Saturday’s loss to Columbus wasn’t just on the scoresheet but on the injury front as well. The Habs announced Sunday morning that Noah Dobson will miss at least the next two weeks while David Reinbacher has been recalled from Laval.
Thursday’s battle between the Habs and Lightning had seeding implications for both teams. Both teams treated it like a playoff matchup and in a very tight-checking affair, Juraj Slafkovsky’s late goal gave Montreal the 2-1 win in a game where Cole Caufield also potted his 50th.
Back home to kick off April, Laval had a light week last week with a pair of games against Calgary, one of the weaker teams in the league. However, they were only able to pick up a split but they still hold onto first in the division for the time being.
The past week was a big one for the Habs as they wrapped up a long road trip with the hopes of locking down a playoff spot along the way. While the week ended on a losing note, the rest of it was certainly successful as the Canadiens swept the road trip and secured a postseason berth.
The month of March represented the beginning of the stretch run for Laval while several of Montreal’s prospects kicked off their playoffs. Here are their top performers.
Laval had an opportunity to close out March on a high note and solidify their top seed in the North Division. They didn’t do that. Instead, they lost all three games although they at least managed to pick up two points.
In a very tight playoff battle, it takes a winning streak to give a team a bit of a cushion in the playoff race. The Habs did just that last week with four wins in four games although there’s still plenty to be done before they can clinch.
Montreal kicked off a back-to-back road set in Nashville on Saturday night. A strong second period gave them a big lead that they didn’t relinquish as they skated away with the 4-1 win.
The Habs have agreed to terms with another one of their defence prospects, announcing on Friday that they’ve signed Owen Protz to a three-year, entry-level contract that begins next season.
Last week was a light one on the schedule for the Rocket with only two games. They took care of business in both of them, officially securing a playoff spot in the process although there’s still lots to play for seeding-wise down the stretch.