The Montreal Canadiens have been one of the hottest teams in the league in the past week-and-a-half. 

The question is which version of them we’ll see in the playoffs if they clinch the final spot in the East.

Canadiens coach Martin St-Louis has provided the structure and discipline his team needs to outlast other playoff contenders. He said at the beginning of March that games will become tighter and they need to be more precise, opportunistic and calculated. But an examination of the Habs’ recent streaks shows the two opposites Montreal has been since the third week of March.

Before their six-game win streak, the Canadiens lost five in a row dating back to March 20. In each of those five losses, Montreal allowed four goals or more and were outscored 25-13. But in every game of their six-game win streak, the Habs allowed two goals or fewer and outscored their opponents 20-9. 

So, which Canadiens team will we see in the playoffs – a competitive squad or first-round roadkill? No matter the opponent, some signs point toward a team that may struggle to score and shut the door four times in a series.

If the Canadiens remain in the second wild-card spot, they will square off against the high-octane Washington Capitals in the opening round. If the regular season is any indication, the Habs will be in trouble. 

Montreal lost its first two games against Washington this season by a combined score of 10-5. While Montreal won the third game 3-2 in overtime, Washington’s league-leading offense at 3.58 goals-for per game could be more than enough to sink the Canadiens’ playoff aspirations.

If the Canadiens move past the Ottawa Senators into the first wild-card spot and take on the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round, Montreal could also be in big trouble. They beat Toronto 1-0 in the first game of the season, but the Maple Leafs beat the Habs by a combined score of 11-4 in their two following meetings. 

The Leafs and Canadiens still have one game left to play before the playoffs, so Montreal has another opportunity to send a message to Toronto. But the Leafs average more goals-for per game (3.26 to 3.00), fewer goals against per game (2.88 to 3.21) and more power-play success (26 percent to 20. 6 percent), and they’ll be heavy favorites against the Canadiens in a first-round series.

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The Canadiens will be the underdogs, no matter who they play in the first round. Maybe that’s to their benefit, as their opponent will have a lot at stake in the first round. Habs players have responded to St-Louis’ motivation tactics lately, and the Canadiens wouldn’t be the first team to pull off a major upset.

If they can clamp down on their opponents’ offense, they’ve shown they can win low-scoring games. But if their history against the Capitals and the Maple Leafs this season is any indication, the Canadiens could be the squad that gets overpowered on offense instead. They’ll hope the version of them on this hot streak will show up more often than not to set history aside and go a new way.

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