Don Cherry believes the Canadiens could do damage in the playoffs

Former Hockey Night in Canada co-host Don Cherry believes that the Montreal Canadiens could be the most dangerous surprise team of the playoffs.

Speaking on The Don Cherry's Grapevine Podcast, Cherry said he believes the Canadiens have a chance to surprise a lot of teams this year, in main part due to goaltender Carey Price.

“Naturally the clubs with the most points are favored to win the Stanley Cup when they start playing this summer,” said Cherry. “Bruins are favored at 11-2 odds. The team I wouldn't want to meet in the first round is Montreal because of one guy. Carey Price. Let's face it; Carey has been ordinary since he signed the big contract. On July 2, 2017, he signed an eight-year, $84 million extension.

Now Carey can pay back Marc Bergevin for being so generous. In the short series he can steal it for Montreal. If he gets the feel and on a roll he could steal the Cup. Remember Patrick Roy? The Canadiens got a gift getting into the playoffs, so this could be Price's last chance. He needs to put everything out of his brain and just get ready to play the game. If he gets into form, look out.”

Cherry's comments, while interesting, are also very true. The 24-team format, along with the shortened first round series, really evens the playing field and allows for anyone to win the Stanley Cup. He is also correct on saying the Canadiens got a gift to be included in the playoffs, as they were the lowest seeded team in the NHL to be included in the new format. In defence of their poor regular season, they were hit hard by the injury bug all year long and should be fully healthy headed into the playoffs.

Although Canadiens fans may not want to admit it, Cherry's comments on Price being ordinary the past few seasons are accurate as well. Despite still being considered by many as the top player in the game, his numbers have been extremely average the last few seasons. Of course, a big part of that is because of the fact he is playing on a weak Canadiens roster, but at his salary he has to be able to carry the team more than he's been doing. He will get a chance to do so in a big way during this year's playoffs.

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