Montreal Canadiens losing playoff cushion as Blue Jackets and Senators close gap

The race for the playoffs in the Eastern Conference is officially becoming very tight, and the Montreal Canadiens are slowly losing their lead.

With only 78 points on the board, Martin St-Louis’ group is seeing its cushion melt away after the results from yesterday.

We have to be honest, the overall picture looks worrying this morning for Canadiens fans. The Columbus Blue Jackets and the Ottawa Senators have decided to shift into second gear at the worst possible time for Montreal.

Columbus picked up a crucial point against the Los Angeles Kings yesterday. Even though they lost in overtime, the Jackets now total 74 points in 63 games played in the NHL.

We can all agree that the threat is real since they are now only four points behind Montreal. Carolina sits at the top with 86 points, but it is in the middle of the pack where things are getting the most heated.

For their part, the Ottawa Senators are not letting up either. Thanks to their 2-0 victory over the Vancouver Canucks, the Sens climb to 73 points in the overall standings.

James Reimer was outstanding with 16 saves to shut out Vancouver, his 32nd career shutout in the NHL. Simply put, Ottawa is back in the picture with a third consecutive victory.

The Atlantic Division battle heats up

Behind them, Tampa Bay Lightning (82 points), the Detroit Red Wings (79 points) and the Pittsburgh Penguins (78 points) are also in the race. It is clear that goal differential and every small statistic will weigh heavily in the final balance.

Let’s be honest, the margin for error has become almost nonexistent for Nick Suzuki and his teammates. The schedule will offer no favors between now and the end of March, and the team will have to collect wins at all costs.