The Canadiens, who missed the playoffs last season, went 16-7-1 in 24 games after coach Claude Julien replaced Michel Therrien on Feb. 14. Montreal's six-game winning streak began a 14-3-1 run from Feb. 25 to April 3, when they clinched first place in the Atlantic Division with their fifth straight win, 4-1 at the Florida Panthers.
Goalie Carey Price, defenseman Andrei Markov and forwards Max Pacioretty, Alexander Radulov and Tomas Plekanec were rested and did not make the trip for the 3-2 overtime win at the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday.
"Well it's a luxury because we all know that as the playoffs move on we're going to have some challenges, that's a given," Julien said. "It's like that every year with every team, so when you can start off fairly healthy, which is what we are right now, I think it's huge. And there's some teams that probably aren't in that same position we are, but we're glad that we're able to manage it that way and that we're lucky and fortunate enough to have that situation."
Left wing Alex Galchenyuk, who began the season as the No. 1 center, remained on a line with center Steve Ott and right Andreas Martinsen at practice because Julien stuck with changes he made to his third and fourth lines Saturday.
"In my estimation it's not who you play with, it's how you play, and I think we need some scoring from all the lines," Julien said. "(Galchenyuk) can provide us with that with that line, some scoring, so we can at least be a scoring threat on all four of our lines, so that's the main goal of the whole thing.
Dwight King replaced Galchenyuk, who scored his NHL-leading fifth overtime goal Saturday, on the third line with center Andrew Shaw and right wing Artturi Lehkonen.