The Canadiens have officially clinched a playoff spot — Here's who they'll play in Round 1

It may have taken all 82 games of the season, but the Montreal Canadiens have officially punched their ticket to the Stanley Cup playoffs.

The Habs came out swinging in Wednesday night's must-win matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes. And yes, Montreal could've still squeaked into the Eastern Conference's final wild card spot if the Columbus Blue Jackets didn't win in regulation on Thursday — but clinching it themselves on home ice felt a whole lot better.

Kaiden Guhle got the crowd going early, opening the scoring at the Bell Centre.

But the Hurricanes didn't let the momentum last long, answering back with a goal of their own to tie things up before the first intermission.

Even Quebec Premier François Legault was in the building to take it all in.

The Canadiens kept their foot on the gas in the second period, with captain Nick Suzuki snapping one in from the slot to reclaim the lead.

Guhle wasn't done, either. The defenceman found the back of the net again to make it a two-goal game.

Fans got a little uneasy as Carolina's Tyson Jost fired a goal in with a little over five minutes left to make it a 3-2 game.

Thankfully, the Habs held on long enough to seal the deal and even scored an empty-netter.

With the win, the Canadiens finish the 2024–25 regular season with 91 points, locking them into a playoff spot and setting up a Round 1 matchup against the league-leading Washington Capitals.

The Habs, who haven't made the playoffs since their unforgettable run to the 2021 Stanley Cup Final, last faced Washington in the postseason back in 2010. That series became an instant classic, with Montreal knocking off the top-seeded Capitals in seven games after rallying from a 3-1 series deficit.

Will history repeat itself? Only time will tell.

The playoffs are set to begin on Saturday, April 19. Montreal's series schedule is expected to be released once the season wraps up for good.