"Taught me a lot just talking to him — the way he sees the game, the way he's trying to set himself up to have a good shift, the way he uses his body."
Forward Cole Caufield, 25, highlighted Anderson's positive attitude during difficult rebuild phases. "He's a positive guy," Caufield said.
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"He's always trying to find good things to look to." Caufield noted that Anderson kept the atmosphere light and remains an integral part of the team's success.
Defenceman Noah Dobson, in his first season with Montreal, said postseason hockey suits Anderson's style. "The playoffs are built for his game — the intensity, the physicality," Dobson said.
He added that Anderson's power forward game makes him "hard to handle."
Forward Alex Newhook, a Stanley Cup winner with Colorado in 2022, praised Anderson's ability to elevate his game in meaningful moments.
"He's showing how effective he can be in meaningful games at a meaningful time of the year," Newhook said.
"He takes on the big moments."
Fan Excitement Reaches New Heights
The playoff run has generated extraordinary enthusiasm among Montreal fans. Author Brendan Kelly said the current civic excitement rivals any historical playoff atmosphere.
"I really think there's more excitement than there ever has been about a Habs playoff run," Kelly said.
For fans born after the team's last Stanley Cup win in 1993, this postseason offers a rare chance to end a 33-year drought.
Montrealer Nicholas Bergeron, 35, noted that the team's historical achievements carry deep cultural significance passed down through generations.
"Even though this was 50, 60, 70 years ago, these things are still felt," Bergeron said. "It's more than hockey history at this point."
Lukas Drouin, born in 1988, recalled watching Game 2 with his father and feeling a magical atmosphere.
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"Every win is magical, and it's giving so much energy to the people and the fans," Drouin said.
