NHL Playoffs: 5 Things Canadiens Must Do To Qualify For Playoffs

Even though the Montreal Canadiens lost a frustrating game versus the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday, they’re very much still in the driver’s seat when it comes to their playoff aspirations.

However, with just 12 games left on the docket, every game will take on a certain level of importance, as the race for the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference is closely contested.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at a few issues that will have to be ironed out if the team is to maintain its tenuous grip on their playoff position.

False Starts

There’s no doubt the Canadiens have shown resilience on several occasions. It has become the theme of the season, making the Habs one of the most exciting teams in the NHL.

And while resilience is better than capitulation, it does take a toll on the entire team, both from a mental and physical standpoint. Playing behind the eight-ball is frustrating, and chasing leads is exhausting.

If the Habs are to qualify for the playoffs, they’ll need to avoid gifting opponents early leads, which, in turn, will allow them to spend the bulk of their energy attempting to build a lead, rather than responding to yet another poor start.

It’s much easier said than done, and it will require some help from the coaching staff, as they will need to do a better job preparing their team. Pre-scouting and video work must take centre stage in the final 12 games of the year.

Better Goaltending Usage

Samuel Montembeault has provided the team with a laundry list of quality starts, but there’s a point of diminishing returns when it comes to goaltender endurance.

As we saw versus the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday, Montembeault is clearly tired, and we all know a tired goalie is a vulnerable goalie.

Head coach Martin St-Louis is being very respectful toward his veteran netminder, and there’s something to be said about the value of loyalty, but loyalty should never take precedence over results at this point of the season.

It’s crunch time, and the Canadiens cannot afford to leave any points on the table.

Seeing as Montembeault has shown clear signs of exhaustion in recent starts, the Canadiens should consider turning to rookie netminder Jakub Dobes with a little more regularity. Not only has he produced better stats this season, he has demonstrated his ability to steal points on several occasions. Given the Canadiens are among the least talented teams that could end up in the playoffs, their goaltending situation may end up dictating their fate.

Besides, if the Habs do end up in the playoffs, they’ll want Montembeault to be well rested. Grinding him into a fine powder down the final stretch of the season makes little to no sense. The Canadiens already used that strategy with Carey Price, and we all know how that story ended.

Another one. pic.twitter.com/2cCKwZ3La3

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) March 26, 2025

Fourth Line Impact

Prior to Emil Heineman’s injury, the Montreal Canadiens had the best fourth line in the entire NHL. They weren’t just good, they were producing well above expectations, while also providing crucial tertiary scoring for a team that tends to run hot and cold from an offensive standpoint.

On top of the timely scoring, they had excellent underlying numbers, which means the Canadiens controlled the flow of the game whenever their fourth line was on the ice, something very few NHL clubs can claim.

Emil Heineman also has goals in back-to-back games. This is his 8th of the year.

The fourth line has been dominant in the last stretch. #GoHabsGo are up 4-1. pic.twitter.com/Wf27Cfh7ig

— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) December 22, 2024

Jake Evans and Joel Armia’s impressive offensive production immediately dried up once Heineman was on the mend, demonstrating the importance of chemistry throughout the lineup.

The dip in production was to be expected, however, the situation has not improved since Heineman returned to play, which means one of the few advantages offered to St-Louis is now a hindrance rather than a boon.

It may not be realistic to expect the fourth line to provide as much offence as they did earlier in the season, but they can certainly do a much better job of controlling the play whenever they’re on the ice. If they fail to re-ignite the early-season spark, St-Louis may want to consider breaking up the combination, because they’re currently a significant drag on the team’s underlying numbers.

Secondary Scoring

The Canadiens can usually count on their top line to drive the offence, and there’s no denying Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Juraj Slafkovsky have done a great job taking charge of offensive production, but it’s not a sustainable strategy.

If the Habs do qualify for the playoffs, having just one functional line will make life incredibly easy for the opposing coach, as his game plan will simply focus on shutting down one trio, much like teams did when the only functional Montreal Canadiens line featured Max Pacioretty and David Desharnais.

The third line of Brendan Gallagher, Josh Anderson, and Christian Dvorak has done an admirable job of providing a spark at 5v5 all season long, but the same cannot be said about the second line.

The good news is that Alex Newhook is playing some of his best hockey of the year now that Joshua Roy is in the mix, and Patrik Laine has certainly improved his 5v5 production. With Kirby Dach on the mend and Roy in the mix, the second line has improved its share of shots and expected goals by a significant margin.

In fact, they’re maintaining an expected goal share (xGF%) of 64 percent, which is the top result among the trios this year. The small sample size comes into play, but suffice it to say, it’s the best result we’ve seen from the second line in a very long time.

Exactly what you want to see from Joshua Roy. He works hard to liberate the puck, and then he outworks Dobson to score his first goal of the year.

Tie game. #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/M2yDtOIRDD

— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) March 21, 2025

Montreal Canadiens Discipline, Or Lack Thereof

The Canadiens improved their penalty kill this season, and their powerplay isn’t among the worst in the league anymore, which is an encouraging sign.

But rather than counting on special teams to help smooth over the team’s longstanding lack of discipline, the Canadiens would immediately improve their playoff odds if they stopped taking so many penalties.

They’ve taken 275 penalties this season, placing among the most penalized teams in the league. Of those 275 calls, 249 are minor penalties, which means the Canadiens are just one minor penalty shy of being the second-most penalized NHL club.

That, my friends, is the epitome of an unsustainable situation if a team is hoping to not only qualify for the playoffs, but also make some noise once springtime hockey gets underway.