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We've been overusing the phrase for weeks, but this time it's truer than ever: in a few hours, the Canadiens will play their biggest game of the year.
In fact, it will be the Habs' most important game since their elimination by the Lightning in the 2021 Stanley Cup Final. The biggest game of the last five years, then…
A win would send the Canadiens to the second round, but a loss wouldn't be catastrophic either: the Habs would still have a chance to win Game 7 on Sunday in Tampa Bay.
Will Cole Caufield finally look like the 51-goal scorer he was during the regular season?
Biggest game of the Kent Hughes/Jeff Gorton era tonight. No shame in losing, but a huge statement if they can close it out. Would be a nice time to see some clutch Suzuki/Caufield! #Habs #gohabsgo
— Dan Kramer (@DanKramerHabs) May 1, 2026
The guys know the job isn't done… that the hardest one to get is always the fourth and final (win) of a series.
Man
, I can't wait for the puck to drop (around 7:07 p.m.)… and man
, I hope we'll be able to leave downtown Montreal peacefully after the game. No matter the outcome!
Now it's the SQ's turn to tail the Habs
First there was Vanessa Cosi
Maxi, then Hydro-Québec…
And now here comes the Sûreté du Québec!
The SQ's social media managers posted a video online in the last few hours. It's a video showing a Lightning fan racing “like lightning” through the tunnel before being stopped by an SQ officer.
The officer in question takes his time issuing a ticket to a guy wearing a Nikita Kucherov jersey, who's in a hurry to join his friends at the Bell Centre to cheer on his team, the Lightning.
“Here, we're clearly showing our colors. Go blue, white, and red! Look in the rearview mirror.”
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No, the ad didn't make me laugh, but I have to admit that if the ending can raise awareness among some fans to drive safely or not get behind the wheel if they plan to drink, it will have served an important purpose.
Hopefully people watched the video all the way to the end…
Michael McCarron, Ryan Poehling… and Jacob de la Rose
About ten years ago, Michael McCarron, Ryan Poehling, and Jacob de la Rose were our top offensive prospects.
McCarron was traded to the Predators in 2020 (in exchange for Laurent Dauphin), Ryan Poehling was part of one of the four trades involving Jeff Petry, and Jacob de la Rose was claimed off waivers by the Red Wings in 2018.
There's been a lot of talk about McCarron (two goals with the Wild) and Ryan Poehling (four goals with the Ducks) over the past few days, but Jacob de la Rose is also having a strong run in Switzerland.
The former Habs center just won the Swiss championship with Fribourg-Gottéron. He tallied seven points in 19 games, helping Fribourg-Gottéron HC win the first title in its history.
Honestly, I never would have thought I'd see de la Rose win a championship with that logo on his jersey…
It's worth noting that Jacob de la Rose also won the Swedish championship in 2022 with Farjestad BK Karlstad.
The NHL's Resurgence
Of that group, only two teams are still alive this year: Vegas and Carolina. And Vegas could still be eliminated by the Mammoth…
At least six of the eight teams heading to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs weren't there last year:
Colorado
, Minnesota
, Anaheim
, Philadelphia
, Montreal, or Tampa
; Buffalo or Boston— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) May 1, 2026
The youth of the Ducks, Flyers, Sabres (maybe), and Canadiens (maybe) is starting to make a difference in the NHL, a league that has been described as young for several years now.
How much longer can experience still trump raw talent once the playoffs begin? We'll get a good idea tonight at the Bell Centre.
