{"id":542299,"date":"2026-04-05T16:00:17","date_gmt":"2026-04-05T16:00:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/542299\/"},"modified":"2026-04-05T16:00:17","modified_gmt":"2026-04-05T16:00:17","slug":"canadiens-week-ahead-schedule-storylines-milestone-watch-battle-for-the-crown-and-more-the-hockey-writers-montreal-canadiens","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/542299\/","title":{"rendered":"Canadiens Week Ahead: Schedule & Storylines – Milestone Watch, Battle for the Crown and More – The Hockey Writers – Montreal Canadiens"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Montreal Canadiens are currently surging at the perfect time of the year, bringing incredible energy into the final stretch of the regular season. Here are the key storylines surrounding the team and their upcoming schedule for the week of April 5-12, 2026.<\/p>\n

Milestone Watch(es)<\/p>\n

Cole Caufield, who is currently sitting at 49 goals, is just one goal away from becoming the first Canadiens player to score 50 goals in a single season since St\u00e9phane Richer did it back in the 1989-90 season.<\/p>\n

Captain\u00a0Nick Suzuki needs five points<\/a> in Montreal\u2019s remaining six regular-season games to become the Canadiens\u2019 first 100-point player since Mats Naslund\u00a0in the 1985-86 season.<\/p>\n

An 8-Game Winning Streak and 100 Points<\/p>\n

After a thrilling 4-3 shootout victory<\/a> against the New Jersey Devils last night (April 4), the Canadiens extended their winning streak to eight games. This victory officially pushed Montreal to the 100-point mark for the first time since the 2016-17 season.<\/p>\n

The Battle for the Atlantic Division Crown<\/p>\n

The playoffs are looming, and Montreal is fighting intensely for the top spot in the Atlantic Division to secure home-ice advantage. They are currently locked in a tight race, sitting tied with the Buffalo Sabres and just two points behind the division-leading Tampa Bay Lightning.<\/p>\n

Rookie Sensation Ivan Demidov<\/p>\n

Demidov scored his fifth power-play goal<\/a> of the season against the Devils, marking the most power-play goals by a Canadiens rookie in a single season since Caufield himself in 2021-22.<\/p>\n

Jakub Dobes Standing Tall<\/p>\n

Goaltender Jakub Dobes is proving vital<\/a> to the team\u2019s late-season push. He just secured his fifth consecutive win and has been playing with immense confidence, recently earning the NHL\u2019s First Star of the Week honours for his heroics in the crease.<\/p>\n

Habs Upcoming Schedule<\/p>\n

The upcoming week is heavily advantageous for the Canadiens, as four of their next five games are on home ice at the Bell Centre.<\/p>\n

The most critical matchup of the week arrives on Thursday, April 9 against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Because the Habs are trailing the Lightning by just two points for the Atlantic Division lead, this game will be a massive four-point swing that could very well decide who takes the division crown. They will wrap up the week by heading to New York to face the Islanders in the first half of a back-to-back.<\/p>\n

DateOpponentLocationTime (ET)Sunday, April 5vs. New Jersey DevilsBell Centre (Home)7:00 PMTuesday, April 7vs. Florida PanthersBell Centre (Home)7:00 PMThursday, April 9vs. Tampa Bay LightningBell Centre (Home)7:00 PMSaturday, April 11vs. Columbus Blue JacketsBell Centre (Home)7:00 PMSunday, April 12at New York IslandersUBS Arena (Away)6:00 PM<\/p>\n

AI tools were used to support the creation or distribution of this content, however, it has been carefully edited and fact-checked by a member of The Hockey Writers editorial team. For more information on our use of AI, please visit our Editorial Standards<\/a> page.<\/p>\n

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