After a big win on Friday to get back into the series, the Habs looked to equalize things against Washington on Sunday. They had the lead in the third but couldn’t hold on, falling 5-2.
The first three games of Montreal’s first-round series against Washington are in the books. After a couple of tough losses, they took care of business on home ice to keep within striking distance in a series that could be shaken up by injuries.
Laval finished up their regular season with three games against Belleville, a division rival that they’ve struggled against at times. However, they were able to pick up a pair of victories to secure first overall while also eliminating the Senators from playoff contention.
The Habs didn’t exactly make it easy on themselves but in the end, they managed to do just enough to take care of business in the final week of the season to secure the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Last month was a solid one for Laval as they propelled themselves toward clinching the top spot in the division. Meanwhile, some of Montreal’s lesser-known prospects had some strong performances to earn a mention here for the first time this season.
On Wednesday, the Habs had one last chance to clinch a playoff spot as they hosted Carolina. They struggled to bury some of their top scoring opportunities but it didn’t matter as Montreal doubled up the Hurricanes 4-2.
Laval’s two-week road trip came to an end last week with a pair of games against division rivals. They took care of business in both of them, securing themselves the North Division title in the process.
The NCAA’s transfer portal has been quite busy in recent weeks with 260 college players entering it. One of those is Habs prospect Jack Smith who has now transferred to Minnesota State (Mankato) for next season.
It wasn’t Montreal’s best week by any stretch but they did manage to creep a little closer to securing the final Wild Card spot in the East. They still have some work to do to clinch but they’re in control of their destiny while getting an intriguing late-season addition up front.
It was a decent on the road for Laval. They picked up a respectable five points in four games but saw their lead on first overall shrink while they also dealt with some more injury issues.