Marc Dumont
The Montreal Canadiens hosted the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday night, and though it was an opportunity to finally punch their ticket for playoff hockey, all eyes were on top prospect Ivan Demidov.
The 19-year-old made his NHL debut, playing on the second line alongside Alex Newhook and Joel Armia.
Of course, Demidov was dealing with a lot of hype prior to puck drop, putting a little more pressure on the shoulders of the talented forward, but such is life in Montreal. Fortunately for all involved, it took Demidov just two shifts before registering his first point, and a handful of shifts before he scored his first NHL goal.
The Canadiens ended up pushing the game to extra time, but the Blackhawks ended up taking home a 4-3 win, as the Habs failed to score during their three opportunities. Demidov was not given an opportunity to shoot.
NHL GameScore Impact Card for Montreal Canadiens on 2025-04-14: pic.twitter.com/M0Gh9gd9K5
— HockeyStatCards (@hockeystatcards) April 15, 2025
Unfortunately, the game also featured a significant mistake by the referees, which is a common theme in the NHL.
Let’s dive into the highlights!
It’s Demidov Time
Demidov’s first point displayed his fantastic playmaking, as well as his high-end vision and anticipation. The 19-year-old drove the puck down low before delivering a perfect pass to Newhook. His veteran linemate did not hesitate, scoring a crucial goal to give the Habs a 1-0 lead.
I know we’ve hyped Demidov to the moon in recent months, and some were rolling their eyes at yet another Canadiens prospect being oversold, but there’s a reason why so many analysts suggested the Canadiens were a team to watch, and that’s because they had prospects such as Demidov and Lane Hutson. It’s fair to say neither has disappointed.
DEMIDOV.
QUELLE PASSE!!! pic.twitter.com/GHb5bJO7LS
— TVA Sports (@TVASports) April 14, 2025
Crank It Up A Notch
Demidov would go on to score his first NHL goal just a few minutes later, capitalizing on an Armia tip prior to a dump-in, which gave him plenty of time to tuck the puck behind Arvid Soderblom.
All things considered, you’d have a hard time writing a better script for an NHL debut. Demidov’s goal also reminded Canadiens fans that the best is yet to come. At 19 years old, we have at least one decade of Demidov plays ahead of us.
This is just the beginning of the beginning.
ON N’A PAS DE MOTS pic.twitter.com/8ha17rCmGS
— TVA Sports (@TVASports) April 14, 2025
Reality Check
The Demidov show was entertaining, but the rest of the lineup failed to match his intensity, and the Blackhawks quickly erased Montreal’s 2-0 lead. To make matters worse, Lukas Reichel gave the Blackhawks the lead early in the third period, putting all the pressure the home team.
Remember, the Blackhawks had nothing to lose, whereas the Habs were yet to clinch a playoff berth.
It’s only fair to mention Demidov did not look great on the play, though that’s perfectly normal for a player with just a few minutes of NHL experience. He’ll need more time before feeling comfortable without the puck.
Lukas Reichel goal Ryan Greene first NHL point pic.twitter.com/8tOWZwZqEg
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) April 15, 2025
Rookie Domination
Another rookie took the lead at that point, but it wasn’t Demidov.
Hutson opted to drive the net, as the Blackhawks gave him plenty of real estate to work with in the final few minutes of the third period. Rather than shooting, as everyone expected, Hutson dished the puck to Cole Caufield, who didn’t take the best shot, but it ended up deflecting off Juraj Slafkovsky before finding the back of the net.
It started pretty, and ended ugly, but with playoffs on the line, it doesn’t matter how the Canadiens get it done.
It should also be noted Hutson registered his 65th point of the season, passing Chris Chelios to establish the highest-scoring season from a rookie defenceman in franchise history.
ÉGALITÉ ÉGALITÉ ÉGALITÉ
TIE GAME TIE GAME TIE GAME#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/25u0pU3ryY
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) April 15, 2025
Playoff Situation
It’s pretty simple.
With the point, the Habs are still in the driver’s seat, but they haven’t qualified for the playoffs. The Columbus Blue Jackets must win both games in regulation, and the Canadiens must lose their final game of the season to miss the cut.
The Montreal Canadiens are back in action on Wednesday. They will face the Carolina Hurricanes, with the puck drop scheduled for 7 pm ET. All Montreal Canadiens statistics are 5v5 unless otherwise noted, via Natural Stat Trick.
