COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — The playoff hopes of the Columbus Blue Jackets were dashed Wednesday when the Montreal Canadiens snagged the last Wild Card spot.
The Blue Jackets were battling it out with the Canadiens for the final spot in the NHL playoffs for the Eastern Conference, but that fight came to an end with Montreal’s 4-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes.
The Blue Jackets were coming on strong, winning the team’s fifth game in a row Tuesday night by beating the Philadelphia Flyers. However, Montreal’s win gives the team enough points to take the last Wild Card spot and set up a first-round series with the Washington Capitals.
Had the Canadiens lost, the Blue Jackets would have had to win Thursday’s season finale at home against the New York Islanders.
The Canadiens currently hold that spot, but they can fall out of contention if they lose their final game of the season Wednesday night against the Carolina Hurricanes, and the Blue Jackets win their final game on Thursday hosting the New York Islanders.
Instead, Thursday’s finale will mark the end of a season that started off tragically with the death of Blue Jacket Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew, but ended with a lot of energy and hope as that Wild Card spot came down to the wire.
2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs bracket
Montreal is in its first playoff spot since 2021, when it made the Stanley Cup finals but lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
