For the first time since 1993, the Montreal Canadiens have a chance to hoist Lord Stanley’s cup. With an overtime victory over the Knights in Game 6, the Canadiens clinched a spot in the NHL Stanley Cup. An Atturi Lehkonen one-timer off a cross-ice feed sealed the victory for Montreal.

The Canadiens are the last Canadian team to claim victory in the Stanley Cup final; since then, every team north of the border that has reached the final plateau over the past 28 years has failed to defeat their opponent. Ironically, the Canadiens had the worst regular-season record of any playoff team, and yet they are the first team to clinch a spot in the final round.

Interim head coach Luke Richardson noted the excitement of his players at this opportunity. “It’s hard to put into words how proud we are of them, but they deserve it and they’re not done yet,” he said. “Like, they still have fire in their eyes, they’re already talking about it.”

The victory held even greater significance as it was on the same day as Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day, one of Quebec’s most significant holidays.

The road to the Stanley Cup has been unique for the Canadiens. They overcame a 3-1 series deficit against the Canucks in the first round, then swept a strong Winnipeg team. Montreal lost one of its top defensemen in the first game of the semifinals against the Knights, had limited fans due to COVID-19, and was without their head coach due to a positive COVID-19 test.

Captain Shea Weber, a longtime veteran of the league, will finally play in his first Stanley Cup Final. He will play in front of goaltender Carey Price, a shining star on the Canadiens during this playoff run. He has turned in a .934 save percentage, alongside a 12-5 record. Offensively, the Canadiens have a fantastic, young core of goalscorers, with 14 goals being scored by players on the team younger than 21.

The Canadiens await the winner of Game 7 in the series between the Lightning and the Islanders.

With the Montreal Canadiens chasing down the playoffs, another blow came when captain Shea Weber was injured in Tuesday’s game against the Devils. Weber will go on injured reserve with a lower-body injury and is expected to miss at least a week.

The Canadiens, having battled injuries all season, have gone 7-3 in their last 10 games, placing themselves within eight points of the second wild card in the East.

But Weber has proved his worth as a leader, representing Montreal at the All-Star Game and winning the hardest shot contest for the third time. He has 13 goals and 21 assists this season.

On track for his best season as a Canadien with 51 points, Weber’s number will take a hit, but the team will suffer more.

Montreal was able to secure the win Tuesday against the Devils, taking them in a shootout. Weber’s injury came late in the third when he blocked a shot from Wayne Simmonds. He finished the game in regulation time, but would not play the remainder of the game.

https://twitter.com/HeresYourReplay/status/1225447510791131137?s=20

The Canadiens will play Toronto tonight night at 7:00 p.m. ET in Montreal as they look to keep their playoff hopes alive with their captain on the sidelines.

30 SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2018 – TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW 

Defenseman P.K. Subban was traded by the Montreal Canadians to the Nashville Predators for defenseman Shea Weber on Wednesday.

Canadiens’ P.K. Subban Traded To Predators For Shea Weber

“I’m excited to get down there,” Subban said. “I got along with a lot of the guys during All-Star weekend and some of the guys have already reached out. I want to come in, listen and learn. In turn I want to be a leader and a great player for the franchise.”

The 27-year-old Canadian had 51 points in 68 games this season. He missed the final month after sustaining a neck injury March 10 against the Buffalo Sabres. Subban, who was selected by the Canadiens as the 43rd pick in the second round of the 2007 NHL Draft, has 278 points in 434 games. He won the Norris Trophy in 2013 and was a finalist for the NHL Foundation Award this season.

“This is a great hockey club that’s got a lot of potential and a great future ahead of it,” Subban said of the Predators. “I was traded for their captain so I’d like to think that the expectations are for me to come in and not just be a great player for this franchise but also a leader.”

The Toronto native has six years remaining on an eight-year contract he signed Aug. 2, 2014. He has a league salary-cap charge of $9 million, 2021-22 season. Subban also has a no-movement clause that goes into effect Friday.

“P.K. Subban is one of the best defensemen in the National Hockey League… offensively he’s an equal to Shea Weber,” Predators general manager David Poile said. “This was an incredibly hard deal to make. We did this to improve our team and we did that today.”

Trade rumors had been surrounding Subban since the end of the season, but the Canadien said he wasn’t paying attention to this.

“I think that with a lot of the chatter that kind of happened over the little while, I’m a firm believer that usually where there’s smoke, there’s fire,” Subban said. “At no point did I ever, obviously, want to leave Montreal or even was given a notion from anybody that I would be traded, but we know the way the business works.”

Weber, the 30-year-old Predators captain, had 20 goals and 51 points in 78 regular-season games, as well as three goals and seven points in 14 Stanley Cup Playoff games.

“We completed today an important transaction which I am convinced will make the Canadiens a better team,” Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin said. “It was also one of the most difficult decisions I had to make as general manager of the Montreal Canadiens. In Shea Weber we get a top-rated NHL defenseman with tremendous leadership and a player who will improve our defensive group as well as our power play for many years to come. Shea Weber led all NHL defensemen last season with 14 power-play goals. He is a complete rearguard with impressive size and a powerful shot. P.K. Subban is a special and very talented player. He provided the Canadiens organization with strong performances on the ice and generous commitment in the community. I wish him the best of luck with the Predators.”

A second-round pick (No. 49) in the 2003 draft, Weber is second in Nashville history in goals scored (166) and games played (763), and third in points (443). He has also played in the NHL All-Star Game four times. He has played in the NHL All-Star Game four times. He finished second in voting for the Norris Trophy in 2011 and 2012, and won the Mark Messier Leadership Award this season.

Weber has 10 years remaining on his 14-year, $110 million contract. He signed it with the Philadelphia Flyers as a restricted free agent, although the Predators matched the offer sheet on July 24, 2012.

Caption: GLENDALE, AZ – FEBRUARY 15: P.K. Subban #76 of the Montreal Canadiens and Antoine Vermette #50 of the Arizona Coyotes during the NHL game at Gila River Arena on February 15, 2016 in Glendale, Arizona. The Coyotes defeated the Canadiens 6-2. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)