/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn-tor.buminteractif.com%2F2026%2F04%2F331046b3-d40c-4fd7-92e6-5d9f393865d2.jpg)
That's it. The Canadiens are (finally) set to play their last game of the regular season. It's about time this season came to an end.
At least in Montreal—unlike in Toronto—this long-awaited end to the season will set the stage for a playoff run that we hope will be longer than last year's.
It's not yet clear whether Martin St-Louis will rest several of his regulars tonight in Philadelphia. Will the chance to secure home-ice advantage—and to start the series on a Saturday night at the Bell Centre, rather than a Sunday in Florida—weigh heavily in the coach's decision-making process? Or will he want to avoid more injuries like Noah Dobson's?
The Canadiens will enter the playoffs in good health. Aside from Noah Dobson, all the team's players are likely to be available. For the Lightning, it will be much the same, with Dominic James and Maxwell Crozier being the only players whose availability for Game 1 is in doubt.
Another interesting point: the Canadiens are entering the playoffs on an excellent run. Montreal has won 11 of its last 13 games. My colleague Christophe Perreault demonstrated several years ago that teams entering the playoffs on a hot streak are generally more successful than those that struggled late in the regular season.
The Montreal Canadiens are on fire! Winning 11 of their last 13 games, they're one of the NHL's hottest teams right now. A major factor in their success? A stellar transformation of their penalty kill! From lagging behind to killing an impressive 21 of the last 22 penalties.…
— The Sick Podcast with Tony Marinaro (@thesickpodcasts) April 14, 2026
Except that if the Habs lose tonight, they'll have suffered three losses in their last six games…
And the statistician in me also keeps reminding me that with a win tonight, the Habs would be 12-14; the Law of Large Numbers could be waiting for the Montrealers around the corner and inflict a few losses on them attributable to the Hockey Gods who didn't want the Habs to win.
Because yes, I believe the Hockey Gods are nothing more than a mix of chance and the Law of Large Numbers.
It's worth noting that the Lightning have been playing around .500 for the past few weeks. They'll enter the playoffs on more even footing.
We'll see which team has the edge this weekend…
It's also worth noting that the Habs won two of the three games between the two teams this season, but in terms of total goals for versus goals against, the Lightning had the upper hand. In terms of shots on goal as well…
But let's not kid ourselves: even though Jakub Dobes has been playing better than Andrei Vasilevskiy lately, the advantage still lies with the Russian.
In short, we're in for a hard-fought series. Can we fast-forward to this weekend?
