The Montreal Canadiens are surging at exactly the right time. With the regular season winding down, they are fighting hard to secure their playoff positioning. Here are the key storylines surrounding the team and their upcoming schedule for the week of March 29 – April 4, 2026.
A Crucial Winning Streak
Montreal is currently riding a four-game winning streak, recently dispatching the New York Islanders, Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets, and most recently, securing a 4-1 victory over the Nashville Predators on March 28.
They are sitting comfortably in 3rd place in the Atlantic Division (41-21-10) but have the Boston Bruins breathing down their necks.
Cole Caufield Chasing 50
Caufield just sniped his 45th goal of the season against Nashville. He is the first Canadien to reach the 45-goal mark since Stéphane Richer potted 51 back in the 1989-90 season. Alongside Nick Suzuki (who leads the team with 88 points), the top line is carrying heavy momentum.
Lane Hutson Making NHL History
The young defenceman just registered his 60th assist of the season. He joins legendary company as only the third defenceman in NHL history — alongside Bobby Orr and Paul Coffey — to record multiple 60-assist seasons before turning 23.
The New Goaltending Duo
The crease has officially been handed over to the youth. Jakub Dobes has been arguably the hottest goalie in the league over the last three weeks (boasting a .926 save percentage), effectively taking the starting job. Meanwhile, rookie Jacob Fowler just stopped 23 of 24 shots in a brilliant performance against Nashville. Veteran Sam Montembeault has been completely sidelined down the stretch as the coaching staff rolls with the hot hands.
Injury Management
The team is navigating a few key absences. Patrik Laine (lower body) and Kirby Dach (upper body) remain out, while Alexandre Texier and Josh Anderson are day-to-day. Management has been praised recently for their candid and ruthless commitment to icing the best roster possible, even if it means sitting big contracts.
Habs Upcoming Schedule
The upcoming seven days are going to be a massive litmus test for Montreal. They are wrapping up a grueling five-game road trip against some of the heaviest hitters in the Eastern Conference.
They play the Carolina Hurricanes tonight, followed by highly competitive road matchups against the Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Rangers. Points will be at a premium in these games as the Hurricanes and Lightning are playoff-bound. The week concludes with a home-and-home back-to-back against the New Jersey Devils. If Montreal can survive this road trip with a winning record, they will be in fantastic shape heading into the final week of the season.
| Date | Opponent | Location | Time (EDT) |
| Sunday, March 29 | Carolina Hurricanes | Lenovo Center (Away) | 5:00 PM |
| Tuesday, March 31 | Tampa Bay Lightning | Benchmark Int’l Arena (Away) | 7:00 PM |
| Thursday, April 2 | New York Rangers | Madison Square Garden (Away) | 7:00 PM |
| Saturday, April 4 | New Jersey Devils | Prudential Center (Away) | 7:00 PM |
| Sunday, April 5 | New Jersey Devils | Centre Bell (Home) | 7:00 PM |
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