After a very disappointing end to their western road swing in Seattle, the Montreal Canadiens returned home to a tough test against the division-leading Florida Panthers. A few days of rest obviously served them well, because they were the better team for the full 60 minutes, taking a convincing 3-1 win that inched them closer to a wild card spot. As of this writing, they sit just one point behind the New York Rangers for the final spot, with one game in hand.
Whatever happens from here on out, the Habs have outperformed expectations, and the way they handled the Panthers suggests they’re a better team than most would give them credit for.
Juraj Slafkovsky picks off an errant pass, sets up Cole Caufield. Little patience, and Cole makes it 2-0 #Habs pic.twitter.com/DloHCelbHD
— Matt Drake (@DrakeMT) March 15, 2025
It wasn’t quite a domination, but the Habs bested the top team in their division in almost every important statistical metric. Though they were outshot, they out-chanced the Panthers and held a 63.13% share of expected goals at five-on-five. It was one of the better defensive games they’ve played this season, an area that we know is very much a work in progress for them.
They defended their lead by staying aggressive in the third period, which was a breath of fresh air compared to their timid play of late with leads. Only time will tell if this can become the norm for them, but it was a welcome departure from what we’ve grown accustomed to watching. This game should be used as an example by the coaching staff – here’s what we need to be doing to close out games with authority.
One thing they sorely lack is consistency. When you juxtapose last night’s performance with Wednesday’s against Seattle, they look like two completely different teams. Rest seems to be a key factor in them playing well, but the stretch run of the season won’t see them getting a ton of that. Plenty of players are running on fumes by the time the playoffs roll around, so this team will have to find it in themselves to play with the kind of structure they did against the Panthers, even when they’re tired.
Nobody will give them much of a chance in the playoffs should they make it there, but the experience of being there could be massive for this team. They’ll learn a lot about themselves, and what needs to improve before they can be considered contenders. The value of that experience is arguably far greater than drafting a few positions higher in June.
Even if they can’t get there, the experience of these meaningful games in late March and into April should be worth something.
Click the play button below to listen to your full Bottom Six Minutes, also available wherever you usually get your podcasts. We’ll be back on Tuesday night for a crucial matchup at the Bell Centre against the Ottawa Senators.
