The Montreal Canadiens have been riding the wave of the Bell Centre over the past few weeks, owning a 5-0-1 record. It helped them rise to the second wild card position, sitting a point ahead of the New York Rangers with two games in hand. It'll be a tough test over the next seven days as the Canadiens play four road games against some of the league's hottest teams.
I’ll never get tired of hearing the roar of the Bell Centre when games matter
— Brendan (@brenmidov) March 23, 2025
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The Canadiens start the road trip with a matchup against the St. Louis Blues, who have been the best team in the Western Conference and much like Montreal has found themselves now in the driver's seat for the second wild card position. The Canadiens then go to a quick Pennsylvania stop for a Philadelphia Flyers matchup, before ending the trip with games against the Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers.
The Flyers game should be a win for a team battling for a playoff spot. However, the Canadiens could struggle with the other three games. Montreal could find themselves quickly out of the playoff race if the Rangers have a good week and the Canadiens go 1-3-0. Montreal has shown a great ability to beat teams higher than them in the standings, but they are just .500 on the road this season. If the Canadiens want their remaining Bell Centre games to mean something, they must take care of business this week.
The Panthers game is the first half of a home-and-home series, which finishes next Tuesday at the Bell Centre. it'll be an unbelievable atmosphere in Montreal next week if they return for a game with the defending Stanley Cup Champions after a winning week on the road. The Canadiens then stay home for two more games against the Flyers and Boston Bruins.
This week on the road could make or break the rest of the season for the Canadiens. Stay afloat in the wild card race, and their probability of making the playoffs will rise dramatically. Return home with a losing record, and they're back in a fight to claim that spot. At the very least, the Canadiens must split the games on the road trip, but claiming some kind of point in three of the games would be ideal.