Jun 8, 2021
Canadiens to face winner of VGK-Avalanche series
"They finished first or second in the league, but our objective is not to end it here," Canadiens coach Dominique Ducharme said.
TSN.ca Staff
After completing their four-game sweep of the Winnipeg Jets in overtime on Monday, the Montreal Canadiens await the winner of the Vegas Golden Knights and Colorado Avalanche series in the third round.
Vegas and Colorado are currently tied 2-2 in their second-round series with both teams winning on home ice so far. The two teams tied with an NHL-high 82 points this season, with the Avalanche winning the Presidents' Trophy on a tiebreaker.
"They finished first or second in the league, but our objective is not to end it here," Canadiens coach Dominique Ducharme said after the team's Game 4 win. "If we want to make it to where we want to go, we're going to have to beat the best teams."
The Canadiens, who were the last NHL team to clinch a playoff spot this season, are no stranger to upsets after rallying to defeat the North Division's top-seeded Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 7 of the first round and then completing their sweep of the Jets, who had six more wins in the regular season.
Montreal last advanced to the third round of the playoffs in 2014, when they lost in six games to the New York Rangers. The team has not reached the Stanley Cup final since winning the trophy in 1993.
"[1993] was a great team," Ducharme said Monday, per NHL.com. "The team really jelled together and went through some adversity [losing their first two games of the playoffs] against Quebec before getting on a roll. But every year is different and we're not thinking about that kind of thing inside. We're focused on the moment.
"I know from the outside, maybe you can see some things that are the same. But we have a long way to go."