You know things are looking up for the Montreal Canadiens’ in their chase for a 2025 playoff spot when, even in a critical defeat, things seem to go their way. That was the case on Thursday, when the Habs, trailing 3-1 in the third against the hosting New York Islanders, who are similarly in the Eastern Conference wild-card hunt, pulled even to force overtime and grab a point.
Granted, the Islanders won 4-3 in overtime, which can be construed as a minor setback for the Canadiens. The thing is though, it was also a setback for the Islanders, who missed a chance to pick up a full two points on the wild-card Habs, who currently hold the second and final spot. Add in how both the seventh-place Ottawa Senators and now-10th-place New York Rangers lost that night in regulation, and the Habs arguably still came out ahead.
It may not be time to celebrate and sing “Ole, Ole, Ole” if you’re a fan, but it looks like it could be within the next few weeks. Here are the five reasons why they will claim their first playoff berth since 2021:
Literal Odds in Canadiens’ Favour
With 74 points in 68 games, the Canadiens hold a two-point lead over the Islanders. And, while the margin for error is slim, especially seeing as the Isles hold the first tiebreaker with 25 regulation wins to the Habs’ 24, you have to like the Habs’ chances.
You at least must believe the Canadiens themselves do.
True, as a result of the Islanders owning the tiebreaker, they own a slight edge in odds to make it in the end over the Canadiens, at least at the time this piece is being written. Right now, the Isles are at 37.2%, the Habs at 36.7%. The next-highest team in the mix, per MoneyPuck’s model, is the Rangers at 21.8%. Just to put it in perspective, the Rangers are also two points back, but have played two additional games compared to the former two.
It may not seem like much, but that’s a huge mountain to climb in a short time span, considering how long it took the Canadiens to climb back up the standings to regain their current spot.
Canadiens Winning Consistently
Before the 4 Nations Face-Off, the Canadiens had gone 1-7-1 to by all appearances fall out of the race altogether. Ever since returning, they’re an improbable 8-1-3.
Remember, the Canadiens had been at the literal bottom of the Eastern Conference in early December only to go on a 16-6-1 run that ended on Jan. 21, with them holding down the same playoff spot in which they…
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