Montreal Canadiens playoff odds: Habs' chances of making postseason revealed after 2-1 win over Predators

Modified Apr 07, 2025 03:29 GMT

NHL: Montreal Canadiens at Nashville Predators - Source: Imagn — Montreal Canadiens playoff odds - Source: Imagn

In December, few would have predicted that the Montreal Canadiens would reach the playoffs this season. However, by April, the Canadiens firmly hold the second wild card spot, with 85 points in the Eastern Conference.

According to MoneyPuck, the Montreal Canadiens have improved their playoff chances to 84.1% following a 2-1 win over the Nashville Predators on Sunday. The Habs also extended their winning streak to five games and lead the third-placed NY Rangers (36-33-7) by six points in the wild-card standings.

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The Canadiens last made it to the playoffs in 2021 when they advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals, losing 1-0 to the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 5. As things stand, spring hockey in Montreal is almost assured now.

Montreal Canadiens improve playoff chances after win over Nashville Predators

On Sunday, the Montreal Canadiens beat the Nashville Predators 2-1 at Bridgestone Arena, extending their winning streak to five games.

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Steven Stamkos opened the scoring for the Predators at 4:19 into the first period. That was the only goal the Preds managed in the matchup.

"Every game is the biggest one going forward,” Caufield said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s a back to back with travel. You’ve got to find a way, and I thought we did that tonight. It wasn’t, obviously, pretty but you’ll take the two (points) whenever you can get them.”

Cole Caufield tied it 1-1 for the Canadiens at 1:40 into the second period. At 5:47, Patrik Laine scored the winner for the Habs. Jakub Dobes was solid between the pipes, making 35 saves and posting a .972 save percentage.

"We had tough traveling,” Dobes said. “Maybe the guys were a little bit tired. They were just more prepared, more fresh. That’s why they had a little bit of push, but we managed it and we won, so everyone is pretty happy.”

The Canadiens will hope to continue their impressive run of results when they return home to face the Detroit Red Wings (36-33-7) at Centre Bell Arena on Tuesday. The puck drops at 7 p.m. ET.

Also Read: 3 most impressive Montreal Canadiens players from 2-1 over Nashville Predators feat. Patrik Laine

About the author

Abhishek is an NHL writer at Sportskeeda with over 2 years of sports reporting experience and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Delhi. He became a fan of ice hockey after watching NHL fight videos on YouTube, which led to him professionally writing about the sport and his continued interest in all things hockey.

A fan of the Boston Bruins, Abhishek considers their incredible comeback win against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2013 playoffs as the most iconic moment in the NHL. His admiration for the six-time Stanley Cup winners also comes from the team’s storied history, distinctive black and gold uniform and their success in the sport. His all-time favorite NHL players are Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid, for their ability to perform at the highest level consistently.

Abhishek ensures his reporting is fair and balanced by being well-researched in his details, which he expects to be relevant, up-to-date and in line with ethical standards. His specialties are doing detailed match analysis and covering fan reactions.

Abhishek enjoys music, traveling and going on walks with his three German Shepherds in his free time, along with learning about horticulture.

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Edited by Bhargav