{"id":535350,"date":"2026-04-01T20:42:32","date_gmt":"2026-04-01T20:42:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/535350\/"},"modified":"2026-04-01T20:42:32","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T20:42:32","slug":"canadiens-all-but-clinch-playoff-spot-after-win-over-lightning-and-perfect-night-in-standings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/535350\/","title":{"rendered":"Canadiens all but clinch playoff spot after win over Lightning and perfect night in standings"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t \"Montreal <\/p>\n

Photo credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

The Montreal Canadiens\u2019 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning is paying off in a big way.<\/p>\n

Thanks to several rivals losing, last night all but officially secured a playoff spot for the Habs!<\/p>\n

Last night, the New York Islanders and the Ottawa Senators dropped valuable points in the overall standings.<\/p>\n

The Philadelphia Flyers and the Detroit Red Wings also went down in what turned out to be an almost perfect night for Montreal.<\/p>\n

The Columbus Blue Jackets\u2019 loss further reinforced this excellent day for Martin St-Louis\u2019 group.<\/p>\n

Montreal is now up 10 points on the ninth-place team with just nine games remaining, effectively putting them in full control of their playoff position.<\/p>\n

Only the Boston Bruins managed to come away with a win among the closely monitored competitors.<\/p>\n

Winning in regulation against a team like the Tampa Bay Lightning remains the main accomplishment, but those losses by other Eastern teams are a very welcome bonus.<\/p>\n

On top of that, avoiding overtime denies a division rival a crucial point in this late-season race.<\/p>\n

Those two points carry tremendous value in the famous end-of-season sprint.<\/p>\n

The Montreal Canadiens now have a 99.92% chance of making the NHL playoffs<\/p>\n

Players within the organization appear to be in control of their own destiny on the ice, with a real opportunity to even capture the division title!<\/p>\n

The atmosphere at the Bell Centre is likely to be incredible in the coming games, because the players deserve it and everything is going well right now!<\/p>\n

Yes, it smells like NHL playoff hockey in Montreal!<\/p>\n

It sets the stage nicely for the rest of the National Hockey League regular season!<\/p>\n

Previously on Montreal Hockey Fanatics<\/p>\n

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