Schedule gives Canadiens a strong shot to close in wild-card race ahead of deadline
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The Eastern Conference wild-card race is shaping up to be one of the closest in recent memory.
There are seven teams in legitimate contention to grab one of the two wild-card spots in the conference, currently held by the Detroit Red Wings (66 points) and Columbus Blue Jackets (64). The New York Rangers, Ottawa Senators and Boston Bruins are all two points back of Columbus, while the Montreal Canadiens and Philadelphia Flyers are five points behind.
The Canadiens limped into the 4 Nations Face-Off break with just one win in their previous nine games, including a pair of back-to-back losses on home ice against the New Jersey Devils and Tampa Bay Lightning on Super Bowl weekend.
But the Canadiens have won both games since returning to action, dispatching the Senators 5-2 on Saturday and shutting out the Carolina Hurricanes 4-0 on Tuesday. With their upcoming schedule, Montreal has an opportunity to make a run up the standings.
Tonight, the Canadiens take on the worst team in the league in the San Jose Sharks at home.
Viewers in the Canadiens region can watch the Habs take on the Sharks LIVE at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on TSN2 and streaming on TSN.ca and the TSN App.
Montreal’s only win during their cold streak in late January/early February came against the Sharks in San Jose, as Joel Armia’s shorthanded goal late in the third period sent the Canadiens to a 4-3 win. The Sharks are just 1-7-2 in their past 10 games but lost a pair of close games against Calgary and Winnipeg this week.
The Canadiens will also look to take advantage of their schedule with a home-and-home series against the struggling Buffalo Sabres, who are fourth-last in the NHL with 53 points.
The Sabres have won both games out of the break, but the Canadiens have had the upper hand over Buffalo this season. On Nov. 11, the Canadiens erased a 5-4 deficit in the third period to come back and win 7-5. On Dec. 17, winger Patrik Laine had a hat trick in a dominant 6-1 win for Montreal.
In one week, the Canadiens will head out on their Western Canada and Seattle road trip with the Oilers (losers of four straight) and Kraken (two straight losses) not playing well, while Vancouver has had their struggles since returning from the break.
But there is a chance the Canadiens will go out west and return without forward Jake Evans with the March 7 trade deadline looming.
Evans, a pending unrestricted free agent, has 11 goals and 27 points in 58 games this season and is two points away from matching his career high. Evans is a big part of Montreal’s penalty kill operating at 81.8 per cent, averaging nearly three minutes per game in that department and has three goals and six points while shorthanded this season.
In Tuesday’s edition of Early Trading, TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun said that the Canadiens and Evans remain far apart on a potential contract extension and all signs right now point to a trade with no progress made on a new deal.
With a $1.7 million cap hit in the midst of a career season, Evans is an attractive piece for a contender, but LeBrun says the team will not move him for just anything.
“Where it gets interesting to me, because the Habs have a lot of draft picks from the last few years as you know, Gino,” LeBrun said in Tuesday’s Early Trading with Gino Reda. “So, I don’t think they’re interested in getting a third-round pick or a fourth-round pick for Jake Evans.
“That doesn’t move the needle for them. They might as well just keep him and try and stay in a playoff race, which they’re on the outside of right now. The odds are very long that they can make it back.
“Teams have been told don’t waste their time. He makes $1.7 million on the cap, which is really attractive to contenders who don’t have a lot of cap space. I think the low bar, the threshold, is a second-round pick at worst for Montreal on a Jake Evans deal. So, teams have to step up.”
The other pending UFAs on the Montreal roster include forwards Armia, Christian Dvorak and Michael Pezzetta as well as defenceman David Savard.