Better to be lucky than good? Guy Carbonneau sees similarities between ’93 Cup winners and today’s Canadiens
Guy Carbonneau says the 1993 Stanley Cup-winning Canadiens were good, but he also knows the team he captained that season was lucky.
“Sometimes you need to be lucky,” Carbonneau told The Gazette. “I think we were in ’93 when Pittsburgh got (eliminated). It is what it is. You show up, you play your games and, after, you have to wait for everybody else.”
Canadiens goalie Jakub Dobes clears the puck against Carolina Hurricanes’ Jordan Staal in Game One of the Eastern Conference final of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Lenovo Center on May 21, 2026 in Raleigh, N.C. Bruce Bennett / Getty Images
The Canadiens were good in ’93, going 48-30-6, but weren’t the prohibitive Cup favourites. Montreal was third in the Adams Division, behind Boston and Quebec. Instead, it was Pittsburgh, first in the Patrick Division with 119 points, that appeared destined to win their third successive Cup.
But the Penguins were upset by the New York Islanders in the division final, losing a seven-game series. Montreal, meanwhile, overcame a 2-0 deficit against Quebec in the opening round before winning the next four games. The Canadiens then swept Buffalo, beat the Islanders in five and required only five games against Los Angeles to capture their 24th championship.
With 102 points, the Canadiens finished 14 points ahead of the Kings, but Montreal also won an NHL-record 10 overtime games en route to its title.
This season’s team finished third in the Atlantic Division and already has upset Tampa Bay and Buffalo, both series going seven games. They’ve made their own luck, winning both deciding games on the road, while taking three of five overtime contests — including the clincher against the Sabres.
And now the Canadiens are attempting to stage their third upset against Carolina in the Eastern Conference final. Montreal won Game 1, a 6-2 blowout on Thursday, jumping out to a 4-1 first-period lead against a team that had been idle since May 9. The series’ second game goes Saturday night at the Lenovo Center (7 p.m., CBC, SN, TVA Sports, TSN Radio-690, 98.5 FM) before the teams return to the Bell Centre for games on Monday and Wednesday.
“They’re fun to watch,” said Carbonneau, who coached the Canadiens for three seasons before being fired in March 2009 with 16 games remaining.
Guy Carbonneau carries the torch at the start of Game 4 in the second round of the NHL playoffs in Montreal on May 12, 2026. Allen McInnis / Montreal Gazette
As an analyst for RDS, Carbonneau, 66, had a front-row seat to witness the Canadiens’ exploits this season. He sees similarities between the ’93 Canadiens and this season’s club — starting in net.
While it’s premature to compare rookie goaltender Jakub Dobes to the legendary Patrick Roy, he, nonetheless, provides the Canadiens with more than a fighting chance.
“We had good teams in ’86 and ’93 — not great teams — but we had Patrick,” Carbonneau said. “I think Dobes is giving them that now. He’s giving this team time to reset. When they don’t have a really good period or game, he keeps them in the game. They don’t need five goals to win. After he makes the saves you need to be able to score goals. They’re able to do that. Right now, you have the right mix.”
Carbonneau gave credit to general manager Kent Hughes for drafting propitiously over the years, along with securing the necessary pieces to the puzzle this season — young players like Zachary Bolduc and Alexandre Texier, along with veteran defensive centre Phillip Danault, who returned after playing for Los Angeles.
Carbonneau realizes the Canadiens took advantage Thursday night of a sluggish team that lacked timing and cohesion. He also understands Carolina will be more desperate on Saturday, and can ill afford to fall two games behind. But he also believes it has worked to the Canadiens’ favour to enter every series as the underdog.
“That’s always good because you don’t have anything to lose,” said Carbonneau, who played 12 seasons for the Canadiens before completing his NHL career with St. Louis and Dallas. “You approach every period, every game, every shift in a different way. When you’re the favourite, there’s pressure not to screw it up.
“That’s what the Canadiens have to keep in mind — they’re not the favourite (against Carolina). I believe that they can win (the series), but they’re going to need to be a lot better than the first two series. By far. But right now, they’re going to say in their room that they have the momentum. They’ve been playing well for two series. Right now, everything’s going well.”
Canadiens’ Kaiden Guhle (21) and Carolina Hurricanes’ Seth Jarvis (24) battle for the puck in Game One of the Eastern Conference final on Thursday. Jared C. Tilton / Getty Images
Defenceman Kaiden Guhle has stated the Canadiens aren’t afraid of any opponent, as their confidence continues to build. That mindset hasn’t changed.
“We’re so confident in this group,” Guhle said Thursday night in Raleigh. “We know what we have in there. We felt like we had a bit of an advantage tonight. We played three days ago. They haven’t played in like two weeks. We felt like that first period was a chance for us to jump on them. We did a good job of that.”
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