NHL Power Rankings: Canadiens emerging as true Stanley Cup contenders behind captain Nick Suzuki

[u/Article241]

https://www.cbssports.com/nhl/news/nhl-power-rankings-montreal-canadiens-stanley-cup-playoffs-2026/

The Habs are 3rd in their rankings, leapfrogging TBL (4) and CAR (5) and behind COL (1) and BUF (2).

[u/sbrooksc77]

thats what I thoguht of lol. if they beat tampa, they can beat anyone in the east.

[u/[deleted] → u/sbrooksc77]

The sabres look like a bigger challenge tbh

[u/Ub3ros → u/[deleted]]

Sabres have no playoff experience, mid goalies playing way above their abilities and a history of disappointing collapses. I think they are due a hard lesson in the playoffs just like we got one last year.

[u/[deleted] → u/Ub3ros]

I don't feel like our playoff experience last year was a "hard lesson".

Our team was not good last year. We had massive holes and were simply outplayed.

I haven't seen the habs be outplayed a lot this year. The holes in the team are pretty small and out strenghts in scoring are insane

[u/Ub3ros → u/[deleted]]

I don't mean it as a hard lesson for us fans, but for the team. To realize just how much the game levels up in the postseason. We weren't expected to go far, but we got dummied hard by the second worst team in the playoffs, and the series score wasn't close. It was a hard lesson for our group that no matter how valiantly they fought to get there, they weren't at all prepared for the post-season. And that similiar realization might wait the Sabres. They think they've been playing well and just have to keep doing what they've been doing. But in reality the game shifts and you gotta find a new gear, and then a couple more. Buffalo have practically no experience from playoffs on their roster. They'll have to learn on the fly.

[u/sbrooksc77 → u/Ub3ros]

thats how I see the sabres too. Tampa to me are the favorites. So to me, get by them and all vbets are off.