No one thought the Montreal Canadiens would be at this point in the postseason, tied 2-2 against the Vegas Golden Knights. So close to a Stanley Cup Final they can taste it.

It's really easy to get wrapped up in the second half of that idea, and therefore very easy to ignore the first half. There's a reason "no one thought they would be here" and it's because they are not a particularly well-built team. It seems unlikely that many people would have given them much of a chance — even with the caveat that Carey Price stands on his head in high-stakes situations — at the start of the regular season, or the end of it, to still be hanging around the playoff picture.

But this is a results-oriented business. All these postseason wins might convince many people both outside the organization and, crucially, within it that the team is well-built.