Montreal Canadiens forward Dale Weise (22) celebrates his goal against the Ottawa Senators with teammates Brandon Prust (8) and Alexei Emelin (74) during the third period of game 3 of first round Stanley Cup NHL playoff hockey action in Ottawa on Sunday, April 19, 2015.Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press
Pilots are taught to handle panic by being thrust unexpectedly into fear-inducing situations during their flight training.
It's easier to yank the throttle on an unsuspecting student flyer than it is to show a young professional hockey player how to deal with the icy grip of dread on an NHL rink.
But the essential lesson is the same: Stay cool and concentrate on the immediate task. You can always freak out once you're back on terra firma.
To stretch the analogy further, the Montreal Canadiens' 2013 first-round loss to the Ottawa Senators was the first cockpit emergency for many members of the Habs' young core in the intense atmosphere of the NHL postseason. It was a bitter occasion, a five-game manhandling in all aspects that matter – on the scoreboard, in the physical and emotional discipline stakes and in the media air war.
The defeat was also instructive.
"At some point as a young guy, you learn to take a deep breath and just play the game, just keep hammering," winger Brandon Prust said.
Relentlessness under duress can be learned, it seems.
Habs defenceman P.K. Subban made an intriguing point about his club after Sunday's 2-1 overtime win, which put the Senators on the brink of a four-game sweep: Montreal seems to have a gear in reserve, and can kick into it when a burst is needed.
He was speaking specifically about the Habs forwards, who have come out after the first intermission in three straight games and put the hammer down, dominating the Ottawa defence. The logical follow-up question is: Where does the extra gear come from?
An unscientific survey of Habs players suggests it's about belief and maturity. Understanding what it feels like to lose your head may also be a key component; to succeed, first you must fail. It helps to have talented, strong-willed players and coaches who help them focus on the moment.
When it was put to centre Lars Eller that belief is a byproduct of experiences that raise a player's panic threshold, he said: "I think that's exactly what it is."
Eller was knocked out – literally and figuratively – in the first game of the 2013 series, and said the sting of the loss served as fuel in last season's run to the Eastern Conference final and in the rematch with Ottawa this year.
"For me, it's a lot of motivation – it should be motivation for all of us," he said.
The fact the Habs triumphed in three closely contested one-goal games is not lost on the players, who spent an off-day here in the Laurentian ski resort of Mont Tremblant. They are humble enough to recognize they have only made, in Eller's words, "three small steps on a very long road."
There's little danger they will take the Sens lightly. "We've played well, but we can be better," Eller said.
It's not a coincidence that the more playoff-hardened team has carried the day. The Sens have led all three games at one point – they held a 1-0 advantage into the last six minutes on Sunday – but haven't been able to stave off the inevitable Montreal push.
It's a trait Montreal defenceman Jeff Petry, who played five seasons with the Edmonton Oilers before joining the Habs at the trade deadline, recognizes.
"On some of my past teams, you get down a goal and it's like 'Okay, which way is this game going to go?' " he said. "I don't think there's ever a doubt in the locker room here. Guys feel that if we continue playing the style we do, we're going to score. We're going to get back into the game."
For Petry, it's a function of character – shorthand in the Habs' orbit for grit, perseverance and leadership.
Veteran centre Torrey Mitchell, who has played for four NHL teams, said it was evident when he landed at the deadline that the Habs don't fluster easily.
"It seemed like there was just a lot character throughout … a lot of guys that were just good professionals," he said. "Wins, losses – guys really don't get too up or too down … we've had two games in overtime. Just to look down the bench to see guys, there's no doubt we're going to win the game. It's a nice quality to have as a team."
Resolve, on its own, won't win game four. But Mitchell is right: The Habs do have qualities that can carry a team far in the playoffs.