If the Montreal Canadiens are able to rebound from a dreadful stretch and qualify for the playoffs, weekend wins over Edmonton and Carolina could prove to be the turning point.
Montreal came out on top of consecutive games for the first time since late November, at which point it appeared as though a spot in the postseason was a foregone conclusion. The Canadiens, however, went on to win only six of their next 27 games, tumbling down the standings in the process.
And while they're still outside the playoff picture, the two wins were obviously a step in the right direction. As far as captain Max Pacioretty is concerned, Ben Scrivens - who earned his first two victories in the bleu, blanc et rouge - deserves much of the credit.
"I think the momentum of this weekend started early in the game against Edmonton. Ben made two huge saves against (Jordan) Eberle 1-on-0 in front of the net, and I think that kind of set the tempo for both him and us this weekend," Pacioretty told reporters after Sunday's win over Carolina.
"These four points are big, but we know we owe them to the way he played. It’s been a long time (since we’ve won two in a row), so it’s a good stepping stone for where we want to be."
Scrivens saw 59 shots in the back-to-back starts, stopping 57 for a save percentage of .966.
"It's nice to get two wins," Scrivens admitted. "Having a bit of ownership of it makes it a little sweeter but the big thing was we got four points this weekend."
Added Scrivens, "We needed it. Now we have to focus on the next one."
Montreal's next chance to earn two points will come Tuesday against Tampa Bay.
