Joel Armia was out for the game against the Seattle Kraken. That hurt, but it happens and there’s no timetable for his return. Patrik Laine was the player who was back in the lineup and that was a positive but all of these changes to the lineup are tough on a team.
Armia remains questionable for Saturday’s game against the Florida Panthers. If the Canadiens stay in the race, they must beat Florida. Getting one point at this time of the year isn’t that much of a benefit especially if it’s against a team you’re chasing. The Canadiens aren’t chasing Florida but they are chasing the Ottawa Senators and the Columbus Blue Jackets.
I cover the Flyers too and last season they missed the playoffs on the last day of the season. It went a bit further than I thought and that is what I’m seeing for the Canadiens. Unless you can win 5-7 in a row and have the teams you’re chasing lose regulation games, the math becomes the enemy.
Next Tuesday the Canadiens play the Senators at home. They can’t lose that game. Even an overtime loss would be costly. They play them again on April 11th in Ottawa. The hope is that the game means something. The Canadiens are done with the Blue Jackets.
I always say the NHL schedule maker works with math geniuses to get these kinds of races because of the loser point. That’s what creates a lot of this. The NHL Is never boring and they do get that part right.
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