Montreal did not have a winning streak longer than three games during the regular season, which ended with an 0-3-2 stretch heading into the postseason.
"We said we had a good group," Canadiens coach Dominique Ducharme said. "And we also said that what we went through with the regular season and being in a tough situation with the schedule, injuries, so on, that it would make our team stronger going through difficult times.
"Well, it was a difficult time. It was a challenge for us being down 1-3 (to Toronto). But we believed with what we went through, we had what we needed to make a push to come back in that round."
Ducharme said the players buying into what the coaching staff has been selling has been key. There also has been the addition of center Eric Staal in a trade with the Buffalo Sabres on March 26 and rookie forward Cole Caufield, who played his first NHL game April 26 and made his Stanley Cup Playoff debut in Game 3 of the first round.
Staal is second on Montreal in playoff scoring with six points (one goal, five assists) in eight games, and Caufield has two assists in seven games.
"Having everyone engaging and stepping up their game and doing it together, too," Ducharme said. "At the same time, we're learning to win as a group. There were some great guys, great acquisitions coming in. But it's still, I'd say, a young group playing together. Those guys have not been playing together for five, seven years.
"As a group, right now we're just figuring out things and learning how to win together."
The Canadiens' streak has been fueled by quick starts. They have scored first in each of their five straight wins and have not trailed in the past 316:14.
That has allowed Montreal to be patient and not have to chase the game. It's also meant the Canadiens don't have to take offensive risks in which the five skaters are pushing up the ice and depending too much on goalie Carey Price.
"Getting good starts, that's something that we feel like we did well during the season," Price said. "We've got to keep that up."
Montreal did in its 1-0 Game 2 win on Friday. Tyler Toffoli scored a shorthanded goal at 1:41 of the second period, and Price made it hold up with 30 saves for his eighth NHL playoff shutout.
Toffoli leads the Canadiens in playoff scoring with seven points (three goals, four assists), and Price is two shy of Montreal's postseason record of 10 shutouts, shared by Ken Dryden and Jacques Plante.
"It's just sticking to what's working," Price said. "Hockey is kind of a funny thing that way. You never know when you heat up at the right time.
"Basically, we have a lot of work to do still."
Price, 6-3 with a 2.08 goals-against average and a .935 save percentage in nine playoff games, has had plenty of help from his teammates.
"Guys are defending hard," defenseman Ben Chiarot said. "Obviously Carey's doing what he does. He's been outstanding for us and guys are playing hard in front of him. [Defensemen] are boxing out, forwards are giving us outs when we get a chance to move the puck and we're doing a good job."
Ducharme said Montreal is a work in progress but he's been impressed by the strides made during the streak.
"It's still a group that is getting to know each other," he said. "Not just on a personal side but mostly learning to win together and facing challenges. And that's what I really like about our team right now. It's a good group."
