Still fighting for a wild card position, the Montreal Canadiens had a tough test on Saturday night. The Colorado Avalanche – who loaded up in a big way at this year’s trade deadline – were in town for a prime time matchup. They outclassed the Habs in a big way for the first 20 minutes, and we were treated to an epic comeback by the home side in the final 20 minutes. Ultimately the Habs fell short in a shootout, but just getting there took quite the display of resiliency.
And if you were wondering what the Bell Centre might sound like if they make the playoffs this year, well…
We’re still here emotionally & spiritually
— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) March 23, 2025
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I can’t quite remember the last time I heard a roar like that in the Bell Centre. A loser point may be a tad disappointing, as a comeback like that usually deserves the storybook ending of a win. Still, salvaging that one point after the start they had was incredible.
Everything about this game in the first period screamed regulation loss. At even strength, Colorado had seven high-danger chances to Montreal’s zero, and honestly looked like they were from a completely different league. The Habs dug deep in the next 40 minutes though, winning that same high-danger scoring chance race 8-3 from there out, but really pouring it on in the third period when coming back from down 4-1.
Juraj Slafkovsky was everywhere. They got key goals from secondary players like Joshua Roy and Christian Dvorak. It was a full team effort to dig themselves out of a hole that honestly could have been worse if Samuel Montembeault didn’t have a strong start to the game. I don’t think there is any use lamenting the poor start this team had, I think they deserve heaps of praise for turning that game around the way that they did.
Not long ago, it would have ended very differently. Down 4-1 to a powerhouse from the Western Conference – you used to be able to call it a night early if that happened. Now, they’re never out of the fight, consistently erasing late-game deficits to earn points that can help them find the playoffs for the first time since 2021.
And the way they’re playing already has it feeling like the playoffs in the Bell Centre.
Click the play button below to listen to your full Bottom Six Minutes, also available wherever you get your podcasts. We’ll be back on Tuesday night, when the Habs will be in Missouri to take on the St. Louis Blues.
