Canadiens back in wild-card spot, but with little breathing room after snapping skid
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The Montreal Canadiens jumped back into the final wild-card spot with Sunday's 4-2 win over the Florida Panthers, which snapped a three-game losing skid.
The Canadiens will return home to host the Panthers on Tuesday after an ugly road trip that saw the team go 1-3-0 while being outscored 18-10.
“It was definitely important to get the win today,” captain Nick Suzuki said of Sunday's win. “The road trip, obviously, wasn’t that great for us. But I felt like, if we got the win today, it would put us in good position going home.
"It was much needed.”
While the Canadiens are back in the playoff picture, there's little breathing room for them in the crowded battle for the final spot in the Eastern Conference wild-card race.
The New York Rangers are level with the Canadiens at 77 points, but with more game played. The Columbus Blue Jackets are two points back of Montreal with a game in hand. The Canadiens currently have the regulation wins tiebreaker over Columbus with 25 to the Blue Jackets' 23.
“We had a good day off [Saturday], everyone rested, and we were ready to get the two points,” Canadiens forward Juraj Slafkovsky said Sunday. “It was a bounce forward from last week, and everyone fought out there.
"We have to keep going. It’s not about one win. We have nine left, and we have to keep grabbing points.”
After the rematch against the Panthers on Tuesday, the schedule appears to work in the Canadiens favour with three straight games against teams whose playoff hopes have dried up. The Canadiens will begin that stretch on Thursday at home against the Boston Bruins, with the Philadelphia Flyers coming to town Saturday before the team sets off for a one-game road trip to face the Nashville Predators.
The Detroit Red Wings, who remain alive sitting three points back of Montreal with the two teams equal in games played, will visit Montreal next Tuesday. The Canadiens then battle Atlantic Division rivals in the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators before ending their season with two home games against the Chicago Blackhawks and Carolina Hurricanes.
The Canadiens are close to ending a three-year playoff drought dating back to falling in the Stanley Cup Final during the 2021 playoffs.
“This was a playoff game,” defenceman Kaiden Guhle reflected on Sunday's victory. “We’re battling for a spot right now and they’re a potential opponent.
“It was a huge win, a must-win for us and keep that energy going into Tuesday."