We're approaching mid-April, and somehow, the Montreal Canadiens are still holding on to a playoff spot. With just five games left on the calendar, the Habs not only remain in the mix, they actually have a clear path to locking it in.
According to the latest odds from MoneyPuck, Montreal has an 87.2 percent chance of punching its ticket to the postseason. Those are strong odds, but far from a guarantee, especially with Eastern Conference rivals still fighting to knock them out.
So, how quickly can the Habs seal the deal?
After picking up their fifth straight win on Sunday, the Canadiens, who have been in a rebuild for the past three seasons, now hold the second wild card spot in the East with 85 points. The Ottawa Senators are likely to claim the top spot, sitting five points ahead of Montreal. Chasing from behind are the New York Rangers and Detroit Red Wings, both six points back — though Detroit still has a game in hand.
If either of those teams were to go on a hot streak and win all of their remaining games, they would finish with 89 or 91 points, respectively.
That puts Montreal's magic number at seven. It's the total number of points they need to earn to officially lock in a playoff berth and mathematically eliminate the teams behind them.
The Habs play the Red Wings at the Bell Centre tonight.NHL
If you're not familiar with NHL standings math: a win is worth two points, and an overtime or shootout loss gives you one. That means Montreal doesn't need to win every game, but they do need to keep collecting points however they can.
The fastest path in would be to win four of their remaining five games in regulation. That would give them eight points and clinch a spot regardless of what anyone else does. Winning three could also get the job done if teams like Detroit, New York, or Columbus slip up along the way. And yes, in the most chaotic outcome, Montreal could technically lose every game and still qualify, if everyone chasing them also stumbles.
The way things currently stand, the Canadiens would face the first-place Washington Capitals in the first round of the playoffs.
Here's what's left on the schedule for Montreal:
April 8 vs. Detroit Red Wings
April 11 at Ottawa Senators
April 12 at Toronto Maple Leafs
April 14 vs. Chicago Blackhawks
April 16 vs. Carolina Hurricanes
That first one — tonight's matchup against Detroit at the Bell Centre — might be the biggest of them all since the Red Wings are chasing the exact same wild card spot. While Habs fans shouldn't panic if they don't manage to get the W, we can expect both teams to be battling hard.