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The Canadiens players spoke to each other in the whites of their eyes before winning yesterday’s game

The Montreal Canadiens had not been at their best for the past ten days. The club was going through a rough patch, unable to string together convincing games, and a number of shaky performances were beginning to take their toll on morale.

But last night, against the Maple Leafs, the Habs reminded us that they’re capable of regrouping when the situation really calls for it. This victory didn’t come out of nowhere. It was rooted in a frank and necessary team meeting held the day before the game, as mentioned in the article by RDS.ca journalist Alexis Bélanger-Champagne.

This kind of meeting is never pleasant. The players know it. It’s a time for exposing shortcomings, pointing out what’s no longer working, and shaking up the entire dressing room. But this is precisely what the Canadiens needed to do. Management and leaders demanded more: more commitment, more communication, more consistency. No detours. No excuses.

Mike Matheson summed it up best. He confirmed the importance of this internal discussion:

“We had a meeting that wasn’t fun, but sometimes it takes something like that to change things” – Mike Matheson

And things did change. Montreal took on Toronto with an energy not seen in a while. The forecheck was sustained, the restarts were sharper and the team worked as a unit. The Habs played simple, but fair. It wasn’t flamboyant, but it was effective and responsible.

Each line seemed animated by the same mission: to suffocate the Leafs by reducing their time and space. The defensemen managed the neutral zone better, the forwards forced turnovers, and the transition was better executed. Above all, the defensive structure was better executed by all the players on the ice, which had caused so many problems in recent games.

This win doesn’t erase the bad streak, but it could mark an important tipping point. There often comes a time in a season when a group refocuses and redefines its standards. For the Canadiens, this could well be that moment.

What happens next will depend on their ability to reproduce this level of commitment. The schedule will not be forgiving, but if the Habs maintain this cohesion and intensity, this meeting – not the one against the Leafs, but the one in the dressing room – may well be referred to as the real start of the turnaround.

overtime

– Alexandre Texier’s contract is officially terminated.

– Not the start we wanted for the Montreal Victory.

– Nice powerplay passing game for the Buffalo Sabres.

– Andrei Svechnikov reaches the 500-game NHL plateau today.

– Daniel Brière receives an honorary doctorate from UQO.

– Alexander Romanov needs a shoulder surgery and will be out for 5 to 6 months.

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Florian Xhekaj’s presence facilitates Adam Engstrom’s arrival in Montreal

The Canadiens won yesterday’s game against the Leafs. And let’s face it: it was a good win.

What’s next for the Habs?

A practice session tomorrow in Brossard, followed by a trip to Utah. Three games in the West this week: Wednesday against the Mammoth, Friday against the Golden Knights and Saturday against the Avalanche.

That said, we can expect (at least) one player to be recalled for the trip, as the Habs only have six healthy defensemen at the moment. Kaiden Guhle is still injured and not ready to return to action either.

Logically, we could see Marc Del Gaizo being the one to get the call because that’s how it’s been since the start of the season. But… Florian Xhekaj’s presence would facilitate Adam Engstrom’s arrival in Montreal.

And here’s why.

(Credit: Getty Images)

Florian brings toughness to the Canadiens’ line-up. We’ve come to expect that from his brother… but Arber has been quieter in recent games.

And things aren’t necessarily going any better for Jayden Struble.

The Habs may be tempted to bring in a more complete defenseman in Engström to replace Struble or Arber Xhekaj (who have a more robust role) in the lineup, and it’s worth remembering that the kid is having a good time right now in Laval.

He picked up five points (!) in yesterday’s Rocket win, and he’s feeling closer than ever to a recall.

And the fact that Enström can play both left and right makes it all the more interesting.

Adam Engström is showing right now that he deserves a chance to shine in the NHL.

He’s had a great start to the season after being very effective at the Canadiens’ training camp, and having Florian Xhekaj in the line-up, a guy who can shuffle, could help him get said chance he deserves.

The time is right for Engström. But you have to wonder if the Habs see it the same way…

Overtime

– Whew. Good question.

– Oh.

– Nice touchdown.

– To be continued.

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There may be something going on between the Habs and the Blues, says Darren Dreger

Several National League teams are looking to make a deal at the moment.

The Canadiens is one of them.

But the market is quiet because available players aren’t running around in the NHL. As a result, prices are high, and this may be holding back some GMs in the four corners of the Bettman circuit.

On the other hand, it could open the floodgates when we see our first transaction. And the Habs are clearly worth keeping an eye on… because there could be something going on between the Montreal team and the one in St. Louis.

According to Darren Dreger(Barn Burner), the Blues have been keeping a close eye on Thursday’s game against the Capitals… and it should also be noted that Peter Chiarelli was on hand last night, as a scout at the Bell Centre.

Interesting stuff.

It’s far from the first time we’ve heard that the Blues – Habs connection is making noise.

Kent Hughes had his nose in the Jordan Kyrou file for several weeks this summer… and it looks like that rumour still refuses to die.

Oh, and the two teams also made a trade (Bolduc vs Mailloux) earlier this summer. Kent Hughes and Doug Armstrong know each other and they’ve already created a certain connection so they can move together…

But the connection is even easier to make when you look at the situation of the two clubs.

The Canadiens want to add a player to their roster to get some help, the recent failures have hurt… and the idea of picking up a guy who can help right now is on the table and it’s no secret. On the other hand, the Blues are off to a disastrous start to the season and we’re starting to hear a lot of rumours in Saint-Louis.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see the two clubs make a deal in the near future. Then again, especially when there really seems to be something going on right now between the two teams…

Overtime

– Yep.

– Cute.

– Of note.

– They’re amazing.

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Round-up of Habs prospects: Alexander Zharovsky scores a fine A.N. goal

And yes, as you’ll have gathered from my title, it’s the return of your favorite series to the world.

And I’m not talking about “Squid Game” or “District 31”, but rather a roundup of the Montreal Canadiens’ prospects.

Without further ado, here’s an overview of the performances that caught our attention this weekend.

Alexander Zharovsky – Right wing – age 18

After five games off the scoresheet, the Habs’ Russian prospect finally started producing again this morning.

Zharovsky picked up a goal and an assist in a 3-1 win for Ufa’s Salavat Yulaev over Nizhnekamsk’s Neftekhimik.

The Habs prospect first picked up an assist in a shorthanded situation, then cut back a play to initiate a two-on-one that tied the game.

And then, early in the third period, Zharovsky put his team ahead with a superb powerplay shot.

The Habs’ second-round pick (34th overall) in the last NHL Entry Draft had a very good game overall, and led his team in scoring.

His 17 points, including seven goals, in 21 games make him his team’s leading scorer, despite missing eight games at the start of the season due to injury.

Zharovsky is having an excellent season for an 18-year-old rookie, and his production is impressive, especially considering he’s playing on one of the KHL’s worst teams.

Michael Hage – Center – age 19

Here’s another top-notch forward prospect for the Canadiens who stood out this weekend.

Hage scored a goal last night in the University of Michigan’s 8-1 win over Ohio State University.

This is his 9th goal of the season, bringing his point total to 20 in 16 games, a very interesting crop for the Habs prospect.

We’ll continue to keep a close eye on him, as he could very well join the Habs by the end of the season, should the University of Michigan see its season end early.

It would be very interesting to see him in NHL action this season.

Overtime

– Coming up.

– Of note.

– Bravo!

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Florian Xhekaj: the potential for a more successful NHL career than Arber Xhekaj

Aside from the fact that the Canadiens de Montréal put a brilliant end to their five-game losing streak, what’s on everyone’s lips this morning is the name of Florian Xhekaj.

Everyone is talking about him, and everyone sees his first game in the National Hockey League as having been a perfect performance.

Xhekaj stood out at every level, quickly making him a crowd favorite in Montreal.

Florian Xhekaj’s fine debut certainly reminds us of Arber Xhekaj’s debut in the NHL three years ago, when he pulverized Zack Kassian.

Arber had quickly become one of the Habs’ signature players, gaining confidence and establishing himself in the NHL for good.

However, since that rookie season, Arber Xhekaj has found it harder to remain consistent and, above all, to be as dominant when throwing down the gloves and defending his teammates.

There’s certainly been a drop in his adrenalin and speed since his NHL debut, which makes us wonder what’s next for Florian Xhekaj.

However, I believe that since Florian is a forward, he really does have the potential to do better than his brother and ultimately have a more successful career than him.

As a depth forward, most likely on a fourth line, Florian Xhekaj won’t have as much responsibility as Arber does now, and will have to for the rest of his career.

He’ll have less stress and pressure from the penalty box, as his presence will be less important in a top-12 forward than in a top-6 defenseman.

Losing a forward for five minutes or more after a fight hurts a lot less than losing a defenseman.

Florian will be less likely than Arber to hurt his team with mistakes or turnovers, which could clearly allow him to shine more than his brother.

Of course, there’s no way of confirming this hypothesis that Florian is destined for a more successful career, but several factors may lead us to think seriously about it.

This even leads me to reiterate my position that I’d love to see the Canadiens move Arber Xhekaj from defenseman to forward, because I sincerely believe he’d be more useful in a depth forward role, and above all, he’d shine more with his rugged, intimidating style.

Anyway, enough about Xhekaj, now what else can I take away from the Habs’ 5-2 win over the Maple Leafs?

1. Noah Dobson finally showed that he’s got quite a shot.

Since the start of the season, Dobson has been playing excellent hockey, very consistently, but offensively, we hadn’t yet seen the full extent of his talent, as he hadn’t really stood out.

Yesterday, however, we were able to see the full splendor of his excellent shooting, as he scored two magnificent goals on reception.

Let’s hope this will give him confidence for the future, and that he’ll be able to use his shot more, and score more goals in the process.

2. We saw the Josh Anderson of the good old days last night.

For a rare occasion in recent years, we saw Anderson shine and stand out from the crowd in a number of ways, something that hasn’t been common since he took on the role of depth forward.

It was great to see him play with confidence and with fire in his eyes.

He was all over the ice, and I sincerely believe that playing with Florian Xhekaj greatly helped Anderson stand out.

Xhekaj played a very intense and physical game, which clearly motivated Anderson to give as good as the new kid.

What’s more, with Xhekaj playing the “goon” role, it gave Anderson more room to express himself offensively.

In short, I can’t wait to see the line-up of Anderson, Xhekaj and Jake Evans again.

3. Juraj Slafkovsky really looked like a first choice overall last night.

Seriously, I loved Slaf’s game last night, even though he only got one small assist on the scoresheet.

The big Slovak was all over the ice, but above all, I was impressed by his speed in possession of the puck.

On several occasions, he was able to carry the puck with ease, skating around his opponents with speed, but also with excellent puck handling.

As we all saw, he came very close to scoring one of the goals of the week with his cookie-cutter surge.

In short, I think being separated from Suzuki and Caufield is good for Slaf, because instead of feeling dragged down by the other two, he really seems to be taking charge of his line right now.

He’s showing a great deal of confidence at the moment, and we hope this continues and leads to better production.

The Canadiens play their next game on Wednesday night, when they travel to Utah to take on the Mammoth at 9:30pm.

Overtime

– Indeed.

– He was excellent yesterday with his five points.

– He would have capoté as they say in good French.

– A crazy match.

– Wow.

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Florian Xhekaj: a worried mother, a lost medallion and a war wound

The Canadiens de Montréal finally got back on the winning track after five consecutive defeats with a 5-2 victory over their arch-rivals, the Toronto Maple Leafs, last night.

It’s a win that will do Martin St-Louis’ team a world of good, because not only was it a Saturday night game at the Bell Centre, but it was against a direct rival from the Atlantic Division.

So it was really good to see the Habs win and, above all, stop the hemorrhaging that was starting to seriously worry them.

It was an excellent hockey game last night against the Leafs, and in addition to the victory, Florian Xhekaj’s brilliant performance in his first NHL game is of course particularly noteworthy.

This was Arber’s little brother’s first time skating in an official regular-season game, and let’s just say he really managed to get noticed.

In 9:48 of ice time, Xhekaj served up three solid checks, got two shots on goal, blocked one shot, earned his first NHL point, and most importantly, won his first fight.

It was a tough fight that Florian Xhekaj won hands down, and one that clearly pleased the crowd a lot, especially with his celebration.

However, it clearly didn’t please Mama Xhekaj, who looked very worried for her son, and somewhat discouraged, while Papa Xhekaj celebrated his son’s fight on the sidelines.

Two completely different reactions, both testifying to the pride that occupies the Xhekaj parents to see their two sons playing together for their childhood team.

It’s a fight to remember, and one that left its mark in many ways, as Florian Xhekaj demonstrated in a post-game interview.

The Habs’ #63 showed off his war wound on his right hand, with which he handily won his fight against Dakota Mermis.

Afterwards, the 21-year-old explained that during his fight, he had lost the medallion he wore on his neck, and that he had gone to look for it around the Leafs’ net after the game, but to no avail.

Florian Xhekaj really hopes to find it, as it’ s a very important and significant medallion for the entire Xhekaj family.

“It’s a medallion that is very, very dear to the Xhekaj family, as it represents the culture of the country of his father’s birth.” – Renaud Lavoie

His father, Jack, had brought back two such medallions for his sons from his trip to Albania.

We sincerely hope that Xhekaj will find his medallion, and that he’ll be able to wear it in his next NHL games, because clearly, after an audition like this, we’ll be seeing #63 again very soon.

Florian Xhekaj really did everything he could do well for a first NHL game, except score, which may well earn him more games with the big club.

Everyone loved what we saw of him last night, and Habs fans have clearly embraced him for the future.

He’s the kind of player the Habs really need in their lineup.

Overtime

– Read more.

– Will he be as good as his brother Aliaksei?

– Normal.

– Bad news.

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Practice: Jake Evans to play tonight with Florian Xhekaj

The Canadiens de Montréal held practice this morning at the Bell Centre in preparation for tonight’s showdown with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The practice was even more closely watched this time around, as we wanted to see if Jake Evans, who missed the last game due to a Tom Wilson check, would be in attendance.

We also wanted to confirm whether Florian Xhekaj would make his NHL debut, and which goaltender would get the start.

The first piece of good news came right at the start of practice, when Jake Evans jumped on the ice with his teammates.

Best of all, he practiced alongside Josh Anderson and a certain Florian Xhekaj, on what is likely to be the fourth line tonight.

Of course, it’s a very interesting line-up, since it’s full of energy and sturdiness, which should make for some intense on-ice action.

It’s a complete and well-constructed fourth line that we’re all looking forward to seeing, if it comes to fruition.

With Xhekaj and Evans expected to play, Joshua Roy will most likely be left out tonight.

Now, the other big question on everyone’s mind was which goaltender would get the start against the Leafs, given that both Samuel Montembeault and Jakub Dobes played on Thursday against the Washington Capitals.

Well, we have our answer, as Jakub Dobes will get the start tonight.

Dobes will have the tough task of facing the Leafs on a Saturday night at the Bell Centre, and let’s just say he has no choice but to perform well.

He looked bad against the Capitals, so he really needs to make up for it in a crucial game against a division rival looking to join the Habs in the standings.

The Leafs may not be at their best this season, but they’re a talented and dangerous team, so Dobes will absolutely have to hold down the fort.

Let’s see how the Czech goalie performs.

Overtime

– Ah well, why not.

– Indeed.

– A trade that smiles on the Sabres too.

– Read on.

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Top-5: Mikko Rantanen sent off again for a vicious hit

It was a big day for hockey yesterday in the National Hockey League, with 12 consecutive hours of action across 12 games.

There were plenty of highlights on a day of hockey that ended with 73 total goals in 12 games.

Here are some of the highlights.

1. Mikko Rantanen ejected for another dirty hit on the boards

After being ejected from the game against the New York Islanders earlier this week for a hard double-check on Alexander Romanov’s back, you’d think Mikko Rantanen would have calmed down.

Especially after seeing Patrick Roy’s reaction.

But in the end, just the opposite happened, as the Dallas Stars’ Finnish forward was once again ejected from a game last night.

In a 3-2 shootout loss to the Calgary Flames, Rantanen served up another tough double-check late in the second period, earning himself another game misconduct.

Jonathan Huberdeau came to the defense of Matt Coronato (who thankfully finished the game) by throwing down the gloves.

Rantanen should have been suspended for his dirty hit on Romanov, but lo and behold, he was playing last night instead, and served up another one.

Let’s see if he gets suspended this time.

2. Mitch Marner commits a horrible turnover in overtime

Things aren’t going well for the Toronto Maple Leafs, and that’s largely due to the departure of star player Mitch Marner, who left for the Vegas Golden Knights.

Meanwhile, Marner has been rolling along in Vegas, racking up points at a respectable rate without making any noise.

However, even though Marner is no longer with the Leafs, a certain Leaf element has remained within him, and we saw it last night.

True to his old bad habits that brought him a lot of criticism in Toronto, Marner committed a horrible turnover in overtime, giving the Anaheim Ducks victory on a silver platter.

As you can see, Cutter Gauthier didn’t need much to give his team a 4-3 victory.

He received a magnificent pass from Marner, and took advantage of it with an excellent shot to score his 13th goal and 26th point of the campaign in just 22 games.

It was a big mistake on Marner’s part, reminding us of his poor play and mental errors with the Leafs.

Still, even if the former Leaf isn’t at his best yet with the Golden Knights, he’s still scoring a point a game with his 21 points, including four goals, in 21 games.

3. Oilers vs Panthers: the first chapter of this season goes to the Oilers

It was the first time this season that the two finalists of the last two Stanley Cup finals met, and let’s just say it was quite a game.

There was a lot of talent, but above all a lot of intensity on the ice, as the following sequence shows.

In the end, the Oilers won 6-3 (two empty-net goals), thanks in large part to the two goals scored by Jack Roslovic, who represents quite a signing for the Oilers, with his 17 points, including nine goals, in 22 games.

4. Fourth defeat in a row for the Rangers

Things are really bad for the New York Rangers, and now, in addition to their home woes, they can’t win away from home either.

Last night, they suffered their third consecutive defeat away from home, making it four in a row overall.

They lost 3-2 to the Utah Mammoth.

In short, things are going badly for the Rangers, who find themselves in 14th place in the Eastern Conference, one point ahead of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

5. Logan Thompson ousted from Lightning game

After making the Montreal Canadiens look bad on Thursday, the Washington Capitals hosted the Tampa Bay Lightning last night.

On this occasion, with Charlie Lindgren ex officio in Montreal, the Caps’ #1 goaltender, Logan Thompson, got the start.

It didn’t go as planned, however, as Thompson was sent off after allowing four goals on his first six shots.

So things aren’t going so well for the Canadiens’ goalie at the moment.

The Lightning won 5-3 with only 16 shots on goal.

Brandon Hagel scored four points, including two goals.

Overtime

– Here are all yesterday’s results.

– Here are yesterday’s top scorers.

(Credit: NHL.com)

– Today’s NHL schedule: six games.

(Credit: Google/NHL)
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The Canadiens are favorites in the Alexandre Texier derby, according to Elliotte Friedman

Tomorrow, Frenchman Alexandre Texier will officially be free as a bird, unless he is called up for the waivers.

We know that two Eastern teams are the favorites to win this derby.

But tonight, Elliotte Friedman said at the second intermission of the Montreal-Toronto game that the Canadiens are the favorites and should be able to sign him.

Obviously, Texier wouldn’t come to save Montreal. After all, he’s never had a 30+ point season.

And this season, in eight games, he’s collected one assist. He’s going through the waivers for a reason…

His presence in the metropolis would help the team in the short term with all the injuries. It would also allow the Rocket to reunite with Florian Xhekaj, Jared Davidson and/or Joshua Roy.

Right now, three of Laval’s best players are upstairs, including one who isn’t playing. But that doesn’t stop Pascal Vincent’s team from winning.

But for the Canadiens, a potential alliance with the guy would add a bit of experience. The 26-year-old winger has played 240 games in the big league, and there’s plenty of talent to go around.

Overtime

– The question arises.

– It’s clear.

– He’s playing well.

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The Canadiens finally win and end a five-game losing streak

Tonight, against the Maple Leafs, the Habs were trying to put an end to a five-game losing streak.

Jakub Dobes was back in net for the occasion.

Here are the line-ups.

It should be noted that Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies were not part of the Toronto line-up.

It showed in the first period, anyway. The Habs scored two goals and dominated.

First, Lane Hutson scored his third of the season.

1:22 minutes later, Noah Dobson doubled his team’s lead.

He paid tribute to R.A. Dickey.

In the second period, the hosts didn’t take their foot off the gas.

They scored two more goals, including a superb one from Noah Dobson, again.

Then Josh Anderson chased down Joseph Woll with a fine shot from the top corner.

Florian Xhekaj collected his first NHL point on the sequence. He became the 728th player in team history to put his name on the scoresheet.

Before the end of the second period, the Leafs came back to life with a late goal.

Dobes would certainly like to see this Oliver Ekman-Larsson shot again.

At the end of the match, Florian threw down the gloves.

A point and a fight: not a bad first match.

Final score: 5-2 Montreal. After a powerplay goal by William Nylander, Anderson sealed the deal in an empty net, his second of the game.

Martin St-Louis’s team won’t play again until Wednesday. That evening, it will visit the Mammoth in Salt Lake City.

Overtime

– A first game together.

– Too bad.

– Several scouts on site tonight.

– Davis Alexander at the Bell Centre.

– Michael Hage also had success tonight.