St. Louis has experience overcoming 3-1 deficits as Canadiens face East Final challenge

The Montreal Canadiens face a steep challenge as they try to recover from a 3-1 series deficit in the round before the Stanley Cup Final, a situation that has been overcome only once in NHL history, when the New Jersey Devils rallied past the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2000 Eastern Conference Final. Still, Montreal has built a reputation for resilience and has already shown it this postseason.

The Canadiens reached the playoffs last season when few expected them to, and even though they were eliminated by the Washington Capitals in five games in the first round, that experience appears to have helped them in the current playoff run. In both of their first two series, against the Lightning and the Buffalo Sabres, Montreal lost Game 6 at home but responded by winning Game 7 on the road to advance. Now, they must repeat that kind of comeback on a larger stage.

Defenseman Alexandre Carrier said the team has embraced the role of underdog throughout the playoffs. He described Montreal as a young, fast team that competes hard and stays desperate, adding that those qualities help reveal which players are willing to step up when it matters most. The Canadiens believe that same mentality can carry them through another difficult test.

One reason for optimism is Montreal’s strong road play. The Canadiens are 7-3 away from home in the playoffs, including a decisive 6-2 victory in Game 1 against Carolina. The Hurricanes, who had an 11-day break after the second round, responded to that loss by winning Game 2 in overtime on home ice. Montreal did not feel it played poorly in that game, but it came up just short.

The Canadiens now need to find a way to score the extra goal in Game 5 that they could not get in Game 2 if they want to force a Game 6 at the Bell Centre in Montreal on Sunday. A win in the next game could dramatically change the tone of the series and shift momentum in Montreal’s favor.

Forward Cole Caufield emphasized that the team is focused only on the next game, not on what comes after. He said the Canadiens are not out of the series until they are completely eliminated and that their mindset is to keep battling and try to turn things around as quickly as possible.

With history against them, the Canadiens remain confident that their playoff habits, road success, and refusal to quit can keep their season alive.