Race to the series: all teams have earned points except for the CH (and the Wings)

Thanks to its excellent streak since December 17, the Montreal Canadiens are indeed back in the mix and in the playoff race.

In fact, Canadiens fans are now all focused on the Eastern Conference standings, as they closely follow the results of the various teams competing for a playoff spot.

And in such a race, unfortunately, losing a game and dropping points can really hurt, especially when other teams are earning points.

That was the case last night for the Canadiens, as their 7-3 loss to the Maple Leafs stings even more when looking at the results involving other teams in the playoff race.

The Tricolore is the only team that did not earn at least a point last night among those teams that are genuinely close to the playoff race.

The Red Wings also lost, but they are two points behind the Canadiens, and therefore four points away from the playoffs.

Here’s the rundown of the nightmarish standings night for the Canadiens:

  • The Ottawa Senators earned two points with a 6-5 shootout victory over the Boston Bruins. They now have 50 points.
  • The Boston Bruins earned one point in that same game. They also have 50 points.
  • The New York Rangers also won in a shootout (1-0) against the Columbus Blue Jackets. They now have 47 points.
  • The Blue Jackets earned one point in that same game. They now have 51 points.
  • The Philadelphia Flyers won 3-1 against the New Jersey Devils. They now have 48 points.

Here’s how things now stand in the East for the race for playoff spots.

By dropping two points last night, the Canadiens now find themselves two points out of the playoffs with the same number of games played as the Ottawa Senators, who hold the 8th and final playoff spot.

It’s a night that really hurt the Canadiens, as they could have found themselves ahead of the Boston Bruins with a win, and tied with the Senators.

And now, when looking behind the Tricolore, it’s just as stressful, given that the Flyers have the same number of points as the Canadiens, even though they have played two more games, and the Rangers have closed to within one point of the Canadiens.

By the way, those same Rangers will be visiting the Bell Centre tonight to face the Tricolore, in what will be a very important game in the playoff race.

If the Tricolore loses this game, no matter how, the Rangers will pass ahead of the Tricolore and come back even more into the playoff race, which the Canadiens really want to avoid.

Martin St-Louis’ team really needs to bounce back tonight and try to keep the Rangers out of the playoff picture.

In short, it’s really quite a playoff race currently unfolding in the East, and it’s truly enjoyable and exciting to see the Canadiens involved.

In Bullet Points

– Very well said and analyzed.

– Noted.

– To read.

– To follow.

– For those interested.