5 questions for Canadiens in Stanley Cup Qualifiers

NHL.com is looking ahead to the Stanley Cup Qualifiers by examining five of the biggest questions facing each of the 24 remaining teams. Today, we look at the Montreal Canadiens.

The Montreal Canadiens were 31-31-9 (.500 points percentage) and will enter the Stanley Cup Qualifiers as the No. 12 seed in the Eastern Conference. They will play the No. 5 seed, the Pittsburgh Penguins (40-23-6, .623 points percentage) in one of eight best-of-5 series. The qualifiers will start Aug. 1 at a site to be determined.

Here are 5 key questions facing the Canadiens:

1. Can they make the most of their second chance?

Montreal enters the Stanley Cup Qualifiers with the lowest points percentage among the 24 teams vying for the Stanley Cup. The Canadiens lost eight consecutive games twice in the regular season (0-5-3 from Nov. 16-Dec. 1 and 0-7-1 from Dec. 28-Jan. 9) and were 0-4-1 from Feb. 10-18. But with the Return to Play Plan announced May 26, Montreal begins anew and enters a best-of-5 series against the Pittsburgh Penguins -- against whom they were 1-1-1 this season -- knowing anything can happen.

2. Is Carey Price capable of stealing a series?

Price retains the aura of a six-time NHL All-Star who was voted as 2014-15 Hart Trophy winner as League MVP and Vezina Trophy winner as its top goalie. He turns 33 on Aug. 16 and is central in Montreal's efforts to stop a Pittsburgh offense that is at full strength after an injury-plagued season. Price started 58 games in 2019-20, most in the NHL, was tied for fifth with 27 wins and tied for fourth with four shutouts, though his 2.79 goals-against average was the third-highest in his 13 NHL seasons.

3. In addition to Price, who needs to step up?

Eyes will be on forwards Jonathan Drouin and Nick Suzuki to help Montreal's 19th-ranked offense that scored 208 goals, 13 fewer than the Penguins (221), despite playing two more games. Drouin, who had 15 points (seven goals, eight assists) in 27 games, is cleared to play after an ankle injury sidelined the forward for the last five games before the season was paused March 12 due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus. He's scored 10 points (six goals, four assists) in 13 games against Pittsburgh, but his promise remains unfulfilled since he was the No. 3 pick in the 2013 NHL Draft. Suzuki (41 points; 13 goals, 28 assists) was sixth among NHL rookies in scoring but had one assist in his past nine games before the season pause on March 12.

4. Can they slow down a healthier and deeper Penguins team?

The Penguins won 40 games and scored 3.20 goals per game (10th in the NHL) with key players missing time because of injuries (Sidney Crosby, 28 games; Evgeni Malkin, 14; Patric Hornqvist, 17) and forward Jake Guentzel not playing after Dec. 30 because of shoulder surgery. Guentzel, who had 43 points (20 goals, 23 assists) in 39 games, is expected to be back and help create a balanced lineup that will include forwards Jason Zucker and Patrick Marleau, who were acquired in separate trades in February. Montreal's penalty kill (19th, 78.7 percent) will have to neutralize Pittsburgh's 16th-ranked power play (19.9 percent), a unit affected by the injuries but second on the man-advantage (21.3 percent) since 2010-11 behind the Washington Capitals (21.6 percent).

5. Will Max Domi play?

Domi is a Type 1 diabetic, putting him at higher risk for severe illness from Covid-19, according to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. General manager Marc Bergevin said on May 27 that it would be up to the team doctors if Domi can play. Montreal will need depth at center facing Crosby and Malkin, and Domi, who had 44 points (17 goals, 27 assists), is a big part of that.