At the start of the season, the Montreal Canadiens were expected to finish at the bottom of the Atlantic Division for the fourth consecutive year. Fast forward to the final week of the campaign, and the Canadiens are now on the verge of clinching a playoff spot for the first time since their surprising run to the Stanley Cup Final four years ago.
A Strong Finish to the Season
The Canadiens have been playing some of their best hockey late in the season. With a 6-1-1 record and an NHL-best 13 points since March 30, they’ve surged ahead of teams like the Detroit Red Wings, New York Rangers, and New York Islanders. However, this past weekend, they faced a setback. A 5-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators and a tight 1-0 overtime defeat against the Toronto Maple Leafs prevented them from sealing their playoff spot.
Despite the loss, Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki remained positive about the team’s performance, saying, “I thought our effort was there the whole time. Coming in on a back-to-back is tough. I thought we kept it pretty simple, trying to go north, we defended well, and our penalty kill did a helluva job. It’s a point. We might need that, so we’ll take it.”
The Blue Jackets and Final Push for the Playoffs
The only team still in contention for the Canadiens’ wild-card spot is the Columbus Blue Jackets. Columbus kept their playoff hopes alive with two wins over the Washington Capitals. Now, with just two games left, Montreal sits at 88 points, leading Columbus by three points.
The Canadiens have two remaining games: one against the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday and another against the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday. They only need a single point from either of these games to secure their spot in the postseason and eliminate the Blue Jackets from contention.
Looking Ahead: A Potential First-Round Matchup with the Capitals
If Montreal manages to clinch a playoff spot, they would face off against the Washington Capitals in the first round. This would be the first time these two teams have met in the playoffs since 2010, a series where Montreal famously upset the top-seeded Capitals in seven games with the help of stellar goaltending by Jaroslav Halak. Although the Capitals would be the favorites in the series, the Canadiens have shown that anything is possible in the playoffs.
“Just stay the course,” said Canadiens coach Martin St-Louis. “Play the game that’s in front of you, like we did (against Toronto), and things will work out. I’m really proud of the way the guys played tonight.”
The Future: Ivan Demidov’s NHL Debut?
Another interesting development was the debut of last year’s first-round pick, Ivan Demidov. The speedy 19-year-old Russian skated for the first time with his new teammates at Scotiabank Arena on Saturday. While there was speculation that Demidov could make his NHL debut in the upcoming game against the Blackhawks, his debut might be delayed as the game has playoff implications.
With the Canadiens only needing one point in their final two games to secure a playoff spot, they are in control of their destiny. It has been an exciting turnaround for a team that was written off at the beginning of the season, and now, they are fighting for a chance to compete for the Stanley Cup. No matter how the next week unfolds, it’s been a remarkable journey for Montreal this season.
