Demidov Shines in NHL Debut, Canadiens Fall Short in Shootout Loss

MONTREAL — Ivan Demidov made a memorable NHL debut for the Montreal Canadiens, scoring a goal and adding an assist, but the team fell short of clinching a playoff spot with a 4-3 shootout loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday at Bell Centre.

Demidov, the fifth overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, signed his entry-level contract on April 8 after a successful season with SKA St. Petersburg of the Kontinental Hockey League. His debut was highly anticipated, and he delivered with a dazzling performance, thrilling the home crowd.

“It’s crazy,” Demidov said post-game. “I feel that the fans love me, and it’s cool. Yeah, it’s amazing.”

Montreal, now 39-31-11, has dropped three straight games, and despite leading twice, they could not secure the win. The Canadiens remain four points ahead of the Columbus Blue Jackets, who hold a game in hand, for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference. Their final regular-season game is set against the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday.

“At the end of the day, it’s still a big point, and we’re going to keep going,” said Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis.

Demidov opened the scoring at 6:00 in the first period, setting up Alex Newhook for a one-timer. He then doubled the lead at 13:32, tapping in a backhand shot after chasing down a loose puck.

“It was elite execution, a little deception to the backhand,” St. Louis praised. “It was really nice.”

The Blackhawks fired back late in the first period with a power-play goal from Tyler Bertuzzi, followed by Frank Nazar‘s equalizer in the second. After Lukas Reichel scored for Chicago, Juraj Slafkovsky tied the game again for Montreal with another power-play goal.

Nazar later netted the decisive goal in the shootout, securing the win for Chicago, who are 3-1-1 in their last five games.

“They needed to win this game to secure a playoff spot, so we knew they would come out hard,” Nazar said. “We had a plan, and it worked.”

Montembeault made 22 saves for Montreal, while Arvid Soderblom stopped 18 shots for the Blackhawks.

Demidov, now the second-youngest player in Canadiens history to score in his debut, showcased his talent in front of an electrified crowd. His debut had been highly publicized, and many fans followed his arrival to Canada closely, displaying the fervor around his anticipated impact.

<p“We prepared for this moment,” Demidov added. “It’s a pretty nice experience. The first two periods were good, but I was just tired a little bit from the flight.”

Despite the loss, the spotlight remained on Demidov and the Canadiens’ fight for a playoff berth. The stakes are high as Montreal heads into their final game of the regular season against Carolina.

“We’ve been battling in these big games, and they all feel pretty much the same,” the Canadiens’ captain said. The team’s future now hangs in the balance as they aim to avoid missing the playoffs for a fourth consecutive season.