The Canadiens reminded the Penguins last summer that there are no sure things in the Stanley Cup playoffs, that even a team that appears to be overmatched can win a series if its opponent doesn't perform to its potential.
(Of course, one would have thought that the Blue Jackets' stunning four-game sweep of the Lightning in the opening round the previous year already would have made that point rather emphatically to everyone around the NHL.)
The bottom line is that favorites, even prohibitive ones, are upset frequently in the playoffs.
Clubs rarely are able to hand-pick their opponent for the opening round, in part because there are so many moving parts in the fight for playoff berths.
The Penguins, for example, currently are first in the East Division, but are only one point ahead of second-place Washington, which has a game in hand. And, more to the point, just seven up on fourth-place Boston, which could slice that advantage to five with a victory at PPG Paints Arena Tuesday night and which has played two fewer games than the Penguins.
Win all three of those games, and the Bruins' seven-point deficit would shrivel to one, a development that likely would affect where the Capitals and third-place New York Islanders show up in the standings.
Consequently, the Penguins' Round 1 opponent could be the Bruins. Or Washington. Or the Islanders. Or, for that matter, the New York Rangers, who are a long shot to qualify, but could get in if Boston stumbles down the stretch.
The Penguins have fared well against East opponents in 2020-21 -- their 3-3-1 record against Boston is their only non-winning mark inside the division -- but any of them the Penguins would meet in a best-of-seven would have the potential to beat them in a best-of-seven if the Penguins underperform.
Or even, in some cases, if they'd play well.
YOUR TURN: Which East Division team would you like to see the Penguins face in Round 1, and why?