Hockey

A journalist from The Athletic sees the habs making it to the finals this season
Félix Forget
A journalist from The Athletic sees the habs making it to the finals this season
Credit: Getty Images

The Canadiens haven't had a bad start to the season. The club has a 14-9-3 record since the start of the campaign, putting it in third place in the Atlantic.

That's far from bad for a club that's still turning the corner on its rebuild.

That said, there are some worrying signs. Goaltending isn't exactly a strength in the city, and the Habs really look out of place when they face real powerhouses.

Recently, journalists from The Athletic were asked to make a number of predictions. Of the lot, they were asked to give their verdict on their choice of team to win the Stanley Cup, but also on the runner-up.

And of the 25 journalists polled, one named the Habs as the runner-up.

We don't know who the journalist in question is, but it's pretty special to see the Habs get one vote. The Panthers, two-time defending champions (but having a difficult season), also received a vote.

Obviously, the club is far from the favorite, as the Hurricanes, Lightning, and Devils all garnered more votes. And in fact, to see that all 25 journalists see the Cup being won by a Western team says a lot about the state of the Eastern Conference.

Of the 25 journalists, no fewer than 20 see the Habs making the playoffs. Only five teams (the Hurricanes, Devils, Lightning, Panthers, and Capitals) received more votes.

And there's a pretty big split after that: the Senators, who follow the Habs, got just 16 votes, while the Penguins follow with just 10.

Obviously, if the club wants to make the playoffs, it will have to stay the course over the next few months, which is no easy task. But given that the Habs have been winning less and less in recent weeks, it's interesting to see the club continue to be such a popular choice to make the playoffs.

And to see that one person sees the club making it to the finals this season is… something.


Overtime

– Lane Hutson gives Ivan Demidov some love.

– Indeed.

– He's (really) on fire.

– Interesting.

– Really?

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