An exciting game March 18 vs Ottawa had fans jumping — even in the pregame warmups
By David Winch, Special to the Sherbrooke Record
MONTREAL – The Ottawa Senators were in town Tuesday night, and every fan knew that excitement was in store. Playoff-style hockey had come early to the Bell Centre after a raucous, crowd-pleasing win over the Florida Panthers on Saturday. The Canadiens could sniff a postseason spot for the first time since 2021. Would the Senators regret standing in their way?
Sure enough, the game was a blast, with the two teams exchanging leads over three periods before a wild finish that sent Bell Centre fans into a frenzy. The 6-3 final score scarcely reflects how tight the game was till the end.
The first period ended 1-1 after Ottawa overcame an opening breakaway goal by Canadiens centre Christian Dvorak. In the second period, the Senators calmly took the lead 2-1. The third period loomed as decisive for Canadiens’ playoff surge.
But true to their new identity as destiny’s team, the Canadiens found goal-scoring support from rookie star Lane Hutson, who evened the score at 2-2. Then Ottawa again jumped ahead 3-2.
With 10 minutes to go, stalwart Josh Anderson crashed the net to make it 3-3, before team captain Nick Suzuki’s gritty goal-mouth scramble made it 4-3 for Habs.
The 6-3 final score was secured by two empty-net goals.
This game was the latest in a turbulent, up-and-down, off-and-on Canadiens season. Their 2024-25 season to date could be neatly divided into four “quarters”:
Q1. Groan. Here we go again? … October saw the Habs go 3-6-1 for an abysmal slump to start the season, followed by an anemic November record of 3-5-1. This weak start prompted much handwringing on sports radio, TV and podcasts. Pundits feared Canadiens fans would have to endure yet-another bottom-dwelling, “rebuilding” season – their fourth since 2021. The media started to ridicule the preseason golf-tournament forecast by Habs brass that the team would rise to be “in the mix”, come playoff time. –Hopeless!
Q2. Fasten your seatbelts! … In December and January, however, the Canadiens suddenly hit the gas and effected a rapid takeoff. Their new offence, sparked by the return from injury of sniper Patrik Laine, led to a torrid 13-3-1 run. As Christmas and New Year’s gifts to their fans, the young Habs knocked off virtually every top team in the NHL, from Florida to Colorado and Dallas, including five of the last six Stanley Cup champions. –Unbeatable!
Q3. Uh-oh. We knew it couldn’t last …. That euphoric winning streak arguably lasted until a Saturday-night collision with the Maple Leafs on January 18th. Before a national Hockey Night in Canada TV audience, the Habs jumped out to a 3-0 lead — then totally collapsed, losing 7-3. This humiliating loss took some wind out of their sails. While the team did win their next two games, another slump took hold in late January. That degenerated into a miserable losing skid that was mercifully ended by the mid-February 4 Nations Faceoff tournament.
Q4. Can you believe it? … On return from their February break, the Habs were rested and ready. Somehow, coach Martin St. Louis pushed all the right young-talent buttons to launch the team on a 10-game, 7-1-2 surge through the late-winter period. This strong play, capped by Saturday’s home win over the Cup champion Florida Panthers, pushed them to within 1 point of the final wild-card playoff spot in the East.
Where will they go from here? That question was not resolved Tuesday night at the Bell Centre. The answer will be played out over the next 15 games, including several against wild-card rivals Detroit and Ottawa.
Given their record to date, few punters would be eager to bet against them. After all, the Canadiens are now the team of destiny. Just ask their fans.
Originally published in the Sherbrooke Record, March 19, 2025
