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Montréal Gold, Kirby Dach’s (lucky) three-pointer and talent speaks for itself

8-3.

No, I’m not talking about Sir Pathétik, the Quebec City urban scene (T-Mo, B.I.C., 2 Faces le Gémeaux, Onze and Canox). #NotQuebecGold #MontrealGold

I’m talking about the Canadiens’ record after 11 games this season.

The Montreal players will return to Montreal late this afternoon and then prepare to face the Senators, Flyers, Devils and Mammoth over the next ten days. The challenge will be no small one.

Let’s have a little fun with the numbers and images on this day off for the Canadiens.

1. Nick Suzuki (2 goals, 14 assists) is currently the NHL’s fourth-highest scorer. He’s currently the best passer and the second-best player in terms of differential(plus-9). Not so long ago, the Habs captain had the ninth-worst contract in the league, according to Dom Lusczyszyn’s statistical models (The Athletic).

Advanced statistics are always a bit of a mixed bag. They are a complement to what our eyes see, not a replacement.

2. Cole Caufield has nine goals so far this season, the highest total in the Bettman circuit.

What’s even more impressive is that Caufield is also the player with the most even-strength goals in 2025-26; he has just one power-play goal.

Some will argue that he scored three goals on three-on-three, not five-on-five… but I’ll tell them this: we’re talking about three game-winning goals. #Clutch

When Cole Caufield goes, everything goes for the Canadiens.
(Credit: Getty Images)

3. While we’re on the subject of Cole Caufield, I think it’s worth noting that since he changed his number – from 22 to 13 following the tragic death of Johnny Gaudreau 14 months ago today – Caufield has scored 46 goals in 93 regular games, then three in five playoff games.

Caufield with #22: 0.38 goals per game.

Caufield with #13: 0.5 goals per game.

4. Habs players scored no less than 40 goals per season, or nearly four per game. The Avalanche and Senators are the only teams to have scored more, at 41.

No, the Habs are no longer just a small team that must rely on outstanding defensive play to have any hope of success.

5. Three games ago, Martin St-Louis decided to replace Zack Bolduc with Ivan Demidov on the first powerplay. To be more precise, Demidov replaces Juraj Slafkovsky on the right side and Slaf has taken Bolduc’s place in front of the opposing net, but..

In these three games, the Montreal power play was 4 in 6 (66.67%), which is exceptional. Demidov picked up two points with the man advantage on Saturday, and even when he doesn’t have a point, he makes the power play work by drawing one or two players to him, leaving space for the other talented players on the unit (like last night).

It’s a bummer for Bolduc, but he doesn’t have to be part of the first unit anymore; Ivan Demidov is in his place now. And Slafkovsky also belongs in front of the net, rather than on the right, along the ramp..

6. Despite allowing three third-period goals, Jakub Dobes still found a way to win last night. He has a 6-0 record so far this campaign.

Can Martin St-Louis and Éric Raymond really decide to send Samuel Montembeault in front of the net on Saturday night, in front of an overexcited crowd that could become heavy and in the middle of Hockey Night In Canada?

My call: Dobes must play on Saturday.

7. Kirby Dach picked up an assist yesterday on Alex Newhook’s power-play goal. Dach, returning from injury, was lucky: the puck deflected off a Kraken player and onto Bolduc’s pad.

Two weeks ago – again against the Kraken – Dach scored his only goal of the year when Noah Dobson shot at his skate while positioned in front of the opposing goalie.

And in the season opener against the Maple Leafs, Dach was fortunate to be credited with a secondary assist because, in effect, the Maple Leafs defenseman had touched – and cleared – the puck after Dach.

In short, Kirby Dach’s performance is still not reassuring. That’s it.

Will Kirby Dach ever be good enough again to make us wonder if he has the potential to be a number-one center?
(Credit: Getty Images)

Overtime

– Nick Razzaghi, Ramtin Maherpour and Mateo Cabanette named tomorrow for FC Supra du Québec?

– Did Nick De Santis send an arrow to CF Montreal yesterday?

– No, FC Supra’s main strategy will not be to sell players.

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The Canadiens have the best powerplay in the NHL

The Canadiens have the best powerplay in the NHL. It’s clear when you watch the games.

Statistically speaking, it’s been true since October 15. Martin St-Louis’ men have a 40% success rate, which is better than any other team.

That’s no mean feat.

(Credit: NHL.com)

So far this season, the Canadiens are in seventh place at 28.1%. But those who watch the games can see that the cake is rising. That’s why it needs to be said: the best powerplay is in Montreal.

Remember: the Habs are the youngest club in the NHL… and their first powerplay is particularly young.

In fact, it’s easy to see that the arrival of Ivan Demidov, a magician with the puck, has changed everything. The Habs are more dangerous than ever on the powerplay.

And it’s helping the Habs win games more often than not.

Juraj Slafkovsky creates space, Ivan Demidov and Lane Hutson make crazy passes, Cole Caufield scores… and Nick Suzuki does it all: it works.

In the West, the club did well.

  • In Seattle: 2 in 2
  • Vancouver: 2 in 3
  • Edmonton: 0 in 1
  • Calgary: 1 in 3

Not only can both waves produce, they keep other teams on their toes: don’t give the Habs’ youngsters a chance to show their stuff.

And not using Mike Matheson means having him elsewhere more often, which helps the club as a whole.

Seeing the Canadiens be fast and talented (which is what Kent Hughes wanted in 2022, when he took over as GM) allows for success in overtime and on the powerplay, which is when the guys can be creative.

And this is just the beginning, as the core of the club isn’t going anywhere.

in Overtime

– 80 M for Logan Cooley in Salt Lake City.

– What do you think?

– Still.

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16 points: the Canadiens top the Eastern standings

Things are going pretty well for the Canadiens de Montréal at the start of the season. In 11 games, Martin St-Louis’ men have 16 points, which is really excellent.

And looking at the standings (I know, it’s only October… but still), it’s clear that nobody in the East has more than the Canadiens’ 16 points at the moment.

Especially not in the Atlantic Division.

(Credit: NHL.com)

The Devils and Penguins have 16 points. However, both Metropolitan teams have more regular wins (and the Devils have played one fewer game) than the Canadiens.

In the tie-breaker, that makes a difference. The Habs don’t actually win enough on a regular basis… but it’s better to win in overtime (with Cole Caufield) than to lose games.

Still, it’s interesting to see that a certain changing of the guard is taking place in the NHL. After all, the good clubs of recent years aren’t necessarily the good clubs at the start of the season.

There’s time for that to change, of course… but it’s an interesting observation.

The question now is whether the Habs can keep up the pace for several months, when “normalcy” will set in along the way.

Martin St-Louis often repeats that it’s one thing to perform in October, but once the early-season excitement wears off, we see which players continue to perform.

Without Kaiden Guhle for a while, and without a clear-cut second center, will the Habs be able to stay at the top of the Eastern standings?

We’ll find out in the coming months.

overtime

– Interesting.

– In the category: the Habs are good in 2025-2026.

– The season will end at the Rogers Centre.

– Read more.

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Top-5: JT Miller booed on his return to Vancouver

For the first time this season, all 32 teams were in action at the same time.

So that’s a very long summary of the evening, but here are the results and highlights:

109 goals were scored on the night, the third-highest total in NHL history.

1. JT Miller booed on his return to Vancouver

Last night, the Canucks hosted the New York Rangers.

It was JT Miller’s return to Vancouver, and he received a standing ovation.

But shortly before the ovation, when he touched the puck, booing could be heard.

We know it didn’t end well with Elias Pettersson.

Speaking of Pettersson, he stood out physically.

Right from the start of the match, you could feel his intensity.

Jonathan Quick didn’t like it.

In fact, in a 2-0 win, Quick made 23 saves.

At the end of the game, he wanted to be part of the skirmish.

Vancouver has now lost four of its last five games.

2. A crazy finish in Philadelphia

In Philadelphia, the Penguins and Flyers faced off.

This was Trevor Zegras’ first battle of Pennsylvania, and he had a ball.

This battle did not disappoint, as the end of the match was spectacular.

In short: two goals disallowed in overtime, Zegras and Sidney Crosby thrown out of the game and a shootout victory for the Flyers.

Bobby Brink sealed the match.

Crosby also stood out despite the defeat and expulsion.

The captain continued his excellent start to the season and is so good he can score from anywhere.

3. Jacob Markstrom doesn’t have the return to action he was hoping for

The Devils are one of the NHL’s hottest teams, and they’re doing it all without their number-one goaltender, Jacob Markstrom.

The Swede was back last night, however, but he didn’t help his team. New Jersey lost 8-4.

Zakhar Bardakov was the second Avalanche player to beat Markstrom. It was his first career NHL goal.

At 5-0, we thought it was over for the Devils…

New Jersey never gave up, however, and thanks to Jack Hughes’ goal, they were just one goal behind the hosts.

What a game!

It was too little too late, though.

In the win, Brent Burns joined Bobby Orr as the 11th all-time leading scorer among defensemen.

Victor Olofsson scored a hat trick. And Nathan MacKinnon moved into fourth place in Nordiques/Avalanche history for number of goals (376).

4. First career hat trick for Connor Bedard

The Chicago Blackhawks are off to a great start this season, and part of the reason is the brilliance of their youngsters.

Yesterday, Connor Bedard put on a show. He scored a hat trick, his first career hat trick, and all three goals were really beautiful.

Bedard and Chicago scored seven goals against the Senators, who scored seven goals themselves the day before.

It helps to score seven goals when the team pulls its goalie with seven minutes left in the game…

The two teams may not play each other often, but they don’t like each other.

5. A first defeat for the Mammoth in the Tusky era

As I mentioned in a recent text, the Mammoth has been unbeatable lately.

Yesterday, André Tourigny’s club finally lost (6-3 to the Oilers). It was the first defeat in the Tusky era, his new mascot.

With the score tied at two, however, Stuart Skinner gave the home side a gift.

A poor exit gave Barret Hayton an easy goal.

Edmonton then scored four unanswered goals en route to their fifth win of the season.

In the win, Evan Bouchard picked up three assists.

Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Matthias Ekholm, Adam Henrique and Jake Walman added two points each.

Extension

– A 200th goal for Travis Konecny.

– The extension didn’t last long.

– Stuart Skinner classic.

– The American scored a winning goal at his party.

– Boston scored five unanswered goals en route to a win over the Islanders.

– The Blue Jackets have won four of their last five games.

– He’ll never change, that Tom.

– Ouch… Calgary lost 4-3 in Toronto.

– What a game from Olofsson!

(Credit: NHL.com)

– Only two teams in action tonight.

(Credit: Google)
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Cole Caufield gives his team victory in overtime

Tonight, the Canadiens made one last stop on their Western trip to take on the Seattle Kraken.

The Habs have won two of their three games on the road.

Here’s the Habs line-up.

And the Kraken’s.

The Montrealers started the game well and their efforts paid off as they were the first to get on the scoreboard.

Cole Caufield opened the scoring for the Habs, scoring his eighth of the season in a virtually empty net after receiving a nice feed from his eternal accomplice Nick Suzuki. Noah Dobson also picked up an assist on the play.

The Canadiens did it again before the end of the first period on the powerplay when Juraj Slafkovsky beat goaltender Joey Daccord. Suzuki and Caufield picked up an assist on the play.

2-0 Montreal after 20 minutes of play.

The Canadiens had to fight back from a man down to start the second period, but the Kraken couldn’t capitalize on the opportunity to close the gap.

Even though the Montreal club was quieter on the attack in the second period, they continued to be very tight on defense, limiting their opponents’ chances even as they offered them another powerplay.

The rest of the period was uneventful, which suited the visitors.

The score remains unchanged at 2-0 after two periods.

The Habs allowed the Kraken only ten shots in 40 minutes, but only twelve.

The Kraken came out much more convincingly in the third period, but Jakub Dobes made sure to close the door.

However, Seattle’s efforts were cut short when the Canadiens were awarded a powerplay.

Alex Newhook took advantage to make it 3-0 with the second wave of the power play. Kirby Dach and Dobson assisted on the Newhook net.

It was the Habs’ second goal in two powerplays.

Then it was the home team’s turn to take advantage of a power play to open the scoring when Brandon Montour foiled Dobes.

Seattle then cut the Habs lead to just one goal when Shane Wright scored on a four-on-four. Montour earned a second point on the play.

The home side went for broke when they pulled their goalkeeper. A gamble that paid off, as Montour tied the game with his second goal of the game, his third point, with less than 1:43 left in the game.

The game went into overtime.

However, Caufield made sure to end the night quickly by scoring his second of the game with only 44 seconds left in overtime.

Victory for the Canadiens, 4-3.

The first line had seven points in the Habs victory, and Suzuki, with three assists, had at least one point in his tenth consecutive game.

The Canadiens picked up their third win of the season to complete their four-game trip out West.

The next game is on Saturday at 7pm, when the Habs host the Ottawa Senators.

Overtime

-His first hat trick.

– Big signing in Dallas.

– Hitting a wall.

– Oilers’ forward explodes.

– A first defeat for the mascot.

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Rumor mill: Artemi Panarin linked to Hurricanes

The Rangers, currently in last place in the Eastern Association, could quickly move into the sellers’ camp.

Artemi Panarin is a player whose name is often mentioned in transaction rumours.

According to Frank Seravalli, the Canes are particularly interested in acquiring the forward from the New York club.

Panarin is wrapping up the last of a seven-year contract with an average annual value of $11,642,857 and will be an uncompensated free agent on July 1. One might think that, at 33, if the Rangers continue their losing streak, they’d rather maximize the Russian’s value than lose him for nothing on the free agent market.

However, the decision depends on Panarin, who has a no-movement clause in his contract.

Seravalli, for his part, believes that the presence of Russian players with the Hurricanes, such as Alexander Nikishin, Andrei Svechnikov and Pyotr Kochetkov, could influence the forward’s decision and help him accept a trade to Carolina.

The Avalanche could find themselves in the same situation as Mikko Rantanen

Martin Necas may want a lot of money to stay in Colorado.

According to Chris Johnston, although he’d be surprised, he believes it’s possible the forward could sign a contract for more money than Mikko Rantanen.

We’re still talking about $12 million a year.

That’s a lot of money for a player who just had his best season last year with 83 points in 79 games.

Rantanen has had two 100+ point seasons in the last three years.

Necas is a good hockey player, but he’s not in the same league as Rantanen or Connor McDavid, who just signed a two-year extension worth $12.5 million.

And let’s not forget that, meanwhile, Nick Suzuki is earning $7.875 million a year.

What a bargain!

Bruins won’t trade Pavel Zacha

Pavel Zacha is at the heart of a number of trade rumours, some of which link him to the Canadiens.

However, according to Pierre LeBrun, the Bruins are not interested in trading their center forward.

You can listen to the TSN clip here.

The Canucks reportedly asked Boston if Zacha was available over the summer, but he’s reportedly part of the Bruins’ long-term plans instead.

LeBrun believes that the Bruins will instead try to sign him to an extension when he becomes eligible on July 1.

However, if Boston chooses to move into a rebuild, it’s questionable whether the 28-year-old will want to be part of that process.

Overtime

– Jays create a tie.

– Hat trick!

– Déjà!

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Duo with Mike Matheson: Noah Dobson never doubted it would work

The first pairing at the blue line, Mike Matheson and Noah Dobson, are at the heart of the Canadiens’ success, as they get off to a very good start to the season.

The two defensemen are contributing offensively to the team, with six points for Matheson and five for Dobson, but it’s the quality of their play in their own zone and at five-on-five that has been the focus of attention so far, as they have a plus-7 and plus-2 record respectively.

If many were surprised when Martin St-Louis made the decision to pair the two players together, we learn today in an article by Dave Lévesque published on TVA Sports that Dobson never doubted that they would work well together.

When the Prince Edward Island native first arrived, many saw him on the team’s first pairing, but probably paired with a more stay-at-home defenseman like Kaiden Guhle or Alex Carrier.

Let’s just say that a lot of people had already thrown in the towel in the case of Matheson, whom many were placing on the club’s third pair or seeing as a trade chip.

While the coach’s decision may have seemed audacious, it does seem that he’s had a lucky hand in pairing Matheson and Dobson, who form a very solid back pairing for the Habs so far.

However, when you think about it, their success isn’t all that surprising.

They’re both highly mobile defensemen with good skating ability, who excel at getting the puck out of their zone and re-launching the attack. The duo can complement and support the work of an up-tempo attack, especially our first line.

St-Louis isn’t afraid to use his first pair of defensemen in any situation, as their usage times show: Matheson is the Habs’ most-used player, averaging 24:39 minutes per game, and Dobson is second with 22:38 minutes.

Let’s just say that Matheson, whose next contract is currently Kent Hughes’ priority, is really making himself essential to the Habs and could help the club for several more years if he continues to play like this.

Especially since, at 31, the Québécois seems far from being on the decline.

Overtime

– Oops!

– Incroyable!

– Domi gives the Leafs the win.

– Flyers win Pennsylvania duel.

– It’s brewing!

– Very smooth!

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Puck possession: Ivan Demidov is already among the NHL’s elite

Ivan Demidov is off to an impressive start to the season in a Habs uniform. The young Russian already has nine points in just 10 games.

And as time goes by, he’s starting to get the hang of things.

That said, even with just 17 games of NHL experience under his belt, the kid is already making a name for himself at certain levels. And Nicolas Cloutier, in a text for TVA Sports, used advanced statistics to dig deeper.

And in fact, when you look at it all, it’s really in terms of puck possession that Demidov stands out. That’s true on the powerplay, but it’s even more true on the powerplay: his numbers are very impressive.

Because not only is he (by far) Montreal’s leader in this regard, he’s already among the best in the entire Bettman circuit.

In fact, if you look at all this per 20 minutes on the ice on the powerplay, Demidov is in possession of the puck in the offensive zone for 2:21 minutes, which puts him seventh in the NHL. What this means, in a nutshell, is that with the man-advantage, there are very few players in the league who have control of the puck in the opposing zone for as long as Demidov.

At even strength, his time of possession in the opposing zone (per 20 minutes) is 0:44, good for 18th in the league. And that’s what I find most interesting: he’s already finding a way to impose his rhythm at 5-on-5.

To see him so dominant on the powerplay so quickly is less surprising… and explains why Martin St-Louis had no choice but to send him out on the first wave so quickly. But even at 5-on-5, the 19-year-old (who arrived in America only six months ago) is already capable of pulling his weight.

What seems clear is that Demidov has been quick to adapt to the NHL style of play. And in less than 20 games on the Bettman circuit, he’s already establishing himself among the league’s elite in the elements that made him such a promising prospect.

That’s very, very encouraging.

Overtime

– Speaking of the wolf.

– Unbelievable.

– What will you be listening to tonight?

– Hello, Vladimir.

– Leo Carlsson is on fire.

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Arber Xhekaj has three body checks in his last six games (and that’s a problem)

Arber Xhekaj’s playing time has dropped considerably in the Canadiens’ last four games.

13:08 against the Sabres, 12:16 against the Flames, 8:49 against the Oilers, 6:37 against the Canucks…

Ah, and he also has a minus-4 record in his last six games. Not ideal for a guy looking to stabilize his place on the Habs defensive brigade.

But there’s more to it than that, too.

Anthony Martineau talked about it on Tony Marinaro’s Sick Podcast: the Sheriff isn’t hitting anymore. He has just three checks in his last six games, and that’s a problem… because that’s who Arber Xhekaj is: he has to be physical to be important on the ice.

And when he plays with a tight stick – which seems to be the case lately – he’s far less effective for his club.

I feel like Arber is playing for no mistakes right now on the ice. And that’s not a recipe that usually works for a hockey player.

He seems to be in his head more often than not, and that makes a difference. Sure, he’s less like the Sheriff we know if he’s afraid to use his body to punish the opposition… but he seems especially afraid of getting his club into trouble.

Martin St-Louis would like to give him more playing time. But at the same time, it’s difficult when the player is taking unnecessary penalties, and we’ve seen him make some questionable decisions in the team’s last few games…

It’s not the first time this has happened either. The use of Arber Xhekaj has always been questioned by some people… but the player, for his part, needs to be more useful on the ice.

And that’s not the case if he’s not hitting the other team’s players. There it is again: that’s the role of a guy like the Sheriff…

Overtime

– Well done.

– 4-0 HABS. Dobes shutout. #ÇaVaFaireJaser

– Phew.

– Cha-ching .

– What a hockey player!

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Nazem Kadri would accept a deal in Montreal

The Canadiens could be an interesting team for Nazem Kadri.

The player’s situation is getting a lot of attention in Calgary, because the Flames are really bad … and if there’s a deal, the Habs could have their nose in it.

We wrote about this earlier today.

That said, it’s important to note that Kadri has a no-movement clause and has a list of 13 teams he’d like not to be traded to.

But what’s interesting to know is that the Habs aren ‘t on that list. Marco D’Amico reported the information on X… and the case, indirectly, becomes even more intriguing.

It’s getting intriguing because Kadri has the tools to fit well in Montreal.

I’d love to see an intense, emotional player like him grafted onto the Canadiens’ current roster. Kadri is older, he’s experienced, he’s a leader on and off the ice… And we know his offensive talent.

But as Marco D’Amico mentioned in his tweet, there will be several clubs interested in him if he becomes available on the trade market.

He has what it takes to help many National League teams – especially those looking to make a run at the playoffs – and his name is sure to become even more popular in the coming months if the Flames continue to lose.

But Kadri probably won’t be the only player targeted by the Canadiens either, that said, as Pierre LeBrun mentioned on TSN(OverDrive).

We can expect Kent Hughes to be aggressive in his efforts to improve the team… and we know he won’t be afraid to give more than not enough to add offensive punch to his top-9.

It’s going to get interesting in the coming weeks and months in Montreal :

Overtime

– Oh.

– That’s a good one.

– What do we think?

– Not crazy.