Expect a second straight Calder Trophy winner and a major improvement on the power play, but a potential step back on the penalty kill.

I was a voice crying in the wilderness last year when I predicted that the Canadiens would make the playoffs . Article content

It was an audacious call because this was a team that had missed the playoffs in each of the three previous seasons, never finishing higher than 28th in the 32-team National Hockey League. Article content Article content

But I had faith in the continued development of the talented young core assembled by Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes. I was excited by the addition of Patrik Laine. And I was confident head coach Martin St. Louis could pull it together.

The Canadiens made me look good by wrapping up the last wild-card spot i

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