David Kirouac-Imagn Images [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/50a999c2-b785-40da-9129-275884bce1ef.jpeg] David Kirouac-Imagn Images It was back in September — long before the Montreal Canadiens went on a Cinderella run that resulted in a wild card berth in their final game of the regular season — that Nick Suzuki revealed to The Hockey News that this year might just be more than another rebuilding year. In other words, forget about getting another top-5 pick in the draft. The Habs captain was more interested in grabbing a playoff spot. "Personally, I feel like you can’t just keep stockpiling prospects," Suzuki said back then. "I want to be in the playoffs. I’ve been in the playoffs twice now and they haven’t been on normal circumstances, so I haven’t got to play at the Bell Centre in front of a sold-out crowd. That’s definitely something I’m itching for this year." On Wednesday, Suzuki scratched that itch. The Canadiens [http://thn.com/montreal] have done the improbable — if not the seemingly impossible. They are a playoff team. That they did it before the Buffalo Sabres [http://thn.com/buffalo] and Detroit Red Wings [http://thn.com/detroit] ended their playoff droughts should not be lost on the Chicago Blackhawks [http://thn.com/chicago] or San Jose Sharks [http://thn.com/sanjose] or any other franchise that preaches a long rebuild in order to get back to the playoffs. Yes, the Canadiens [http://thn.com/montreal] haven't been in the post-season since reaching the Stanley Cup final in 2021. But compared to the Ottawa Senators [http://thn.com/ottawa], who missed for seven years, this return to the playoffs feels very premature. No one was picking the Habs to be a wild card when the season began. Now, they will face the top-seeded Washington Capitals [http://thn.com/washington] in the first round, where the Canadiens are the "underdogs." However, bet against them at your own peril. "We wanted to make playoffs no matter what and we did it. That was our main goal all the time," Suzuki told reporters after the playoff-clinching 4-2 win against the Carolina Hurricanes [http://thn.com/carolina] on Wednesday night. "You can't talk loud about it. It was our little goal that we kept between us and, yeah, it happened." Mission Accomplished, The Canadiens Are Back In The Playoffs [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/730e5941-2ae1-4254-ac17-64deb31fe513.jpeg] Mission Accomplished, The Canadiens Are Back In The Playoffs The puck dropped on the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens">Montreal Canadiens</a>’ 82nd game of the season at the Bell Centre on Wednesday night, with the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/carolina-hurricanes">Carolina Hurricanes</a> in town. Martin St-Louis’ men had already failed to clinch a playoff berth in their last three games, and expectations were high in Montreal, especially since the visitors decided to rest some of their regular players. Rod Brind’Amour even went as far as using Jesperi Kotkaniemi as his top-line center. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/latest-news/mission-accomplished-the-canadiens-are-back-in-the-playoffs] It happened mostly because of Suzuki, who since the March 7 trade deadline has scored the fifth-most points of any player in the NHL. But the Canadiens probably wouldn't have qualified without the unlikely contributions from their youngsters. Defenseman Lane Hutson, who is the favorite to win the Calder Trophy [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/latest-news/canadiens-lane-hutson-beats-chris-chelios-record], led all NHL rookies with 66 points in 82 games. Juraj Slafkovsky, who was the No. 1 overall pick in 2022 draft, had a breakout year with 51 points. Cole Caufield, who is still only 24, led the team with 37 goals. Even 18-year-old Ivan Demidov [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/canadiens-ivan-demidov-brings-mamba-mentality-and-otherworldly-skill-to-the-nhl], who has played in two games since coming over from Russia, has contributed with a goal and an assist. And then, there were the players who everyone thought would have been gone by now. Instead of trading Jake Evans at the deadline, the team signed him to an extension. On Wednesday, he rewarded that decision by scoring the empty-netter that sealed the win. David Savard, another player who was rumored to be moved, led the team with 180 blocked shots. "Top to bottom, we have really deep forwards," said Suzuki. "I think our young D will just keep getting better. We’re adding probably some young guys that will make the team and give us a boost. From the first line to the fourth line, I think we could be one of the deepest at that position." Add it up and Montreal looks like they could be one of those dark horse teams that goes further than anyone expected. By making the playoffs, they've already done that. Now, who knows what else they can do. Canadiens' Suzuki Itching For Playoff Hockey In Sold-Out Bell Centre [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/ed46b0f8-a185-49b7-a926-4620e1e0a84c.jpeg] Canadiens' Suzuki Itching For Playoff Hockey In Sold-Out Bell Centre Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki knew exactly what he wanted to accomplish this season before it began. [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/canadiens-suzuki-itching-for-playoff-hockey-in-front-of-sold-out-bell-centre]
