Demidov dazzles, but Canadiens miss opportunity to clinch with 4-3 loss to Blackhawks

Montreal Canadiens' Ivan Demidov skates prior to an NHL hockey game against the Chicago Blackhawks in Montreal, Monday, April 14, 2025. (Graham Hughes / The Canadian Press) (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press)

Ivan Demidov electrified the crowd with a goal and an assist in his highly anticipated NHL debut, but the Montreal Canadiens missed a third opportunity to clinch a playoff spot with a 4-3 shootout loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday night.

Frank Nazar scored the shootout winner for Chicago (24-46-11). The officials originally ruled no-goal before overturning the call after Montreal’s next shooter made his attempt.

Tyler Bertuzzi, Lukas Reichel and Nazar scored three consecutive goals as Chicago rallied from a 2-0 deficit to take a 3-2 lead. Arvid Soderblom stopped 18 shots.

Juraj Slafkovsky tied the game on the power play with 2:57 left in regulation while Alex Newhook also scored for Montreal (39-31-11), which lost its third straight with a chance to clinch a playoff spot. Sam Montembeault made 22 saves.

Lane Hutson totalled 65 points on the season, passing Chris Chelios for most by a rookie defenceman in franchise history.

Demidov — a 19-year-old Russian and fifth overall pick in last year’s NHL draft — assisted on Newhook’s opening goal on his third shift. Then he scored with a slick deke on his first shot at 13:32 of the first period as the Bell Centre erupted.

But the Canadiens needed a win to secure the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot and set up a first-round series with the Washington Capitals. Montreal missed two previous opportunities to clinch after back-to-back losses to the Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Canadiens have 89 points, four more than the Columbus Blue Jackets with one game remaining Wednesday at home against the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Blue Jackets — the only other team still in the wild-card hunt — have two games left. The Blue Jackets visit the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday, and host the New York Islanders on Thursday.

Takeaways

Blackhawks: Trailing 2-0, Chicago scored twice on the power play to tie the game. Bertuzzi struck first with 80 seconds left in the first period before Nazar beat Montembeault with a one-time at 16:41 of the second.

Canadiens: Montreal was hemmed in its own zone during a dismal second period, where Chicago could have taken a lead if not for Montembeault bailing the Canadiens out with multiple big stops.

Key moment

Canadiens fans gave Demidov a deafening ovation after he set up Newhook’s opening goal. The youngster sat on Montreal’s bench, mouthed a couple of expletives and cracked a big smile on the bench while public address announcer Michel Lacroix announced the goal amid the Bell Centre bedlam.

Key stat

Demidov, who signed an entry-level deal last week after his contract with the KHL’s SKA Saint Petersburg was mutually terminated, became the third teenager in Canadiens franchise history to score a goal in his NHL debut, joining Mark Hunter (1981) and Bernie Geoffrion (1950).

Up next

Canadiens: Host the Carolina Hurricanes in their final regular-season game Wednesday.

Blackhawks: Visit the Ottawa Senators in their regular-season finale Tuesday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 14, 2025.