Montreal Canadiens must continue to earn points against divisional rivals

The Montreal Canadiens had a big win against the Toronto Maple Leafs and considering their quest for the playoffs, those points will be key down the line.

Think back to last season. The Montreal Canadiens were in a playoff spot ahead of the big American Thanksgiving milestone but wound up missing the postseason in the final weeks of the year. As much as it came down to losses against the Carolina Hurricanes and Columbus Blues Jackets that did the most damage, losses to divisional rivals were even more draining.

Keep in mind the Habs had a good regular season despite missing the playoffs. Their 96 points were higher than three teams in the Western Conference who wound up making it. By the end of the year, they were four points back of the Toronto Maple Leafs for third in the Atlantic Division while the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning were far out of reach.

The Atlantic Division seems to be more open than we expected. The Leafs are stumbling despite their offseason additions while the Tampa Bay Lightning can’t seem to shake off the disappointing end from last year. On the other hand, the Boston Bruins are still performing off the production of their top line while the Buffalo Sabres might turn things around.

The Montreal Canadiens may not be in one of those division spots, but they aren’t far behind. That’s what made their win against the Leafs Saturday night so crucial. They’ve lost games already to Detroit, Tampa Bay, Buffalo, and Toronto. Fortunately, the Habs managed to pick up points against the Leafs (the first time) and the Sabres.

When it comes down to it, points from those teams are going to count the most, and the Montreal Canadiens need to find ways to keep those up.

Their next Atlantic matchup will see them take on the Boston Bruins at home on November 5th. Once the calendar hits December heading into the new year, the Habs will start to get more of those games with an Atlantic team as their opponent.

Another thing to keep in mind is that the Lightning and Leafs won’t be like this forever. Both teams have way too many expectations to be playing this poorly, and although it looks as if they’re sunk, there’s a greater chance they snap out of it and perform. That will put even more pressure on the Montreal Canadiens to succeed in those games.

They’ll need those points, and it may very well make the difference in the final weeks of the season between making the playoffs and starting the offseason off early.