Capitals. The latter dominated the regular season and hardly put a wrong foot forward. Additionally, there were many memorable events leading up to the playoffs for the Capitals, notably Alex Ovechkin’s historic goal to break Wayne Gretzky’s record of the most goals scored in the NHL. Even as the Capitals breezed past the Canadiens, the latter’s coach, Martin St. Louis, had a hopeful message for the team’s fans.

Although the Capitals and Ovechkin dominated most of the contest, the Canadiens believed that they were undone by poor officiating right throughout the tie. Even during Game 4, when only 2 minutes were left on the clock, Ovechkin appeared to make contact with Jake Evans as he entered the offensive zone. Ovechkin was handed just a minor penalty for it, which the Canadiens felt should’ve been at least a one-game suspension.

Nonetheless, the Canadiens’ coach, St. Louis, was proud of the way the team came out against the Capitals. During the post-game interview, he said, “The pain that you feel right now is normal, but it’s not even close to the joy that’s coming. Obviously, nothing’s guaranteed; we keep putting the foot forward and work hard, but it’s very encouraging when you know, not just the talent that we have, but more of the fact that the individuals that we have, that we have a great unit, and it’s a fun group to lead.”

Last season, the Canadiens finished at the bottom of the Atlantic Division and failed to make it to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. As a result, it was a massive improvement from last season, something which the coach noted and wanted his team to continue taking small steps forward. Moreover, the Canadiens were in the process of a rebuild after last season’s failure, and they were the youngest team in the NHL’s spring dance. As a result, they exceeded the expectations, and the team’s captain, Nick Suzuki, was proud of his players.

Canadiens captain makes a positive admission after Playoff loss

The team from Montreal gave their all but couldn’t overcome the challenge of a vastly experienced side from Washington. In the end, they succumbed to a 4-1 loss in the first round tie, which was a massive improvement from last season. Thus, Suzuki lauded his team for putting on a courageous show right throughout this season.

He revealed, “Extremely proud of everyone for where we started the season to where we are now. It felt like we could keep going; it felt like we could have won any of these games. It sucks right now; it sucks a lot. But I’m really proud of the guys and everything that they’ve learned this year.”

Even their head coach, St. Louis, admitted that the team is undergoing a positive transition and hopes will only grow from here in the seasons to come. It’ll be interesting to see how the Canadiens perform in the upcoming season as they exit this season with their heads held high.