Habs Daily: Demidov Impact, Playoff Race Down To Wire, Laval

Here are the Montreal Canadiens news items, highlights, and stories you may have missed on Tuesday.

Montreal Canadiens News

Ivan Demidov dazzled in his NHL debut, but beyond his impressive production, he also stabilized Alex Newhook’s line, and that’s not an easy task, as the Habs have been trying to find a combination that works all season long.  [Canadiens Forward Ivan Demidov Impresses Beyond Points]

Ivan Demidov at Habs practice today

pic.twitter.com/fIuENANZql

— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) April 15, 2025

Fans who were hoping the Philadelphia Flyers could do the Habs a favour and eliminate the Columbus Blue Jackets will be disappointed. The Blue Jackets beat the Flyers 3-0, which means they’re now just two points behind the Habs.

3-0 THANKS TO MO’S 30TH OF THE SZN! 💥@FanaticsBook | #CBJ pic.twitter.com/3Tf9q7dfYi

— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) April 16, 2025

With the win, the Blue Jackets have put a lot of pressure on the Canadiens, however, if they manage to earn at least one point against the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday, Montreal will finally secure the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference.

If the Habs can’t earn a point at home versus Carolina, the Blue Jackets will have to beat the New York Islanders in regulation to complete a rather impressive push up the standings. An overtime win versus the Islanders on Thursday would not be enough, as it would result in the teams having the same number of regulation wins (RW), with the Habs holding a significant edge in the second tie-breaker, regulation and overtime wins (ROW).

Strap-in folks, it’s going to be a wild finish.

David Reinbacher was spotted at Laval Rocket practice, and while that may not be noteworthy for most players, Reinbacher has certainly had his fair share of health issues. The Rocket have been very cautious in his case, which is encouraging, as it seems he’ll be ready to go by the time the Calder Cup playoffs get underway. Reinbacher’s last game took place on March 21.

David Reinbacher at Laval Rocket practice today pic.twitter.com/UOcqB3LT41

— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) April 15, 2025

Speaking of the Rocket, they’ve clinched the North Division and the Eastern Conference, and they’ll have an opportunity to clinch the league on Wednesday versus the Belleville Senators. We’ve discussed their excellent season on several occasions, but it’s worth noting they’ve forged ahead without some of their top players, an impressive feat for any farm team, let alone the best team in the league.

As a reminder, since they won their division, the Rocket will be given a bye directly into the second round, while most AHL teams will take part in a best-of-five series.

Former Canadiens head coach Claude Julien will be inducted into the QMJHL Hall of Fame. Julien is one of the nicest guys you’ll come across in the hockey landscape, and that’s not an exaggeration. Few people will have something bad to say about the veteran coach, which is usually the sign of a great person.

« Je cherche mes mots! »

Claude Julien était visiblement touché quand on lui a appris qu’il faisait partie de la cohorte 2025 du Temple de la renommée de la #LHJMQ. 👏 #TDLRLHJMQ | @OlympiquesGAT | @NHLBruins | @CanadiensMTL | @NJDevils | @StLouisBlues | @RCGT pic.twitter.com/sRBmHGH1XN

— LHJMQ (@LHJMQ) April 15, 2025

National Hockey Now Network

Patrick Kane has spoken often about how much the arrival of Todd McLellan as Detroit Red Wings coach meant to him getting his game back. [Detroit Red Wings]

Teammates within the Avalanche locker room are excited about the possible return of Gabriel Landeskog for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup playoffs. [Colorado Avalanche]

The Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning played a game Tuesday night which, at the end of the day, really did not mean much. [Florida Panthers]