April 16, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens center Nick Suzuki (14) celebrates with his teammates his goal against the Carolina Hurricanes in the second period at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/730e5941-2ae1-4254-ac17-64deb31fe513.jpeg] April 16, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens center Nick Suzuki (14) celebrates with his teammates his goal against the Carolina Hurricanes in the second period at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images The puck dropped on the Montreal Canadiens [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens]’ 82nd game of the season at the Bell Centre on Wednesday night, with the Carolina Hurricanes [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/carolina-hurricanes] in town. Martin St-Louis’ men had already failed to clinch a playoff berth in their last three games, and expectations were high in Montreal, especially since the visitors decided to rest some of their regular players. Rod Brind’Amour even went as far as using Jesperi Kotkaniemi as his top-line center. Nick Suzuki Is Up For The King Clancy Trophy [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/latest-news/nick-suzuki-is-up-for-the-king-clancy-trophy] Canadiens: The Training Wheels Are Off Demidov [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/latest-news/canadiens-the-training-wheels-are-off-demidov] Josh Anderson Wins An Award [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/latest-news/josh-anderson-wins-an-award] MILESTONES Although Juraj Slafkovsky is only 21, he skated in his 200th NHL game on Wednesday night. He started the game with 50 points, tied with the career high he had established last season, but he didn’t have to wait too long to top it, registering an assist on the game’s opening goal scored by Kaiden Guhle. While he took a silly penalty in the second frame, as has often been the case lately, he played a great game. He was on the ice for three of the Canadiens’ goals, blocked three shots, and landed a hit. His physical play also led to Nick Suzuki's goal, and when he learns to play like that on a consistent basis, he will become a real threat for opponents. In the second frame, rookie blueliner Lane Hutson got an assist on Kaiden Guhle’s second goal of the game, it was his 60th helper, tying Larry Murphy’s record for the most assists in a season by a rookie defenseman. If his name wasn’t already penciled in as the Calder Trophy winner, it should be now. GUHLE BOUNCED BACK After a disappointing game on Monday in which he took a penalty that became the turning point, Kaiden Guhle played a massive role in the Canadiens’ win. He scored two goals, landed seven hits, blocked three shots, and logged nearly 24 minutes of ice time. On nights like these, it’s easy to see why Kent Hughes decided to make Guhle the first young core piece of his defense. He can do it all, excel on defense, contribute to the offense, and pump up the team with his physical play. IT WASN’T PERFECT, BUT IT WAS ENOUGH While the 4-2 scoreline could lead to believe the Canadiens dominated, it wasn’t the case. There was an agonizing stretch for Canadiens’ fans in the second frame when the score was tied 1-1 and during which the Hurricanes dominated even though they were icing a watered-down version of their roster. It was a display reminiscent of the loss against the Chicago Blackhawks [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/chicago-blackhawks]. With 8:49 left in the second stanza, the Canes had a 12-2 edge in shots on goal for that frame, and the Habs looked like they were playing nervously. The captain took charge four minutes later, and Suzuki scored a big goal to give Montreal a lead that Guhle doubled minutes later. Then, in the final frame, after the Canes had gotten back to within one, there was a lot of defending, and the Habs really needed to work to close out the game, with the coach cutting his bench and using his more defensive players. In the post-game presser, the bench boss was almost beaming with pride: > The last two minutes after we scored in the empty net, I could breathe a bit, > and I was thinking about plenty of things, my dad came to mind, my mother too. > My dad was a huge Canadiens fan […] As soon as I could, I went to see my dad > in the room and gave him a big hug, I think he was even more stressed than our > players. - Martin St-Louis about the way he felt. St-Louis was visibly proud of his team and can now look forward to experiencing the playoffs in Montreal while being on the home side. It will be the first time since spring 2017 that the Canadiens will participate in the playoffs in front of a real crowd. There was that magical run to the Stanley Cup Final back in 2021, but the building wasn’t full thanks to COVID. If tonight’s anything to go by, the atmosphere when the Canadiens take on the Washington Capitals in just over a week should be electric. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Canadiens stories, analysis, breaking news, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw/sections/CAQqEAgAKgcICjCvqtILMO7F6QMwo-DfCA?hl=en-CA&gl=CA&ceid=CA%3Aen], never to miss a story. 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