Nick Suzuki's 30th goal of the season was the most important

The Montreal Canadiens knew they needed a hero to come through and make a big play on Wednesday night against the Carolina Hurricanes. Sure, the Hurricanes didn't dress their best in this meaningless game for them, but that doesn't always guarantee success. Carolina had plenty of players in the lineup trying to make a statement to get a promotion to the main lineup, but in the end, the Canadiens proved too much for the lack of depth.

There were some nervous times in the second period when the score was 1-1 and the teams were going back and forth. It was becoming clear that all it might take was a late Hurricanes goal to go ahead and the Canadiens' playoff hopes would be dead. It's the risk you take when leaving no breathing room, as one wrong bounce could mean the difference in a playoff spot.

The Sportsnet panel talked about the Canadiens' chances in the pre-game, and Luke Gazdic predicted that Nick Suzuki would be the player to put the team on his back and get them into the postseason in this game. Gazdic's prediction featured an overtime goal from Suzuki, but the captain decided to make it happen a bit earlier than that when he scored his 30th goal with four minutes remaining in the second period.

It was Suzuki's second consecutive 30-goal season after scoring 33 in 82 games last season. He didn't reach that mark this year, but increased his assist total by 15. Suzuki averaged over a point-per-game for the first time in his career, and he won't get enough credit for the Canadiens' success this season. Lane Hutson will get most of the talk, and Ivan Demidov will overshadow everyone if he has a successful playoffs. However, Suzuki was the heartbeat of the team, and he showed it again against the Hurricanes.

Maybe the Canadiens won't go far this postseason, but making it there is a massive step in the right direction. Who knows what the future holds for Montreal, but one thing is for sure, they have the right captain leading them into the fight.