It’s three long decades since fans of the Montreal Canadiens celebrated their beloved team getting their hands on the Stanley Cup. The 1993 victory over the Los Angeles Kings is such a distant memory, those bright-eyed youthful Habs fans won’t even remember it! No team has come close to repeating the 20th-century success exhibited by the Canadiens, but fans would surely swap some of that for a taste of victory sooner rather than later.
Montreal Canadiens: Key Players
Going into this season , optimistic fans among the bunch believed a shot at this year’s Stanley Cup was still on the cards. If you’re someone that enjoys betting on ice hockey, it might be worth checking out where you can find the best online casino bonus in 2023. These bonuses are a great way of getting the most out of your betting experience as you can often earn a free bet, which can be used on the upcoming Canadiens games.
But heading into this season, most Habs fans tempered their expectations when it comes to the playoffs. They didn’t qualify for the 2021-22 season and had coach Dominique Ducharme fired in the meantime. Under Martin St. Louis’ wing, they haven’t fared much better. At the bottom of the Atlantic Division with 66 points, the Canadiens aren’t reaching the playoffs this year.
The Habs’ dashed playoffs hopes come off the back of injuries, losing key players for the rest of the season. The biggest blow to the Habs was losing Cole Caufield to his January 12th shoulder dislocation. Since arriving in the 2019 draft, the young right wing had gone from strength to strength. The 22-year-old was one of the team’s smaller players but had set the league alight. Unfortunately, the flame that burned twice as bright lasted half as long, and he isn’t finishing this season.
His 26 goals in 46 games had ranked him as the Canadiens’ top scorer and also mean he had surpassed last season’s total goals in around 20 fewer games. That’s a talent that the Habs couldn’t access for the rest of the season.
Center Nick Suzuki was also on track to have his best campaign in Montreal, and his goals were crucial in Caufield’s absence. The youngest-ever Canadiens captain has over 40 goal involvements in 56 games and stands alongside Kirby Dach as one of the team’s most creative assets. The pair have notched up 48 assists between them already this season.
There is enough young talent in this Canadiens team to make a competitive squad in future seasons. If Caufield improves and Suzuki ups his game to become the latest in a long line of great Habs captains, they could top the Atlantic Division and take a playoff spot in later seasons.
Betting Odds for the Stanley Cup
It’s obvious by now that the Canadiens aren’t lifting the Cup this season. Just prior to being mathematically eliminated, most major sportsbook price their chances at +50000. That’s roughly a 0.5% likelihood.
Habs fans can take some small comfort from knowing there are plenty below them in the betting tables. The Arizona Coyotes, San Jose Sharks, Anaheim Ducks, Chicago Blackhawks and Colombus Blue Jackets are all bigger outside bets.
The last two years have been rough for the most decorated team in ice hockey, at least when it comes to playoffs and Cup bids. However, even when the odds have been stacked against them, the Habs have put together some impressive performances in 2023 that shows the team still has some fight in them.
The 3-2 overtime win against the Toronto Maple Leafs and the 4-3 overtime win against the New York Islanders are season highlights that show the Canadiens are more than capable of hanging with those ranked above them on their day.
If their key players can keep fit and guide them toward a few consecutive wins, the Habs can build enough momentum to give them a chance at reaching future playoffs. This year, they aren’t going to make it. Let’s call it a training season.