Photo credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images

The Montreal Canadiens once again shocked the hockey world Tuesday at the Bell Centre, coming from behind to defeat the Florida Panthers.

It was Nick Suzuki who took matters into his own hands by scoring the tying goal with 8 seconds left in the 3rd period and then netting the game-winner early in overtime.

The captain has definitely elevated his game since returning from the Four Nations Face-Off break.

In 18 games, he’s recorded no fewer than 10 goals and 17 assists for a total of 27 points. So it’s no surprise his teammates are inspired and the team has found success during this stretch.

The Canadiens are heavily favored over the New York Rangers and Columbus Blue Jackets

Following that great win, Montreal now holds the final wildcard playoff spot in the Eastern Conference alone, with 79 points.

As you can see by glancing at the standings, the Detroit Red Wings trail by 4 points with only 8 games remaining, making it tough for them to get back into the race.

The battle will now come down to the Habs, the New York Rangers, and the Columbus Blue Jackets.

What’s interesting here is that Montreal just came out of a stretch where they faced their toughest opponents for the rest of the season.

The upcoming schedule is much easier, judging by the records of their opponents.

According to Tankathon, Montreal has the 31st most difficult remaining schedule.

Only the Carolina Hurricanes and the Toronto Maple Leafs have easier schedules, according to the site’s algorithm.

When you compare that to the Canadiens’ two main rivals, it’s very encouraging.

Tankathon ranks the remaining schedules of the New York Rangers and Columbus Blue Jackets as the 4th and 5th toughest, respectively.

The stars seem to be aligning for the Montreal club.

However, they’ll still need to keep working hard, because even if their opponents are considered easy, they’ll surely want to play spoiler..