The Montreal Canadiens lost to the Washington Capitals in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. They lost the first two games on the road but took Game 3 at home. A late-game collapse in Game 4 led to a road game with their playoff lives on the line. They could not keep it close in the final game, falling in the game and series 4-1. Who is most to blame for the Canadiens' playoff elimination?

The Canadiens snuck into the playoffs as the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference. They were in 17-17-3 when the calendar turned to 2025 and went 23-14-8 down the stretch. That was enough to hold off struggling Rangers and Islanders squads, who never put a charge into the race. While this was a disappointing playoff exit for the Habs, this was a great first step for this core.

These are the players the Canadiens need to see more from the next time they are in the playoffs. Who should they expect improvement from next spring, if they make it?

The Canadiens needed more from Jakub Dobes

Montreal Canadiens goalie Jakub Dobes (75) kneels on the ice in warm-up before the game against the Chicago Blackhawks at Bell Centre.
David Kirouac-Imagn Images

When the Stanley Cup Playoffs began, the Canadiens tabbed Sam Montembeault as their starting goalie. It was a logical choice, as he led the team with 62 starts this season, posting a .901 save percentage and 2.82 goals-against average. He was okay in the first two games, but left the third game in the third period. Jakub Dobes came in and finished off the win, but the rest of his performances were subpar.

In his 2+ games in the net, Dobes posted an .881 save percentage, far below his .909 regular-season mark. He is a 23-year-old rookie who showed flashes this year in the NHL and AHL, but his playoff performance was not good enough. Plus, Dobes was a vocal opponent to the officials after Game 4 after hits from Tom Wilson and Alex Ovechkin. While the final game was not that close, his words could have cost his team.

This is far from a big concern, but the Canadiens need to make sure Dobes learns from this experience.

Patrik Laine's injury concerns keep growing

The Canadiens' biggest offseason addition last year was Patrik Laine, whom they picked up in a trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets. He was solid in the regular season, scoring 20 goals in 52 games. But he only played in two playoff games, scoring one goal and not adding an assist. The Canadiens did not get the most out of Laine this year because of his injuries, which were a concern when they traded for him.

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Laine has not played a full season since 2020, when he played all 68 of the Winnipeg Jets' games. He was dealing with an upper-body injury during these playoffs, and has previously dealt with various injuries all over his body. This is something that the Canadiens need to ensure ends soon, but that will only get harder at 27 years old.

When Laine plays, he scores a ton of goals for the Canadiens and helps their power play tremendously. He will be important to the development of Ivan Demidov and has a good rapport with Cole Caufield. If he is on the ice for at least 75 games next year, the Habs should be back in the playoffs.

Josh Anderson picked a fight he could not win

A mainstay of the final era of the Ovechkin Capitals has been Tom Wilson. He scores at a top-six level while also playing the classic playoff agitator that has always been a part of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Neutralizing him was always going to be important to winning the series, and the Canadiens did not do that. Most of the reason Wilson was able to thrive was that Josh Anderson was not ready for the fight.

The most viral clip from this series was Wilson and Anderson tussling at the end of a period in Game 3. Their skirmish spilled over onto the bench, sending the Montreal crowd into a frenzy. That sprung Wilson onto Anderson and the entire Canadiens team, unloading a big hit in Game 4 and scoring a game-ending empty netter in Game 5.

This does not mean that the Canadiens should go out and get bigger and sign a player like Matt Rempe this offseason. Those panic moves are often the ones that send young teams back a step. Anderson can score, which is far more important than going toe-to-toe with Wilson. He also did not do that in this series, picking up just one assist in the five games.