The Canadiens’ big advantages: their number of games played and the difficulty of their schedule

Dose
Crédit: Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images

Tonight, as Gilbert Delorme would say, it’s the biggest game of the year for the Habs.

On the menu tonight? The Blues of Saint-Louis, another team that is in eighth place in their association and is fighting to make their place in the playoffs – just like the Habs. This will not be easy, all that.

After all, the Blues, like the Habs, are a club that has lost very little in recent weeks.

This will not be an easy challenge for Martin St-Louis’ men, who will do everything to come out of tonight’s game with a victory. After all, right now, there is not much room for maneuver.

But what is interesting, nonetheless, is to note that the Habs have more room for maneuver than other teams. Not enough to rest on their laurels, but still.

Why do I say that?

Because when looking at the standings, it’s clear that no other team in the NHL has played fewer games than the Habs (who still have 13 games to play before the end of the regular season) this season.

(Credit: Sportsnet)

The Islanders, who are one point behind the Habs (and who came close to winning yesterday), have 70 games played. The Rangers have one point and two games behind the Habs. The Blue Jackets and the Red Wings, respectively two and three points behind the Habs, have 70 games played.

And the other teams are a bit far away.

Another advantage for the Habs is that they have an easier schedule than the four teams that follow them in the standings until the end of the season. According to Tankathon, the Habs have the 23rd most difficult schedule in the league, which puts them in a good position.

But the same cannot be said for the teams from New York, the Blue Jackets, and the Red Wings.

  • Red Wings: the most difficult schedule in the NHL
  • Islanders: fourth most difficult schedule in the NHL
  • Blue Jackets: eighth most difficult schedule in the NHL
  • Rangers: 15th most difficult schedule in the NHL

The Senators, who are ahead of the Habs and have also played 69 games, have the easiest schedule in the NHL until the end. Let’s say the Sens are in a good position to make the playoffs… if they do what they have to do.

For those who are wondering, here’s what the Habs’ schedule will look like after the road trip to Saint-Louis, Philadelphia, Carolina, and Florida.

The Habs in April.
(Credit: NHL.com)

But as I said, the Habs still can’t take their foot off the gas. The guys will have to keep giving it their all and play #7 games, to use Martin St-Louis’ mentality.

Will the team, which has a 49% chance of making the playoffs according to the numbers, hold on? We’ll see.

Overtime

– Good news.

– That’s a must.

– Prospects of the Habs to watch in the NCAA. [JdeM]

– Wow.

Wow! The Rocket de Laval and the Remparts de Québec are attracting crowds this season!

(: Jonathan Roy/@quebec_remparts)

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— RDS (@rds.ca) March 24, 2025 at 1:43 PM