The Montreal Canadiens have a five-game road trip on the docket, and they shouldn't expect an easy ride.
The Montreal Canadiens currently have a 93.8% chance of making the playoffs according to Moneypuck, but they are still only four points ahead of the ninth-place team in the Eastern Conference standings. That’s far from a comfortable position to be in, and the road ahead promises to be a tumultuous one. In their last 19 games at the Bell Centre, the Habs have a 14-4-1 record, scoring 3.89 goals per game and surrendering 2.42 goals per game, but they have now left the comfort of their home arena for a five-game road trip against tough opponents.
Over the next eight days, the Habs will play five games against opponents with a collective record of 30-17-3 over their last 10 games. Saturday’s opponents, the Nashville Predators, are currently battling for a playoff spot in the Western Conference and sit in the second wild card spot with 77 points, just one point ahead of the Los Angeles Kings. Needless to say, they’ll be playing with desperation.
Then, on Sunday, the Canadiens will face the Carolina Hurricanes for the second time in less than a week, after losing 5-2 to Montreal on Tuesday, Rod Brind’Amour’s men will no doubt be looking for revenge. Furthermore, they are currently battling the Buffalo Sabres for the top spot in the Eastern Conference.
On Tuesday, they’ll take on the Tampa Bay Lightning, who would be their opponents if the playoffs started today. Jon Cooper’s team is having another very good season and has already beaten the Canadiens twice. A 6-1 blowout at the Bell Centre in early December and a 5-4 overtime win at the end of the same month. This will be the third of four games between the two sides this year, and on top of needing the two points, the Habs need to gain some confidence and know they can beat Tampa, especially if they are to face them in the post-season.
On Thursday, they’ll take on the mathematically eliminated New York Rangers, who are second to last in the league with a measly 65 points. At this stage, the Rags are simply going through the motions, but the two points should not be taken for granted, and that game could be a big trap for the Habs.
Finally, they’ll wrap up the trip with the first game of a back-to-back against the New Jersey Devils. Although they have yet to be mathematically eliminated, with 76 points, they are 11 points behind the New York Islanders for the second wild-card spot. On paper, they are unlikely to make up that ground, but they are still 7-3-0 in their last 10 games and have outscored their opponents 41-32 over that span.
Against opponents like Carolina and Tampa Bay, the Canadiens cannot afford to have the same kind of start they’ve been having lately. Martin St-Louis’ men need to be able to provide a solid 60-minute effort and not rely so much on their goaltenders. Dobes has a 5-2-0 record since March 7 with a 2.00 goals-against average and a .931 SV %, but hockey is a team sport, and everyone needs to contribute and play their part. There can’t be any passengers, not now and certainly not during the playoffs.
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