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The Montreal Canadiens' Game 7 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs proves they're not a rebuilding team.

The Montreal Canadiens have officially emerged from their rebuild. The Habs shook off that designation by defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 in Game 7 of their Eastern Conference series in the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs on Sunday.

The Canadiens showed why they could hang with one of the toughest teams in the league. It was a tough, hard-fought series that had everything. And, in the end, the Habs got a crucial victory.

Every game in the series was a one-goal affair. Four of the seven games went to overtime. Ultimately, Game 7 came down to one shot. One shot that went in, considering that the Bolts kept Montreal to nine total shots in the game. It wasn’t nine shots in a period. It was nine total shots in the game.

Still, all the Canadiens needed were two shots to go in. They came at the right time and put the Canadiens up for good.

There won’t be any questions about the Habs being a contender now. Even if the Canadiens can’t get past the second round, the conversation will turn from Montreal proving they’re a playoff team to focusing on how to get over the hump.

Canadiens Are Just Getting Started

Last season’s disappointing playoff exit against the Washington Capitals left some lingering questions about the Canadiens’ standing as a playoff team.

But there was plenty of optimism as the young lineup continued to evolve. It’s easy to forget that Nick Suzuki is just 26. Meanwhile, Cole Caufield is 25, Juraj Slafkovsky is 22, Lane Hutson is also 22, and Ivan Demidov is just 20.

Plus, netminder Jakub Dobes is only 24. His brilliant performance in Game 7 against the Buffalo Sabres is further evidence he’s the real deal.

That incredibly young lineup shows the Canadiens are just getting started. They have a core that could continue growing, turning the team into a perennial playoff contender for a decade.

There’s also the question of the pipeline brimming with prospects. Michael Hage is the most-talked-about player in Montreal’s system. Also, Owen Back and Joshua Roy could be vying for lineup spots soon enough.

David Reinbacher and Adam Engstrom could become mainstays on the blue line sooner rather than later. Additionally, Jacob Fowler looks to be Dobes’ tandem partner moving forward.

All of that makes the Canadiens a young team that’s managed to get back into contention by doing a rebuild the right way.

Other Teams Will Be Looking to Learn from Habs

After the Canadiens fell apart following the 2021 Stanley Cup Final, the need for a rebuild became apparent. The key to the rebuild, however, was that the teardown happened correctly. The organization prioritized getting as many draft picks as possible.

Then, the team used its scouting and player development program to turn those draft picks into great young stars.

In the 2022 NHL Draft, for instance, the Habs got Slafkovsky and Hutson. The following year, they got Reinbacher in the first round and found Fowler in the third. The Habs loaded up even more in 2024 by getting Demidov and Hage in the first round.

There are also other tremendous moves that Montreal has made over the years. For example, landing Suzuki in a trade with the Vegas Golden Knights was a masterstroke.

All in all, the Canadiens are poised to make noise this spring. And they remain Canada’s only hope at bringing the Stanley Cup back to its place of origin.