The first round of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs are set, as the Montreal Canadiens were the last team to secure a spot.  The Canadiens are the 16th best team heading into the playoffs.  Same position as last season.

The Canadiens begin their quest for the Stanley Cup on Thursday May 20 vs their rivals Toronto Maple Leafs.  It’s the first time since 1979 that the two teams face off against one another in the post season.

The odds are stacked against the Canadiens.  On that note, for the best online for the best online casino in Canada, check out JackpotCity, a place where you can find quite a few games – including a slot machine called Break Away inspired by our favourite sport, ice hockey – to play while you wait for the next game to start.

This season has been a season like no other.  A season played in a pandemic, in a 56-game shortened season, having a Covid scare, and having a bunch of game re-scheduled.  Forcing the Canadiens to play their last 25 games in 45 days.  The most of any team in that stretch.

After jumping out of the gates when the season started at 7-1-1, the team began to spiral downwards.  To limit the fallout, Habs GM Marc Bergevin fired the head coach, associate coach, and goalie coach.  Gone were Claude Julien, Kirk Muller, and Stephane Waite.

Promoted were Dominic Ducharme as Head Coach (a rookie), and Alex Burrows (another rookie) as Assistant Coach, and Sean Burke as goalie coach.  

But this made me think.  In the past 40 years, when the Canadiens made coaching changes during a season, how do those teams fair during the post season.

1979-1980:  Bernard Geoffrion quit as Head Coach replace by Claude Ruel.  The defending Stanley Cup Champions lost in the Quarter Finals to the Minnesota North Stars.

1983-1984:  Bob Berry was replaced by Jacques Lemaire; during the 1984 post-season, the Canadiens managed to get to the Semi-Finals, only to lose to the NY islanders in 6 games.

1995-1996:  Jacques Demers was fired 5 games into the season.  Mario Tremblay took over.  And the Canadiens lost in the first round to the New Jersey Devils in 5 games.

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2000-01:  Alain Vigneault was replaced by Michel Therrien 20 games into the season.  The team failed to make the playoffs.

2002-03:  After 46 games, Michel Therrien was fired and replaced by Claude Julien.  But the Canadiens failed to reach the post-season.

2008-09:  In a surprising move, with a winning percentage 66 games into the season, Guy Carbonneau was fired, and GM Bob Gainey filled the head coaching role for the remainder of the season.  The Canadiens were bounced in a 4-game sweep in the first round vs the Boston Bruins.

2011-12:  In a dreadful season, Jacques Martin was fired at the 32 games mark of the season and replaced by Randy Cunneyworth.  Habs did not make the playoffs.  The two men have never coached an NHL team since.

2016-17:  Michel Therrien , in his second tour of duty with the Canadiens, and after a couple of good seasons, was fired after 58 games and replaced by Claude Julien.  He too was in his second stint with the team.  It didn’t matter, Habs were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the NY Rangers.

2020-21:  After a fast start to the shortened season, Habs GM Marc Bergevin was quick to pull the trigger on Claude Julien.  Julien was let go after 18 games with a record of 9-5-4.  Replaced by Dominique Ducharme who ended the season with a record of 15-16-7.  Remains to be seen how far Habs will go in this season’s playoffs.

Safe to say of all the coaching changes during the last 40 years, only the 1983-84 did it have an immediate impact in the playoffs.