The Montreal Canadiens locked up the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference on Wednesday night with a 4–2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes, setting up a first-round matchup against the Washington Capitals.
The official schedule is expected to be released by the NHL on Thursday, but Canadiens defenseman Kaiden Guhle may have revealed the opener’s date ahead of time.
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Speaking to reporters after the game, Guhle said the Canadiens “play on Monday,” effectively confirming the expected April 21 start in Washington.
“I think we play Monday,” Guhle said. “We’ve got time to kind of regroup and settle down. I think, obviously, it’s probably gonna be somehow—it’s gonna be louder here for Game 3 and 4.”
The NHL has yet to publicly confirm the schedule, but multiple reports suggest Game 1 will take place Monday night.
Guhle scored twice against Carolina, recording his first career two-goal game to help Montreal clinch its first postseason berth since 2021.
The win capped off a 29–15–8 run for the Canadiens, who were last in the East as recently as Dec. 16 but ended the season with a 40-31-11 record good enough for making the playoffs.
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Nick Suzuki scored his 30th goal of the season in the victory, while Jake Evans added an empty-netter.
“It’s been a long time coming,” Suzuki said. “To fight back and get in like this says a lot about our group.”
Meanwhile, rookie blueliner Lane Hutson registered his 60th assist, tying Larry Murphy’s single-season record for assists by a rookie defenseman.
Montreal Canadiens right wing Ivan Demidov (93) during his historic NHL debut against the Chicago Blackhawks.David Kirouac-Imagn Images
Montreal’s comeback season has been powered by Suzuki’s 89 points, Cole Caufield’s 37 goals, and Hutson’s Calder-worthy (six goals, 60 assists) campaign. In net, Sam Montembeault stopped 27 of 29 shots Wednesday and finished the year with a .902 save percentage and 31 wins.
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Moving on to the matchup with Washington, the Canadiens dropped two of three games to the Capitals in the regular season, with their only win coming in overtime on January 10.
The series winner will face either Carolina or New Jersey in the second round.
Related: Canadiens’ Ivan Demidov Speaks After Historic NHL Debut
Related: Canadiens’ Ivan Demidov Makes NHL History in Debut vs. Blackhawks