Meaningful hockey in March.
By most accounts, the 2024-25 Montreal Canadiens were expected to be playing meaningful hockey by March. After three consecutive years at the bottom of the Atlantic Division during a significant roster transformation, it seemed this could be the year the team would take initial steps towards competitiveness.
It turns out the young team exceeded expectations, turning meaningful March hockey into an early April surge, culminating in a playoff appearance.
Conversely, the Washington Capitals entered the season seemingly headed for a rebuild. After barely securing the second wild card spot in the final game of last season, the Capitals underperformed in the first round against the New York Rangers. Their offense struggled, with Alex Ovechkin scoreless for the first time in a series sweep by New York.
