Canadiens' Playoff Push: Tight Race, Key Matchups

0:00The latest scores, headlines, and storylines, right here on NHL News today, subscribe and stay game ready. The Montreal Canadians are in a tight spot in the Eastern Conference playoff race with a record of 33 wins, 18 losses, and 9 overtime losses. They're smack in the middle of a crowded pack fighting for seating, where just a couple of good weeks could lock in home ice, but a slump might knock, them out entirely. Carolina leads with strong defense. Tampa Bay is right behind thanks to their top offense, and Buffalo's pushing hard with solid underlying stats. That middle battle includes eight teams all bunched up, like Detroit, the New York Islanders, Boston, Pittsburgh, Columbus, Washington, and Ottawa. Momentum swings fast here. Detroit's got offense, but leaky defense. Boston stays steady, and the Islanders are climbing despite a recent skid. Pittsburgh looks strong on paper, but just lost Sydney Crosby to a season ending lower body injury, which could hurt their tough remaining schedule.

1:01Trade deadline deals shook things up recently. Buffalo beefed up their blue line with Logan Stanley and Luke Shen. Columbus grabbed Winger Connor Garland to keep their hot streak, and Detroit, added veteran score, David Perrin. Washington went the other way, trading John Carlson for future picks, signaling their rebuilding. Montreal's got one of the league's hardest schedules left, with big games against Detroit, Boston, the Islanders twice, Columbus twice, and Ottawa. That could swing four points each way. These heads-to-heads will decide if they grab a comfy mid-seed, or slide lower. To lock in playoffs, the Canadians need steady wins against weaker teams, urgency in rival matchups, and no big slumps. Their consistent play so far gives them a real shot at a favorable first round spot, and a deep run for this young squad. Recession to our sponsor for backing this episode. It is a pillow that plays your podcast and music without earbuds. Built for listening in bed, S-O-L-L-I, solelypillow.com