Habs: 8 key facts from the playoffs clinching win against the Hurricanes

The Montreal Canadiens hosted the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday at the Bell Centre. With at least 1 point in the standings, the Habs could secure a spot in the Stanley Cup playoffs. It's now mission accomplished for the Habs, having won their last game of the 2024-2025 campaign. It smells like spring in Montreal. Here are 8 highlights of the Habs' win against Rod Brind'Amour and his team.

With the goal of resting several of their key players, the Carolina Hurricanes had their B team to face the Habs. Sebastian Aho, Jaccob Slavin, Seth Jarvis, Jackson Blake, Jordan Staal, Jordan Martinook, and Jalen Chatfield were all absent. Montreal therefore took advantage of this, winning the game 4-2, albeit with difficulty. Samuel Montembeault held his ground, deflecting 27 shots.

Even if he had a more calm game than his first, Ivan Demidov still showed his presence on several occasions, distributing hits and creating plays. The fans gave him more love, multiplying the applause in his direction. Montreal loves Demidov, and Demidov loves Montreal.

For the game against the Habs, fans could see the NHL debut of Rod Brind'Amour's son, Skyler. At 25 years old, the forward finished the game with a -2 differential and 2 penalty minutes. He was never drafted in the NHL.

Although he is rather known for being skilled in his own territory, Kaiden Guhle also has interesting offensive assets. He scored 2 goals against the Canes, including the winning goal in the second period. He notably finished the campaign with 18 points, including 6 goals, in 55 games.

The Quebec premier, François Legault, chose to watch the Habs' game in Montreal, at the Bell Centre, Wednesday night, instead of the French language Canadian leaders' debate!

The Montreal captain, Nick Suzuki, also scored a big goal in the second period, thanks to a perfect shot. He thus finished the season with 89 points, including 30 goals, in 82 games. A career high. 90 points or more in 2025-2026?

When Jake Evans sent the puck into the open net of the Canes, a sigh of relief was felt on the Habs' bench, as it was the insurance goal that would propel his team into the playoffs. The Canadiens never looked back after that goal.

The regular schedule being over, the Canadiens of Montreal can be proud of their season, considering all the ups and downs they experienced this season, including a few injuries in the beginning of the season. Overall, Montreal maintained a record of 40-31-11, good for 91 points. Heading to Washington, where the Habs will face Alex Ovechkin's Capitals.