The Montreal Canadiens are entering March in third place in the Atlantic Division with 75 points and only one point behind the Buffalo Sabres. However, the Canadiens have a game in hand compared to Buffalo and are slightly ahead of them in points percentage at .635.
Regardless of whether they are in third or second in the Atlantic Division, they are in great position to once again return to the playoffs. This upcoming month will determine whether they have home-ice advantage or as a wild card team with a number of key games this month.
In total, the Canadiens have 15 games in March, with almost an even split between home and away, with 8 road games and seven home games. The biggest challenge might be the fact that they have three back-to-back games this month, with two of them on the road.
While each game is critical due to how tight the race is in the Atlantic Division, these are five games that carry the most impact in March.
Montreal Canadiens vs. Boston Bruins (3/17)
The first game that fans should have circled this month is on March 17th when the Boston Bruins come to town. This will be the final meeting between the two teams, and the Bruins right now have won two out of the first three, including a 4-3 victory on January 24th.
The Bruins have been on an impressive run lately, going 13-4-3 over their last 20 games since the end of December. They have moved into that final wild-card spot and hold a two-point lead over the Washington Capitals.
While the Canadiens are playing for seeding, the Bruins are going to be a little more desperate as they are trying to just hold on to stay in the playoffs. This should be a competitive matchup that will have that playoff-type feel.
Montreal Canadiens at Detroit Red Wings (3/19)
The next key game is only two days later when the Canadiens travel to Detroit to play the Red Wings. This will also be the last meeting between the two teams in the regular season, and they split the first two meetings.
Unlike the Bruins, the Canadiens right now look to be competing directly with the Red Wings for seeding, as Detroit is only one point behind Montreal in the Atlantic Division. The seeding is going to be crucial between these two teams because it could be a scenario where they finish second and third and will meet in the first round.
That might be the best-case scenario because the other possibility is that one falls into the Wild Card spot and will end up with a first-round meeting with either the Carolina Hurricanes or the Tampa Bay Lightning. Both teams would like to avoid that, and this could be a game that both teams look back on as a deciding factor.
Montreal Canadiens vs. Carolina Hurricanes (3/24)
Montreal Canadiens at Carolina Hurricanes (3/29)
Speaking of the Hurricanes, the Montreal Canadiens are going to be very tested at the end of the month with two games in a five-day stretch against Carolina.
The Hurricanes have a great lead in the Metro Division over the Pittsburgh Penguins of seven points entering March. It would be shocking if the Hurricanes collapsed and didn't finish in first place in the division.
For Montreal, they don't have that comfortable lead and will need to have some of their best performances of the season against the Hurricanes.
The good news for the Canadiens is they already beat the Hurricanes once, an exciting 7-5 game that was back and forth as the Canadiens built a 2-0 lead before Carolina scored four straight. Montreal would respond and score four straight of their own to take the lead back before an empty-net goal by Lane Hutson secured the win.
This will be a great test for Montreal and splitting these games would be a great result for the Canadiens.
Montreal Canadiens at Tampa Bay Lightning (3/31)
After the Canadiens second game against the Hurricanes, they head further south for a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. While the Hurricanes will be a great test, this game could be a pivotal one depending on how the month plays out.
Right now, the Canadiens are only five points back of Tampa Bay, and winning the Atlantic Division isn't out of the question. If Montreal can go on a bit of a run and the Lightning stumble a bit, this might be a game that has a big impact on who wins the division.
This will be the third game out of four scheduled games between these two teams, and the Lightning won the first two this season. They will have one more game scheduled in the fourth to last regular season game for the Canadiens.
A win here could give the Montreal Canadiens momentum going into the final weeks of the season and hopefully put them in discussion for a division title.