Montreal Canadiens enter playoffs with new belief, says Craig Button
The Montreal Canadiens enter the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs with renewed belief, and analyst Craig Button believes that mindset could make them a dangerous opponent. Montreal currently holds the third place in the Atlantic Division with 106 points, and has one game remaining. They are going to face the Tampa Bay Lightning in the opening round.
Speaking during a segment of “Jay on SC,” Button said the Canadiens are no longer a team hoping to compete but one expecting to win. He pointed to their balanced play across all areas, including improved defense and reliable goaltending. MORE: Canadiens star Cole Caufield celebrates 50th goal with dad in crowd ‘wiping tears’ “It’s going to be a difficult matchup because the Montreal Canadiens are playing so well, and they’re not just playing well in one area of their game,” Button said.
“Their defensive play has improved, their goaltending has been really good, obviously up front offensively, and you look at how their defense [has improved]. “And I really think Kaiden Guhle coming back healthy has really helped that blue line. It’s taken some of the … heavy minutes away from some other players and he’s filled that in, and he’s that type of player.
” Offensively, Montreal continues to deliver. Cole Caufield has crossed the 50-goal mark, while captain Nick Suzuki has passed 100 points. Button also praised contributions from players like Juraj Slafkovsky (73 points), who scored a recent game-winner, and Lane Hutson (78 points), who matched a franchise record for assists by a defenseman, earlier held by Larry Robinson.
The Canadiens’ depth has also improved. A strong second line featuring emerging players has added scoring support, while the return of key names like Kirby Dach could boost their lineup further. “They have the grind down deeper in their lineup, and you start to see them getting healthy players coming back into the lineup,” Button said.