Year in review: Canadiens’ playoff berth, new additions give fans hope

The year 2020 will always be remembered for COVID-19.

For Canadiens fans, it will also be remembered as the year the team finally got into the playoffs — thanks to COVID-19.

When the NHL shut down the season on March 12 because of the pandemic, the Canadiens had a 31-31-9 record and were in 12th place in the Eastern Conference, 10 points out of the final playoff spot with 11 games remaining on the schedule. It had become obvious the Canadiens — who had gone through two eight-game winless streaks — were going to miss the playoffs for the third straight season and the fourth time in five years.

Before the NHL trade deadline on Feb. 24, Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin basically gave up on the season (with reason), dealing away forwards Ilya Kovalchuk, Nate Thompson, Nick Cousins and defenceman Marco Scandella in exchange for draft picks.

“I have to look, as a general manager, at the big picture, not only at what’s going on now,” Bergevin said after the trade deadline passed. “But our core hasn’t changed and the guys I feel that will help us keep fighting for a playoff spot and moving forward next year are still on the team.