The copium in this post thoughWhat is a realistic ideal path? In a divisional format you can get lucky with 2 easy matchups (see 2024 Edmonton) but you still have to play someone legit eventually. They were super fortunate Dallas had to take out the other top 2 teams in the west, and then they got a battered Dallas team. Still had to play Florida in the finals tho.
Carolina could fall into this category if Toronto beats Florida and Winnipeg makes the finals, but thats another big what if.
Everyone says this, but nobody can actually say im wrong.The copium in this post though
All 16, assuming you mean not just which opponents, but also their injury situation.
I mean, Washington made short work of my Habs, but take out any 3 of their top 8 players (and keep Protas out), and the Habs can make it, and from the 2nd round on, winning teams can be beat up and exhausted if their series went to 7 games each time.
Hey, in 2021 I was thinking that if Point, Hedman, Kucherov and Vasilevsky got taken out by covid for a week or two, Montreal had a real chance for a Cup !With enough plane crashes and infectious diseases, Montreal has a real chance.