Thursday’s battle between the Habs and Lightning had seeding implications for both teams. Both teams treated it like a playoff matchup and in a very tight-checking affair, Juraj Slafkovsky’s late goal gave Montreal the 2-1 win in a game where Cole Caufield also potted his 50th.
Back home to kick off April, Laval had a light week last week with a pair of games against Calgary, one of the weaker teams in the league. However, they were only able to pick up a split but they still hold onto first in the division for the time being.
The Habs never held the lead on Tuesday against Florida but they were able to come back from three separate one-goal deficits, including the tying goal coming with just 21 seconds left in regulation. From there, Montreal scored twice in the shootout to secure the 4-3 victory.
The past week was a big one for the Habs as they wrapped up a long road trip with the hopes of locking down a playoff spot along the way. While the week ended on a losing note, the rest of it was certainly successful as the Canadiens swept the road trip and secured a postseason berth.
After clinching a playoff spot earlier in the day, the Habs couldn't muster up much on Sunday night against New Jersey in the back half of a home-and-home set. As a result, the Devils were able to pick up the split with a 3-0 victory.
The Habs blew a 3-0 lead in New Jersey on Saturday night. However, they were able to win in the shootout, bringing them to 100 points on the season as they head into the second half of the home-and-home set on Sunday.
The month of March represented the beginning of the stretch run for Laval while several of Montreal's prospects kicked off their playoffs. Here are their top performers.
The Habs are milestone chasing down the stretch with Cole Caufield almost at 50 goals and Nick Suzuki eyeing the 100-point plateau. Those are among the topics discussed in our latest podcast.
Cole Caufield potted two more goals on Thursday night while Jacob Fowler had a strong showing between the pipes. That was enough to keep Montreal's winning streak alive as they beat the Rangers 3-2.
Laval had an opportunity to close out March on a high note and solidify their top seed in the North Division. They didn't do that. Instead, they lost all three games although they at least managed to pick up two points.
