It was a week of milestones for the Habs as several of their core players all set personal bests or reached totals rarely seen in recent years. On top of that, they managed to pick up three of four wins to give them a shot at home-ice advantage in the first round although they sustained a key injury along the way.
After a tough loss to Columbus on Saturday, the Habs looked to rebound on Sunday against the Islanders. One big minute in the second period gave them a lead they never looked back from in a 4-1 victory.
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.
The Habs played their final home game of the regular season on Saturday as they hosted Columbus. The Blue Jackets had way more to play for than Montreal and it showed as the visitors came out strong and controlled the play from there to pick up a 5-2 win to keep their playoff hopes alive.
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.
The Habs never held the lead on Tuesday against Florida but they were able to come back from three separate one-goal deficits, including the tying goal coming with just 21 seconds left in regulation. From there, Montreal scored twice in the shootout to secure the 4-3 victory.
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.
After clinching a playoff spot earlier in the day, the Habs couldn’t muster up much on Sunday night against New Jersey in the back half of a home-and-home set. As a result, the Devils were able to pick up the split with a 3-0 victory.
The Habs blew a 3-0 lead in New Jersey on Saturday night. However, they were able to win in the shootout, bringing them to 100 points on the season as they head into the second half of the home-and-home set on Sunday.
The Habs are milestone chasing down the stretch with Cole Caufield almost at 50 goals and Nick Suzuki eyeing the 100-point plateau. Those are among the topics discussed in our latest podcast.