No team in the East has lost fewer regular-season games than the Canadiens

Charles-Alexis Brisebois
No team in the East has lost fewer regular-season games than the Canadiens
Credit: Matt Garies/NHLI via Getty Images

The Canadiens found a way to win yesterday's game against the Panthers.

When you look at the standings, you see that the Habs have 102 points. Only the Avalanche, the Hurricanes, and the Stars have more than 102 points in the NHL right now…

Obviously, this means the team is tied with the Sabres and the Lightning at the top of the division right now.

(Credit: Screenshot / NHL.com)

Because the Canadiens have seven fewer regular-season wins than their direct rivals, they are in third place. And even though no team in the East has lost as few regular-season games as the Habs (22), they are the only one of the three that isn't guaranteed to finish in the top 3 of the Atlantic Division.

But since the Bruins are six points behind the Habs, have one fewer regular-season win than the Habs, and have only three games left to play, finishing in the top three of the division is likely just a formality for the Canadiens.

That means that right now, the Canadiens have a 48% chance of facing Buffalo in the playoffs and a 35% chance of facing the Lightning in the first round.

The Bruins, Senators, Red Wings, Islanders, Flyers, Capitals, Blue Jackets, Penguins, and Hurricanes are still possibilities.

Currently, the Canadiens have a 17% chance of winning their division and a 27% chance of finishing in second place. This gives them a 44% chance of starting the playoffs with a home game.

That would be exciting for the fans.

(Credit: Playoffs Status)

But as you know, it's the end of the season that will change everything. We can crunch the numbers all we want, but it's on the ice where it will all come down to for Tampa Bay, Buffalo, and Montreal.

Who are the opponents on the schedule?

Tonight, the Sabres face the Rangers, and tomorrow, the Blue Jackets are on the schedule. The team will have three days off before facing the Blackhawks and the Stars.

The games against Columbus and Dallas will be at home.

The Lightning, as you know, will be in Montreal tomorrow. They'll also play in Boston on Saturday before returning home to face the Red Wings and the Rangers on April 13 and 15.

As for the Habs, they'll face the Lightning and the Blue Jackets at home before heading to Long Island and Philly to finish out their season.

So even though all three teams are projected to finish with just under 107 points by the end of the season, they'll have to earn the right to win their division.

Remember, winning your division also means avoiding a big matchup in the first round…


In a nutshell

– Well deserved.

– Must-read.

– What do you think?

– A major achievement by the captain.

– Ouch.

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