Five of the six best teams since November are in the Atlantic Division

Mathis Therrien
Five of the six best teams since November are in the Atlantic Division
Credit: Getty Images

The Montreal Canadiens are having a very good 2025-2026 season so far, especially considering their progress compared to recent seasons.

The Habs' performance puts them in strong contention for the playoffs.

However, Martin St-Louis's team could find itself in an unfavorable position in the standings despite its excellent season.

In fact, the Habs could qualify for the playoffs, but only as one of the wild card teams despite their impressive record.

This is due to the incredible competitiveness in the Atlantic Division this season, where all eight teams are still in contention for the playoffs.

The Atlantic teams are so dominant that since November, five of the top six teams in the NHL have come from this division.

The Sabres, Red Wings, Canadiens, Lightning, and Bruins have all been dominant since the beginning of December, which really complicates things for the Habs.

The top five teams in the Atlantic Division are very strong and rarely lose, which makes even a short losing streak very difficult for the habs to swallow and overcome.

The Canadiens' division has never been stronger, with teams that weren't necessarily expected to be there, namely the Sabres, Red Wings, and Bruins.

Who would have thought at the start of the season that by the beginning of February, half of the teams (5 out of 10) that had reached the 30-win mark would be Atlantic teams (Tampa Bay, Detroit, Buffalo, Montreal, and Boston)?

In short, the Canadiens can't afford to make any mistakes if they want to stay in the race for the top three in the division and avoid finding themselves on the brink of the playoffs with all the pressure from the teams behind them.

That makes a game like tonight's against the Buffalo Sabres extremely important.

The Habs have let the Sabres win the last two games between the two teams, so they can't afford to lose three in a row.

The two teams are tied in the standings and are battling for third place in the division tonight.


Overtime

– The Rocket is back in action today.

– Wow.

– Must read.

– Interesting.

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