Canadiens clinch final playoff spot, will face Capitals in first round

The Montreal Canadiens are officially heading back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The Canadiens clinched a spot on Wednesday night with a 4-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Canadiens are returning to the playoffs for the first time since reaching the Stanley Cup Final in 2021. That team was led by Shea Weber and Carey Price but now, after an accelerated rebuild, a young core headlined by Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky and Lane Hutson has the Canadiens back in the playoffs.

Awaiting the Canadiens in the playoffs will be the Washington Capitals, who rode the wave from Alex Ovechkin’s chase of Wayne Gretzky’s goals record to the first seed in the Eastern Conference.

The two teams played three times this season with Washington winning the first two meetings in October and December but Montreal winning the third, 3-2 in overtime on Jan. 10.

Every game of the Stanley Cup Playoffs can be seen on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+.

A sea of red: Fans erupt in celebration

Outside the Bell Centre, fans erupted in celebration following Wednesday night’s win. A sea of red spilled into the streets as supporters cheered, sang, and chanted.

CityNews spoke with fans moments after the Canadiens clinched a playoff spot, capturing the full range of post-game emotions.

When asked how they were feeling after the game, one fan responded simply, “Amazing.” Her friend, standing next to her, immediately chimed in with a cheerful “Great.”

For many, the emotions during the game had been intense. One fan explained it best, saying, “Stressed, excited, happy — everything. All the emotions.”

Others were already looking ahead to the playoffs. “It was so great. We’re going to the playoffs,” said one supporter, a sentiment shared by another enthusiastic fan who could barely contain his excitement. “Awesome. Awesome, awesome, awesome. I live for this. I love them,” he repeated, later adding, “That’s my team, man. I love it. I love it.”

Some fans, already dreaming big, were eager to discuss the possibility of a Stanley Cup run. One fan offered a hopeful, “Fingers crossed. It’s a long road. You never know.” Another, more confident in the team’s chances, said, “We’re going to the playoffs. I’ve waited all year. Finally. Demidov is going to get his dream. Patrik Laine, first year with us. We’re going to the playoffs. The Stanley Cup’s coming home this year.”

Another young fan shared her joy, saying, “I went to the Montreal Canadiens game.” When asked if she had fun, she beamed and replied, “So much fun.”

The father of the young fan explained how they ended up at the game despite it being a last-minute decision. The family traveled from Ottawa for what turned out to be an unforgettable experience. “We were given the tickets by a friend,” he said. “They thought it was just going to be a meaningless game — maybe they were in, maybe they were out. But we said, ‘OK, we’ll take the tickets.’ My brother and friends didn’t want to go to Montreal, so I asked my daughter, ‘Do you want to come?’ She said, ‘Yes, we’ll go.’ We came, and it turned out to be the most important game of the season. And then they win. We were all singing, ‘Ole, ole, ole, ole, ole. Ole, ole, ole.’”

Another young fan, still buzzing with excitement, summed up her feelings: “I’m feeling so good, bro. First playoff for me. So, you know, I lost my voice though. So it’s a fun game.”

“I’m so happy we did it,” said another supporter. “Guys, we’re going. On s’en va à la série. I think we’re going to go all the way to the end, guys. I think this team is really strong, and I think this team can make it.”

Fans of all ages are eager to support their team every step of the way, ready to ride the wave of excitement through the playoffs.