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But if anyone can relate to what Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin went through this season with the Habs missing the playoffs, it’s Gainey. He held the same position for six-and-a-half seasons, starting in 2003-04 after the team had missed the playoffs in four of the five previous years. The Canadiens only missed the playoffs once with Gainey as GM before he handed over the reins to Pierre Gauthier and stuck around for another two-and-a-half seasons as a consultant.

“I can relate because I have been with teams that have missed the playoffs,” Gainey said after Sunday’s breakfast wrapped up. “That’s always your objective. It’s difficult to express that and be taken seriously that you just want to get in the playoffs until it happens that you’re not. And then you realize — or maybe the people realize — that if we could just get to the playoffs then we’ll see what happens at that point. It is difficult. We’re all competitors. We all like to do well. Success is measured by each year having a chance to play for the Cup and you can’t do that if you’re not in the playoffs.