Stanley Cup: The Canadiens are (by far) the most overlooked team in the Final Four

Marc-Olivier Cook
Stanley Cup: The Canadiens are (by far) the most overlooked team in the Final Four
Credit: YouTube / CH

Before the first round began, the general consensus was that the Canadiens weren't experienced enough to beat the Tampa Bay Lightning.

And not many people believed the Habs would come out on top in their series against the Buffalo Sabres either.

But here we are. The Canadiens have beaten two of the best teams in the Eastern Conference and now face the powerful Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Since the start of the playoffs, the Habs have been among the underdogs. It was that way against the Lightning, against the Sabres… and it will be the same against the Hurricanes, who haven't lost a playoff game this season.

But looking at MoneyPuck's odds, it becomes clear that the Habs are (by far) the most underrated team in the Final Four right now. In terms of each remaining team's chances of winning the Stanley Cup, here's how it looks (according to MoneyPuck data):

  • 33.1% for the Carolina Hurricanes
  • 30.3% for the Colorado Avalanche
  • 22.1% for the Vegas Golden Knights
  • 14.5% for the Montreal Canadiens

You can't make this stuff up.

The good news? This isn't new for the Canadiens, and the team has proven it can perform as the underdog. 

The players know they can win together if they all play the right way. Again, this has been proven since the start of the playoffs… and that's pretty much the message Jakub Dobes sent after yesterday's win in Buffalo.

Good, because that's the right attitude to have.

Because if the Canadiens were to put themselves down and the players relied solely on what's said in the media, we wouldn't be where we are right now.

The team can only control its performance on the ice and how it conducts itself out there. The rest doesn't really matter… and the team will need to keep thinking that way to tune out the noise from the outside.

It remains to be seen whether the Montreal club will be able to continue its run and surprise the hockey world for a third time in the 2026 playoffs… 


In Brief

– Note:

– Yeah.

– One thing at a time.

– Great goals!

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