The Montreal Canadiens are closing in on their first trip to the playoffs since 2021. They have one each of their last five games to pull ahead of the New York Rangers and currently sit in the final postseason spot. Cole Caufield and the Canadiens' core have not played in the playoffs for the most part and are playing in a heated market. He told Robby Stanley of NHL.com about the team's mentality heading into the final stretch.

“You’ve just got to find ways to win right now,” Caufield said. “Whether our starts are good or bad, you’ve got to stay in it and play a full 60. I thought we did that tonight. I thought we bounced forward in the second. Obviously took the lead, and that’s a pretty tough one to hold.”

“Every game is the biggest one going forward,” he continued. “It doesn’t matter if it’s a back-to-back with travel. You’ve got to find a way, and I thought we did that tonight. It wasn’t, obviously, pretty, but you’ll take the two (points) whenever you can get them.”

The Canadiens have an 84.2% chance to make the playoffs, according to MoneyPuck. Caufield and the Habs just have to hold on down the stretch to finally get in the dance.

The Canadiens have serious upset potential

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Just like in every sport, upsets vary over the years. Last year, no one was picking the Washington Capitals to beat the New York Rangers in the first round. But this year, the Canadiens can be the darlings of the playoffs. Assuming they make it, they will likely play the Capitals in the first round. Even though Washington is having a great season, they can be beaten.

If we do get Capitals-Canadiens in the first round of the playoffs, everyone will reference the iconic 2010 postseason series between them. The Capitals won the President's Trophy and lost in seven games to the Canadiens, who had the worst record of all playoff teams. Jaroslav Halak stoned the Caps in Game 7 and stunned the world.

This Canadiens upset would be built on their goaltending, as Sam Montembeault and Jakob Dobes have been excellent this season. But Caufield and Nick Suzuki will have to prove they can score on an elite level to pull off this upset. They'd be facing the greatest goal scorer ever in Alex Ovechkin during the series. It will be a tough task, but you cannot write off this Canadiens squad this year.