Brendan Gallagher said he is confident the Montreal Canadiens can take advantage of the unique chance they've been given by the NHL Return to Play Plan.
"Obviously there are a few teams like ourselves who've kind of been given a second life," Gallagher said Friday. "You try and take advantage of that the best you can."
Based on the plan announced May 26, Montreal will play the Pittsburgh Penguins in a best-of-5 Qualifying Round series, with the winner advancing to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Canadiens were 10 points out of a playoff position and behind three teams when the NHL season was paused March 12 due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus. The Return to Play Plan ended the regular season and established a 24-team format to decide the Stanley Cup champion. Montreal's .500 points percentage (31-31-9) is the lowest of the 24 teams.
"We'll see how we stack up," Gallagher said. "To say we go in there without confidence or without belief wouldn't be true. If there's one thing I know about our group, it's that if we are given that opportunity, it's something that we'd welcome."
Pittsburgh (40-23-6) ended the season with the seventh-best points percentage in the NHL, .623, which was fifth in the Eastern Conference. The top four teams in each conference will play a Seeding Round Robin to determine positions for the playoffs.
"I guess if they're unhappy, it's good for us," Gallagher said of the Penguins. "We obviously know what kind of challenge that would be. We'll be facing arguably two of the best players in the world (centers Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin). It'll be a challenge. But like any athlete, I think you look forward to testing yourselves and you look forward to seeing how you hold up in those situations. It'll be a test for our group, for sure, especially with a lot of guys that haven't been given that playoff experience."
A start date and location to resume play has not been determined. Pittsburgh won two of three games against Montreal this season.
"It's not about any team that we play," Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford said. "The 24 teams that are in, any of them could win the series. Playoffs are hard. Everybody knows that. We know it as well as anybody with the success that we've had. We're not about picking and choosing teams. It was more about we were hoping we weren't going to be in the [Qualifying Round].
"... [Montreal has] a good team. We all know with the parity in the League now that just because you're out of the top 16 doesn't mean you don't have a good team. It'll be a good matchup."
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