SoccerPreview
Carrick: Man Utd games vs Liverpool some of my favourites
Carrick highlights the significance of Man Utd vs Liverpool rivalry
Sky Sports1 min read
NHLRecap
Can The Canadiens Succeed Where The Maple Leafs Failed?
TL;DR
The Montreal Canadiens have a chance to qualify for the second round of the playoffs by defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning. This would mark a significant achievement for their current management team, just four years into their tenure.
Key points
- Montreal Canadiens can qualify for playoffs by beating Tampa Bay Lightning
- Current management team has been in place for four years
- Both Canadiens and Maple Leafs made playoffs in their third season
- Canadiens lost to Washington Capitals in first round in 2025
- Maple Leafs lost to Washington Capitals in first round in 2017
Montreal CanadiensTampa Bay LightningToronto Maple LeafsWashington Capitals
On Friday night, the Montreal Canadiens will have a golden opportunity to qualify for the second round of the playoffs by beating the Tampa Bay Lightning for a fourth time. If they do manage it, it will only have taken four years for the Kent Hughes/Jeff Gorton/Martin St-Louis regime to win a playoff round. That would be remarkable.
If you compare them with the Canadiens’ long-time rivals, the Toronto Maple Leafs, they hired Brendan Shanahan and Kyle Dubas to mould their rebuild in 2014. They missed the playoffs in their first two seasons, just like the Canadiens did in their first two seasons with the new administration at the helm.
Canadiens’ Hutson Made History (Again)
Canadiens Steal Home-Ice Back And Push Tampa To The Brink Of Elimination
This Great Canadiens Move Is Paying Off Big Time
Both franchises made the playoffs in their front office’s third season at the helm. That was in 2017 for the Leafs, when they lost in the first round to the Washington Capitals in six games. For Montreal, that was in 2025, when they too lost to the Caps in the first round, but in five games.
Then, for the next two seasons, Toronto lost to the Boston Bruins in seven games. The following year, they lost to the in the qualifying round. In 2021, they lost to Montreal in seven games after leading the series 3-1. In 2022, they lost to the Lightning in seven games. It took the Shanahan/Dubas duo nine years to finally win a round in the playoffs.
Q&A
How can the Montreal Canadiens qualify for the second round of the playoffs?
The Canadiens can qualify by defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning for the fourth time in their playoff series.
What year did the Canadiens last make the playoffs under their current management?
The Canadiens last made the playoffs in 2025 under their current management team.
How does the Canadiens' playoff success compare to the Maple Leafs' history?
Both the Canadiens and Maple Leafs made the playoffs in their front office's third season, but the Leafs did so in 2017, while the Canadiens did it in 2025.
Who are the key figures in the Canadiens' current management?
The key figures in the Canadiens' current management are Kent Hughes, Jeff Gorton, and Martin St-Louis.
