Photo credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images

The Montreal Canadiens are currently playing their most important games of the season.

Every point matters in this intense playoff race in the East, so the statement above is also absolutely true for the Canadiens’ main rivals.

We’re talking here about the New York Islanders, the New York Rangers, the Columbus Blue Jackets, and the Detroit Red Wings.

Good news for Martin St-Louis’ squad

For those following the standings a bit less closely, well, know that not only did the Canadiens pick up a regulation-time win last night, but the Columbus Blue Jackets also lost (in regulation) to the Ottawa Senators.

That pretty much eliminates them from the race.

Not-so-good news for the Montreal Canadiens

In any case, the team is indeed extremely well positioned, but note that the Detroit Red Wings surprisingly won (in regulation) against the Florida Panthers.

Here’s the current picture:

– Montreal Canadiens (IN PLAYOFFS) – 85 points in 77 games

– New York Rangers (OUT OF PLAYOFFS) – 79 points in 76 games

– Detroit Red Wings (OUT OF PLAYOFFS) – 79 points in 76 games

– New York Islanders (OUT OF PLAYOFFS) – 78 points in 76 games

There are also the Ottawa Senators, who are ranked in the playoffs as a wildcard team, but they’re out of reach, with 90 points in 77 games played.

Things are still going well for Montreal, despite the wins by the Wings and Islanders.

Tonight, we’ll need to keep a close eye on the matchup between the New York Rangers and the Tampa Bay Lightning, live from Madison Square Garden.

According to MoneyPuck, as of today, the Canadiens have an 82,4% chance of making the playoffs, the Rangers are at 8.4% and the Red Wings at 4.6%.

A win against the Red Wings tomorrow would all but knock them out of the race.