Detroit Red Wings vs. Montreal Canadiens Pick & Prediction APRIL 8th 2025

Preview and Prediction

The scorching-hot Montreal Canadiens may not officially secure a playoff spot on Tuesday, but they have a chance to essentially eliminate one of their closest competitors for the final postseason position in the Eastern Conference.

Riding a five-game winning streak, the Canadiens will attempt to take a major step towards clinching the second and last wild-card spot as they face off against the Detroit Red Wings.

With a record of 38-30-9 and 85 points, Montreal currently holds a six-point lead over both the New York Rangers and Detroit (36-33-7, 79 points) for the second wild-card spot.

Although the Red Wings will have a game in hand on Tuesday, a victory for Montreal would put them eight points ahead of Detroit with only five games remaining for the Red Wings and four for the Canadiens.

"Every game is crucial moving forward," stated Montreal forward Cole Caufield. "We have to find a way to come out on top."

While Montreal is well aware of the playoff implications, Detroit also understands that a regulation win against the Canadiens is crucial, especially since they will be playing five of their last six regular-season games on the road.

Their game against Montreal marks the beginning of a three-game road trip that will also take them to Florida and Tampa Bay.

Although not on the same hot streak as Montreal, the Red Wings have also been performing well. They have won three of their last four games and earned a point in their only loss during that stretch, a 2-1 overtime defeat against St. Louis.

"We are finding ways to earn points," said Detroit head coach Todd McLellan. "It may not always be pretty, but at the end of the day, the points are what matter most."

Both teams have been relying on strong goaltending during their recent stretches of success.

Veteran Detroit goalie Cam Talbot has only allowed seven goals in the team's last four games and has made 97 saves in their past three.

"We have to continue to take care of our own business," said Talbot. "Of course, we are keeping an eye on the scores around the league, but our focus needs to be on our game and what we can control."

For Montreal, Sam Montembeault had a stretch of four games where he allowed two goals or less before backup Jakub Dobes made 36 saves in a 2-1 victory against Nashville on Sunday.

"I am happy with where we are at," said Dobes. "We have a great group of guys and our individual accomplishments need to take a backseat. Our main focus is winning as a team and I believe that mentality has been working for us."

This will be the fourth and final matchup between these two teams in the regular season. Montreal swept a back-to-back set on December 20th and 21st, winning 4-3 in Detroit and 5-1 in Montreal. The Red Wings earned a 4-2 victory over the Canadiens on January 23rd.

PREDICTION

Detroit Red Wings

3

4

Montreal Canadiens

Detroit Red Wings vs. Montreal Canadiens