New Canadiens Connection: Learn to Close

There’s a big difference between getting yourself into a good position in a playoff series…and finishing the job. For a younger team like the Montreal Canadiens, that can sometimes be the hardest lesson to learn.

Why? Well, once you get close, the pressure changes, the urgency changes, the opponent gets more desperate, and the games get tighter. Mentally, you have to be able to stay focused and keep pushing, instead of sitting back and hoping things work out.

That’s part of what makes this stage of the playoffs so challenging for the Canadiens. There have been moments in this series where one can see the confidence, the structure, the growth — but there have also been moments where you can tell this team is still learning what it takes to put an opponent away. Case in point, the Buffalo Sabres completely dominated the Habs in Game 6 to tie the series 3-3.

Talent gets you to the stage, but mentality, composure, urgency, and developing that ruthless edge good playoff teams have is what propels a team to the final curtain.

This Week’s Show

On this week’s new episode of the Canadiens Connection podcast, we explain the three biggest things the Montreal Canadiens still need to learn about closing out this Stanley Cup playoff series.

NEW PODCAST: Championship Habits: Montreal Canadiens Learning to Close | Canadiens Connection ep 400

We also discussed these important topics on this week’s episode of the podcast:

Beck, Xhekaj, Engstrom and Reinbacher were added to the Canadiens playoff roster.
A Montreal Canadiens prospect is heading to the CHL Memorial Cup.
Two Canadiens prospects are representing their countries at the IIHF World Championships.

CC Question of the Week: Which player best represents the mentality the Canadiens need right now?

It is our eighth season, with a new episode of the podcast dropping every Saturday afternoon. Be sure to subscribe using your favorite podcast app! Or watch our episodes on YouTube!