Nobody saw this coming: the Montreal Canadiens clinch playoff spot, Capitals up next and we have the date
Photo credit: Imagn Images
The Montreal Canadiens locked up the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference by concluding off one of the most impressive midseason turnarounds in recent memory.
The victory sets up a first-round showdown with the Washington Capitals with Game 1 expected to take place Monday, April 21 in D.C.
Although the NHL has yet to release the official playoff schedule the Montreal Canadiens defenseman Kaiden Guhle may have tipped the league's hand postgame.
"I think we play Monday," Guhle said. "We've got time to kind of regroup and settle down. I think, obviously, it's probably gonna be somehow-it's gonna be louder here for Game 3 and 4."
Kaiden Guhle had a night to remember by scoring twice to record his first career multi-goal game and help send the Canadiens to their first postseason appearance since 2021.
Nick Suzuki added his 30th goal of the season, while Jake Evans sealed the deal with an empty-netter and in net, Sam Montembeault stopped 27 of 29 shots to grab his 31st win of the year.
A rising young core has powered Montreal's second-half surge with Nick Suzuki having 89 points, Cole Caufield with 37 goals and rookie standout Lane Hutson, who tied Larry Murphy's rookie assist record with 60 assists.
The Montreal Canadiens went 29-15-8 after December 16 to finish 40-31-11 with a remarkable climb from last place in the East.
Montreal dropped two of three against Washington in the regular season, but their only win came in overtime on January 10 with a potential sign that this series could go the distance.
Previously on Capitals Insider
| POLL | ||
AVRIL 17 | 70 ANSWERS Nobody saw this coming: the Montreal Canadiens clinch playoff spot, Capitals up next and we have the date Do you think the Washington Capitals will beat the Montreal Canadiens in the first round series? | ||
| Yes | 62 | 88.6 % |
| No | 8 | 11.4 % |
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