St. Louis challenges Canadiens to 'calm the mind' with 1 game left

Montreal head coach Martin St. Louis issued a challenge to the Canadiens after they came up one point short of clinching a playoff spot in their penultimate game of the season.

"I feel the guys are going through a time as a young team here where you don't get to practice these feelings of wanting something and it's so close you can almost touch it," the bench boss said following Monday's 4-3 shootout loss to the Chicago Blackhawks.

"The stress level goes up, for sure, and when you want something so bad, you're working so hard, can you calm the mind through the storm ... so you can make reads and execute? And I feel like it's a little bit clouded right now with what's at stake."

The Habs needed two points to claim the last postseason spot in the Eastern Conference, and they'll close out their regular season Wednesday against the Carolina Hurricanes. The Columbus Blue Jackets sit just four points back of Montreal with two games remaining, and they have one fewer regulation win.

For St. Louis, there was one person on his roster who didn't seem to be feeling the pressure of the team's situation on Monday: Ivan Demidov.

The 19-year-old forward enjoyed a dazzling debut, picking up an assist and a goal in his first-ever period. He's the second-youngest player in Canadiens history to score in his first NHL game and the seventh teenager to record a point in his debut with the franchise.

"I thought he was great," St. Louis said. "If there was one player that wasn't worried about much and not stressed out, it was him. It's almost youth and (naivety). That's why I wasn't afraid to inject this kind of talent who hasn't gone through what these guys have gone through all year, where he just comes in and he just plays.

"I feel like we gotta try to get the guys to just trust the training and go play."

The Bell Centre embraced Demidov immediately, with Canadiens faithful chanting his name at several points in the contest. The fans also gave him a rousing welcome during his rookie lap.

"It's crazy, you know?" he said. "I feel that the fans love me and it's cool. It's amazing."

Demidov added, "I got some good stuff today from the game. It's a pretty nice experience. I love this city and the fans."

Montreal hasn't had a taste of playoff hockey since the Habs' surprising trip to the Stanley Cup Final in 2021. They clinched their postseason spot in the second-last game of that campaign.

Canadiens veteran Brendan Gallagher was there for that run, but right now, he's only focused on game No. 82.

"We've worked for 81 games here to be in this position," he said. "We've had some ups, we've had some downs here. Get our minds right and just get ready for one game. ... We still control our fate."