Morning Coffee: Habs Nation hoping clock doesn’t strike midnight on fairytale season

The clock is creeping towards midnight in Montreal.

Habs Nation is hoping it doesn’t strike 12 before the Stanley Cup Playoffs even begin.

The Bell Centre was buzzing Monday night as rookie phenom Ivan Demidov dazzled with two points in the first two minutes and change of his NHL debut.

Unfortunately for the sellout crowd, the night changed in a hurry as the Canadiens let an early 2-0 lead slip away and ultimately settled for a single point in a 4-3 shootout loss to the Chicago Blackhawks.

Once again, the Canadiens failed to clinch a playoff spot.

Now that the dust has settled after last night’s spectacle, the vibes surrounding the team feel just a bit different.

Habs fans have gone from talking “Playoff Demidov” to legitimate concern that they’ll only get to see him suit up one more time this month.

Montreal’s shootout loss kept the door open for the Columbus Blue Jackets in the NHL’s Eastern Conference wild-card race.

The Blue Jackets are four points back of the Canadiens with a game in hand, and it isn’t completely unrealistic to envision a scenario in which Columbus closes that gap with a potential tiebreaker in pocket.

The Habs remarkable turnaround has been one of the memorable stories of the 2024-25 NHL season. That could change in a hurry over the next two days.

Suddenly, Habs Nation is bracing for a tense 48 hours in which the worst-case scenario results in their potential fairytale season turning into a nightmare.

This is the Morning Coffee for Tuesday, April 15, 2025.

Habs Nation hoping clock doesn’t strike midnight on fairytale season

The Canadiens could have clinched a playoff spot with a win over Chicago on home ice last night. Instead, the Blackhawks pulled off the upset win in a bizarre shootout as a +240 road underdog at FanDuel.

What started as an electric celebration has suddenly turned into hockey’s most hardcore fanbase holding its collective breath, hoping to avoid an epic heartbreak.

The Blue Jackets need a regulation win over the Philadelphia Flyers tonight to stay alive. The Canadiens will officially clinch in any other scenario.

Columbus to win is up from -110 to -152 at FanDuel.

The Blue Jackets to win in regulation has gone from -105 to -120 over the past couple of hours.

In case you missed it, I posted my FanDuel Best Bet for tonight’s NHL action to my X account this morning.

If Columbus wins in regulation tonight, Montreal can still clinch a playoff spot with a single point when they visit the Carolina Hurricanes in their regular-season finale on Wednesday night.

If the Habs lose to Sebastian Aho, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, and the Hurricanes in regulation, they will no longer control their path to a playoff spot.

In the worst-case scenario, the Canadiens fail to register a single point in Carolina after a Columbus win in regulation tonight, putting the Blue Jackets in position to clinch the final wild-card spot with a regulation win over Patrick Roy’s New York Islanders on Thursday night.

Pumpkins for Montreal.

What are the odds that nightmare scenario happens?

FanDuel has the Blue Jackets at +870 to make the playoffs – down from +1000 this morning.

That current number represents a 10.3 per cent implied probability that Columbus gets in.

The fact that it’s a non-zero chance will have the entire city of Montreal on pins and needles until it changes.

Regardless of what happens next, the Canadiens have plenty of reason for optimism moving forward.

Lane Hutson is the obvious Calder Trophy favourite. Demidov could be in line to win that award next year.

Montreal has a talented young core in place and the flexibility to add a couple of key pieces this off-season.

Still, their improbable turnaround from lottery team to playoff contender has sparked a fire that Habs fans aren’t ready to see go out just yet.

The Canadiens still control their playoff destiny. Hopefully, the clock doesn’t strike midnight for Montreal.

Odds stacked against Flames in wild-card race

The Calgary Flames will continue their pursuit of the Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues in the Western Conference playoff race tonight.

They’ll need a win and some help to stay alive.

Speaking of impressive rookies, Dustin Wolf is the biggest reason why his team is still in the playoff hunt.

The Flames are a pick ‘em against the Vegas Golden Knights at FanDuel.

However, the Wild are a heavy favourite against the visiting Anaheim Ducks.

The Blues are a considerable favourite against the visiting Utah Hockey Club.

FanDuel has Calgary to make the playoffs at +340.

That’s down from +830 eight days ago but still implies just a 22.7 per cent chance the Flames make the playoffs.

Calgary could clinch its first 40-win season since 2021-22 tonight and still be eliminated from playoff contention if both Minnesota and St. Louis win.

For what it’s worth, a two-team moneyline parlay with the Wild and Blues to win pays +126 at FanDuel this morning.

Let’s call that two-team parlay a FanDuel Best Bet and an emotional hedge for Flames fans that don’t want to see their season end tonight.

Will Warriors avoid another Play-In loss?

The NBA Play-In tournament tips off tonight on TSN.

The Orlando Magic are a five-point favourite against the Atlanta Hawks in the first game of a double-header.

The Golden State Warriors are a seven-point favourite against the Memphis Grizzlies in the late game.

The Warriors are 0-3 straight up all-time in NBA Play-In Tournament games – the most losses by any team.

Golden State went 23-8 after Jimmy Butler arrived but still ended up in the Play-In after blowing a late lead against the Los Angeles Clippers on their home floor in their regular-season finale.

They also lost games to the Atlanta Hawks, Miami Heat, Houston Rockets, and San Antonio Spurs down the stretch.

After a letdown on their home floor on Sunday night, it will be interesting to see if the Warriors bounce back tonight and finally win an NBA Play-In Tournament game.

The Grizzlies are +245 to pull off the outright win.

I haven’t locked in anything for tonight’s games just yet.

Make sure you give me a follow @Domenic_Padula on X for my MLB and NBA plays for tonight.

Have a great day, everyone!