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The CH would regain its place in the playoffs by winning tonight
Credit: Getty Images
No one really expected the Canadiens to be in full playoff contention by the end of January.

And yet, that is what’s happening right now!

The standings in the East change daily because it’s tight and there are several teams fighting for a playoff spot. What does it look like this morning?

Here’s what you need to know, first and foremost: the Blue Jackets, Bruins, and Penguins were all in action yesterday in the NHL.

The Jackets lost 3-1 to the Islanders, but the Bruins and Penguins won their games in regulation.

As it stands while writing this, the Sens and Bruins occupy the last two playoff spots.

The two clubs are tied at 52 points. The Habs (50 points) are two points behind the Bruins and Sens.

And the Tricolore are also just three points behind the Lightning and 3rd place in the Atlantic Division:

(Credit: NHL.com)

Tonight, the Habs host the Lightning at the Bell Centre, the Rangers and Senators will battle for the win (in New York), and the Flyers and Wings will clash in Philly.

All these clubs are currently in the race.

That said, if the Canadiens win tonight against Tampa Bay, they will be able to overtake the Bruins in the standings.

The Tricolore would have 52 points (like the Bruins), but would have more wins with one fewer game played and a better win percentage.

This would allow the Habs to take the 8th spot in the East… Even if the Rangers also win their game.

With a victory, the Rangers would have 50 points in the standings.

Of course, the game between the Red Wings and Flyers also needs to be monitored since the Flyers have the same number of points as the Rangers.

By beating Detroit, the Flyers would get even closer to a playoff spot since they have 48 points… And the same goes for the Wings, who currently have 46 points.

All this to say that the standings in the East can change before the end of the regular season and that now is a great time to win games.

We know how much tougher it gets to win as the season comes to a close…

It’s worth mentioning that the opportunity is perfect for the Canadiens to win their game tonight. A victory against the Lightning would complicate matters… Especially considering that the Tampa Bay team (which is sitting in 3rd place in the Atlantic, let’s not forget) has only a three-point lead over the Habs.

It’s practically a four-point game for the Tricolore tonight, then.


In Brief

– Here’s the full NHL schedule for tonight:

– It looks quite similar!

– Happy birthday, Kirby!

– Well done.

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