It's official, the Montreal Canadiens will participate in playoff hockey for the second consecutive season.
The Habs qualified for the playoffs thanks to a tremendous effort by the Detroit Red Wings vs. the Minnesota Wild. Detroit lost 5–4, meaning they could no longer catch the Canadiens.
Of course, the Canadiens could qualify with another win against the New Jersey Devils on Sunday night, but regardless of the defining moment, it's fair to say Montreal has exceeded all expectations this season.
Whether it's Cole Caufield's pursuit of 50 goals, Nick Suzuki's 100-point run, Juraj Slafkowski's continued development at power forward, Lane Hutson's impressive blue line production, or the play of the rookie netminders, the Canadiens have epitomized excitement while putting together one of the cleanest rebuilds in modern NHL history.
This is especially notable when we consider that the team finished last in 2021-22, which allowed them to select Slafkovsky with the first overall pick in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft.
Of course, the work is far from done, and if the Habs are to be considered legitimate Stanley Cup contenders, they will need to strengthen their defensive game, but the NHL is full of teams that have experienced unsuccessful rebuilds, making Montreal's progress in just a few years quite remarkable.
home ice in play
If the NHL playoffs begin on Sunday afternoon, the Canadiens will face the surging Buffalo Sabers with home advantage.
Given that they are only two points behind the Tampa Bay Lightning for first place in the Atlantic Division, there is a possibility that the Canadiens could face the first-place wild card team instead of the Sabres.
It would be a fitting reward for a team that has won eight consecutive games heading into the season finale, with several Eastern Conference teams also desperate to punch their ticket to the springtime dance.
While there is much praise to be given to the players, it must also be said that head coach Martin Saint-Louis has done a great job trusting his roster, which is the youngest lineup in the league. There will be very few, if any other coaches willing to give their full confidence to first-year players, and yet when the game is on the line the Canadiens consistently rely on Ivan Demidov, Oliver Kapanen, Jacob Dobbs and Jacob Fowler.
Likewise, it shouldn't be long until general manager Kent Hughes' name starts circulating as a strong candidate for the Jim Gregory Award, given to the top GM in the NHL as voted on by a panel of his peers.
Ivan Demidov scored in the shootout. #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/4qRb9HPp2W
- Montreal Hockey Now (@MTLhockeynow) 5 April 2026
