One point.
One. Measly. Point.
That is what the Montreal Canadiens need on Wednesday night when they host the Carolina Hurricanes at the Bell Centre in the final game of the season.
The Habs have needed one win in the past three games but lost to the Ottawa Senators, lost in overtime to the Toronto Maple Leafs, and then, most recently, lost in a video-reviewed, emotional rollercoaster of a shootout against the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday.
The game against the Blackhawks drew an average viewership of nearly 1.2 million on RDS, making it the French TV station’s most-watched regular-season contest since 2014.
“We’ve had a lot of opportunities to clinch, and that maybe held us back a bit and made us a little bit foggy in certain areas of the game,” Habs defenceman Kaiden Guhle said. “Get back to the basics, go play hockey, play as a team, do what we’ve been doing all year.
“I don’t have much doubt in my mind that we’re going to have our A game tonight.”
The Columbus Blue Jackets, meanwhile, won five straight games to pull within two points of the Habs.
The site Money Puck gave the Canadiens a 96.4 per cent chance of sealing the second wildcard spot a week ago, versus the Blue Jackets’ chances of 0.2 per cent.
That chance is now 84.6 per cent for the Habs and 15.4 per cent for the Blue Jackets.
“I’ve aged five years in 10 days,” said Canadiens fan Matt Busato-Vivianni.
Columbus needs to win in regulation (along with a Habs loss in regulation) against the already eliminated from the playoffs New York Islanders on Thursday night to clinch the spot.
“I don’t miss playing hockey,” said head coach Martin St. Louis, a former Hall-of-Fame player. “But games like today make me miss the game.”
Plus, it’s fan appreciation night on Wednesday.
A lot of regulars were not at the optional morning skate. Sebastien Aho, Jordan Staal, Jaccob Slavin, Jalen Chatfield and Seth Jarvis did not skate for the Hurricanes.
Hurricanes ‘stick it’ job
If there is one team that, historically, the Montreal Canadiens have never liked facing, it’s the Caroline Hurricanes and their habit of sticking it to the Habs.
Montreal’s all-time record against Carolina is 6-16-3 with 47 goals for and 79 against.
Habs fans don’t need reminders of the phrases “Sebastien Aho offer sheet” or “Jesperi Kotkaniemi one-year deal” to bring back 2021 memories as well.
However, the Canes already know they will face the New Jersey Devils in the postseason, so several stars may be watching from the bench or box for most of the game.
Carolina has recalled four players from the Chicago Wolves for the game as well, including standout teenage forward Bradly Nadeau and Skyler Brind’Amour, son of coach Rod Brind’Amour.
…speaking of teenagers.
DemiGod?
“We won the Stanley Cup in that brief moment,” said Erika Santori, who was working Monday’s game against the Blackhawks when Russian teen phenom Ivan Demidov scored his first goal after assisting on another just minutes before in the first period.
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Those vibes, however, faded as Chicago erased the two-goal deficit and eventually pulled ahead when Lukas Reichel scored in the third, as the 19-year-old from Sergiyev Posad failed to backcheck and pick him up.
“At the beginning it was amazing and then it deflated so abruptly,” said Santori.
Juraj Slafkovsky tied the game, but Frank Nazar scored the only shootout goal to win the game.
The Habs picked up one point for the shootout loss.
No. 93 became the second youngest and third teenager in Canadiens history to score on an NHL debut, joining not-so-household names Mark Hunter (drafted seventh overall in 1981) and Bernie “Boom Boom” Geoffrion (1950).
Hunter was 18 when he scored against the Hartford Whalers.
Demidov will feature on a line with Alex Newhook and Patrik Laine.
Fun facts
Captain Nick Suzuki needs three points to hit the 90-point plateau for the first time in his career.
Lane Hutson can take the most assists for a rookie defenseman title with two.
Juraj Slafkovsky could punch past the 50-point mark with a goal or assist for the first time in his career.
One simple hat trick is all Cole Caufield needs to hit the 40-goal mark.
The puck drops at 7 p.m. and can be listened to on TSN 690 Radio or watched on RDS.
Game on.
“You don’t get do-overs, so you can’t leave this game with any regrets,” said St. Louis. “It’s not about being perfect, it’s about laying it on the line, doing the things that the game needs you to do, and I don’t know what that’s going to be at what time.
“You leave it out there.”
With files from The Canadian Press.
