Ivan Demidov had a very strong NHL debut on Monday night against Chicago but it wasn’t enough to help the Habs clinch a playoff spot. They got one point closer to doing so however, as they fell 4-3 in a shootout.
It wasn’t Montreal’s best week by any stretch but they did manage to creep a little closer to securing the final Wild Card spot in the East. They still have some work to do to clinch but they’re in control of their destiny while getting an intriguing late-season addition up front.
The Habs played their final road game of the regular season on Saturday in Toronto. However, they weren’t able to get many shots through on goal while Mitch Marner scored the only goal of the night in the opening minute of overtime, meaning Montreal will have to wait a little longer to clinch a playoff spot.
Armed with a chance to clinch a playoff spot with a regulation victory on Friday night, the Habs instead came out slow once again and weren’t able to recover, falling 5-2 to Ottawa.
Topics in this edition of our latest podcast include Montreal’s improbable run to being on the verge of clinching a playoff spot, Lane Hutson’s continued strong play, and the pending arrival of Ivan Demidov.
While there was plenty of excitement off the ice on Tuesday in Montreal, there was still a game to be played as the Habs hosted Detroit. They survived a disastrous first period and scored four unanswered after that to secure the 4-1 win.
The ever-changing Ivan Demidov saga took another turn on Tuesday, this one a very positive one. He was released from SKA St. Petersburg and soon after, the Habs announced that they signed Demidov to a three-year, entry-level contract.
With a week where they faced three opponents behind them in the standings, the Habs had a chance to grab a firmer hold of the last playoff spot in the East. They did exactly that, winning all four games to give themselves some much-needed wiggle room for the second Wild Card position.
The Habs didn’t bring their best game to Nashville on Sunday night as shots and scoring chances were rather limited. But Jakub Dobes came up big, turning aside 36 of 37 shots and a pair of early second-period goals held up as Montreal picked up the 2-1 win.
The Habs began a crucial back-to-back set of games on Saturday as they hosted Philadelphia. They needed a big third period with three goals being just enough to secure the 3-2 win.