Author: Dose

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Series wrap-up: It’s going to take more than Draisaitl and McDavid to beat the Stars

To beat the Stars, the Oilers need Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl to shine.

And that’s what happened last night.

But it wasn’t enough…

In the first period of the series opener between the two clubs, McDavid and Draisaitl were all over the ice.

It even looked easy for the Oilers captain… who started the game with a bang:

The two Oilers stars also combined to score the first goal of the series.

From McDavid, to Nurse, to Draisaitl… and boom :

Even in the second period, we saw the guys be really solid.

Draisaitl picked up two assists on his club’s two goals, while McDavid was complicit in the Oilers’ first goal of the period.

Moments after halftime, Draisaitl already had three points. And McDavid had two…

But that’s exactly when, with the score at 3-1, the Stars realized a few things.

I don’t know what was said on the bench, but it worked, because McDavid and Draisaitl had a tougher time after that.

And the Stars took advantage in the third period, scoring not once, not twice, not three times, not four times… but five times.

The first three were scored on the powerplay… and the Stars’ fourth of the period brought the score to 5-3.

Ah, and Esa Lindell completed the scoring in an empty net to put the final nail in the Oilers’ coffin.

So it comes back to what I was saying earlier.

Without the brilliance of McDavid and Draisaitl… the Oilers often find it difficult to be consistent. Which is normal, in a way, because the two guys have the ability to change a game on their own.

We’ve seen it before, after all. When Draisaitl and McDavid are in form at the same time… it’s dangerous.

You have to give the Stars credit because they were able to neutralize two of the best players in the world.

And clearly, that will be the key to their game plan between now and the end of the series if they want to go through to the next round.

It’s also worth noting that the rest of this series is likely to be really interesting, because at the end of game #1, we saw the two clubs giving each other some love.

And you guessed it: Corey Perry was at the heart of the scrum.

Great Perry:

Extension

– 15 players collected at least one point last night :

(Credit: NHL.com)

– Tonight, the Panthers and Hurricanes play the second game of their series.

The game will be presented in Carolina and kicks off at 8pm.

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Cayden Primeau was sensational in Rocket victory

Tonight, the Laval Rocket played their first home game of the third round of the playoffs against the Rochester Americans. The two clubs shared a win apiece.

Since the start of the playoffs, Jacob Fowler and Cayden Primeau have alternated in front of the net, and so far, Fowler has performed better than Primeau.

For this game, it was Primeau’s job to slow down his opponents and take the series lead.

Interestingly, this season, Primeau has only lost at home to the Cleveland Monsters, once in regulation and once in overtime out of a total of 13 games.

Here is Pascal Vincent’s line-up for Game 3:

This was a game of great importance for Primeau, as he had to come out strong.

Primeau wasn’t tested much in the first half of the first twenty minutes. As usual, Laval quickly set the tone for the game.

However, at the end of the period, Rochester (finally) woke up and bombarded Primeau from all sides.

The visitors had some great chances to score, but Primeau played his best game of the season.

Here’s one of the times he was most tested, in the closing moments of the first period:

It’s hard not to appreciate Primeau’s excellent work in this game, as he clearly kept his team in it until the end.

He seemed confident and we saw the Primeau of the season and not the one from the start of the playoffs.

It was very encouraging to see him go, especially in the second period, which was very busy for the goalkeeper.

After stopping all seven shots in the first 20 minutes, he was sensational with no fewer than 13 other saves in the second.

Primeau was definitely out to prove that he’s the Rocket’s true #1 goalie.

With this performance, it’s safe to say that Primeau could (and should) get the start in the next game of this series.

Just as everything was shaping up to be a perfect game for the Rocket goaltender, with the home side leading 1-0, the Americans finally cracked the Primeau mystery early in the third period.

Fortunately for the Farmington Hills native, his teammates gave him plenty of support, opening the scoring with three goals in five minutes.

Although the third period was all Rocket, the Amerks didn’t let up, testing Primeau in every possible way.

All in all, a successful mission for Primeau, who has (most likely) secured a start in the next game, to be played again in LAval on Friday.

When Primeau is confident (as he was in this game), the Rocket are an extremely dangerous club.

Add to that Jacob Fowler as a backup, and you’ve got some insurance if Primeau doesn’t get the job done.

In addition to the Rocket goalkeeper’s incredible performance (32 saves on 33 shots), the players in front of him also supported him very well with several goals in this convincing 4-1 victory.

Luke Tuch opened the scoring after just 15 seconds by deflecting David Reinbacher’s shot.

After that, all the Rocket’s other goals came in the final twenty minutes with goals from Florian Xhekaj, Laurent Dauphin and Joshua Roy.

In the victory, Tuch stood out from the rest by hitting (hard) everything that moved. If Grant McCagg is to be believed, he could very well cause a surprise at the Habs practice camp and break into the line-up.

Otherwise, Logan Mailloux had a very strong game and is taking on more and more responsibility. At the end of the first period, he was sent into the fray with a defensive mission and he did very well.

He also showed that he can be a true quarterback on the powerplay.

One thing’s for sure: Laval will be very difficult to beat (and eliminate) in the playoffs.

That bodes well for the future of the Habs.

Overtime

– A surprise in the AHL series, the Hershey Bears were swept aside by the Charlotte Checkers. The winner of the Rocket-Americans series will face the Checkers in the Association Finals.

– For ball lovers, here’s the podcast for you:

– The Blue Jays got things going against San Diego.

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“Imagine Guhle-Ekblad, Hutson-Carrier, Matheson-Reinbacher”

One thing’s for sure: the Montreal Canadiens need to make a move this summer.

And they’re spoilt for choice when it comes to making changes, whether by trading a few prospects, trading one of their two first-round picks (or both) or signing a free agent.

The simplest choice: the free agent market.

You simply have to offer more than the other clubs (and not just with salary, but the market itself, the core and where the club is going).

The Habs have two urgent needs: the famous second-line center and (at least) a right-handed defenseman to make up for the loss of David Savard.

Ideally, it would take an experienced right-handed defenseman to mentor the Habs’ young defensive brigade.

In fact, there’s a very good right-handed defenseman on the free agent market this summer (if he doesn’t find a deal with his club by then).

That player is Aaron Ekblad.

The 29-year-old defenseman will complete the final year of his eight-year contract on July 1, and could test the free agent market.

And the Habs must try to acquire his services, as he would (greatly) solidify the Habs’ defensive brigade.

That’s the opinion of Martin Lemay, who spoke about this earlier today on BPM Sports’ Retour des Sportifs program.

“Imagine Guhle-Ekblad, Hutson-Carrier, Matheson-Reinbacher… It seems to me it’s no worse.” – Martin Lemay

And he’s right. It’s a dream defensive brigade.

As Lemay pointed out in the excerpt above, Ekblad’s salary should be in the neighbourhood of $7.8 million a year, which falls within the Habs’ “salary margin”.

Apart from Patrik Laine, no Habs player earns more than Nick Suzuki ($7.875 million a year).

As I mentioned earlier in the article, the giant-sized defenseman would bring great stability to the defense.

The only negative about Ekblad is that he’s had trouble staying healthy, especially in the last five years.

But he’ll bring experience, as he’s been a top-notch defenseman since he arrived in the NHL at the age of 18.

He won the Calder Trophy for the best rookie in the Bettman circuit with 39 points in 81 games.

But Ekblad isn’t just about offense. First and foremost, he is a physical monster who is very reliable defensively.

He also has a very good skating stroke, especially for his size (6 feet, 4 inches and 220 pounds), and a very heavy shot.

Without a doubt, the Habs would be much better off with the Windsor native in their lineup.

Overtime

– Read more.

– I don’t think there’s ever been a negative comment about Marc-André Fleury.

– Elliotte Friedman still as creative as ever.

– The Stars will have to keep an eye on him.

– Leon Draisaitl scored the first goal of this third-round series.

– SGA is only the second Canadian in NBA history to win the MVP (Most Valuable Player) trophy. Only Steve Nash had won it before this season.

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Martin St-Louis’ son invited to Washington Capitals camp

The Montreal Canadiens enjoyed a fine season overall, surpassing many predictions.

By reaching the playoffs, the Habs proved that they are much closer to being a competitive club than most believed.

The Washington Capitals, however, brought the Montreal club (and its fans) back down to earth by upsetting them and eliminating them in the first round.

Now that the Caps have been eliminated, they can focus on the off-season.

And the Capitals have dealt Martin St-Louis another blow (albeit a positive one) by announcing a guest at the development camp.

That guest is MSL‘s son, Ryan St-Louis.

TVA Sports recently reported on one, giving credit to Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal, who broke the news earlier this evening.

While this news must have a kind of stabbing effect on the habs head coach, he must first be very proud of his eldest son, no doubt.

He hasn’t signed a contract yet, but at least he’ll be able to make his mark in the big leagues.

Ryan St-Louis began his NCAA career with Northeastern University, the varsity team of Cayden Primeau and Devon Levi (who, by the way, meet tonight in the AHL playoffs).

In his only year with Northeastern in 2021-22, St-Louis played alongside Levi, as well as Jayden Struble.

However, he spent 2022-23 in the USHL, before returning to the NCAA, this time with Brown University (in Providence).

Now 21, the eldest son of Martin St-Louis enjoyed a fine season, collecting 29 points in 23 games.

For those wondering if Ryan plays like his father, there are similarities in style.

Both are very creative with the puck, but Ryan seems to be more patient with the puck than his sibling. He has a good skating stroke, but not like his father.

At 5’10”, he’s taller than Martin, and could still cause a surprise at the Capitals’ development camp (as could a lot of lesser-known prospects).

It remains to be seen whether he can force the Caps’ hand for a possible contract or even a tryout at the club’s official practice camp.

Overtime

– Agreed.

– We should think about it.

– The experience and the youth.

– We’ll need to be very aggressive to counter the Oklahoma City Thunder.

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Rumor mill: The Sens are looking for a right-handed defenseman (and there are candidates)

The Senators made the playoffs this season.

They’ve finally managed to do that after a number of difficult years.

The plan now is to continue in that vein so that they’re still good next year. And to make that happen, the Sens are looking for a quality right-handed defenseman.

There are some names floating around Ottawa right now, as David Pagnotta reports on X.

Of the lot?

Rasmus Andersson, Rasmus Ristolainen and Aaron Ekblad.

Of these players, only Aaron Ekblad will be free as a bird this summer.

Andersson (one year) and Ristolainen (two years) are still under contract, and it would take a deal to get them out of their respective clubs.

But no matter: it’s true that the Sens have a hole on the right of defense.

Artem Zub, Nick Jensen and Nikolas Matinpalo do the job… but we’re not necessarily talking about three top-quality defensemen either.

A right-handed defenseman in Ottawa makes a lot of sense.

Bowen Byram in Los Angeles?

The Sabres aren’t going anywhere.

And that’s why, this summer, there could STILL be changes in Buffalo.

I say this because Bowen Byram’s name has been in some trade rumours lately, and now would be a good time to trade him.

Marco D’Amico is talking about the Kings in his case… and if there is a deal, maybe a guy like Brandt Clarke could go the other way :

The Sabres can afford to trade Byram because they’re already extremely solid on the left.

Rasmus Dahlin, Mattias Samuelson and Owen Power are all left-handed, and they’re doing the organization proud right now.

Bowen Byram seems to be “the extra guy”, he has great potential… and the Sabres could use him to improve their right side of defense – or pick up a forward who can help up front.

Jets want to keep Nikolaj Ehlers

I’ve always said it: Nikolaj Ehlers is one of the NHL’s most underrated players.

He produces offensively, he has an exceptional skating stroke, he has skills that allow him to be dangerous at any moment on the ice…

But he’ll be as free as a bird this summer, and the Jets need to make a decision.

If the words of Kevin Cheveldayoff (GM) are anything to go by, the Jets will do everything they can to keep him :

The goal in Winnipeg is to offer Ehlers a contract that will bind him to the team for the rest of his career.

But at the moment, the two sides don’t have the opportunity to discuss a new agreement because Ehlers is at the World Championships defending Denmark’s colors.

The matter remains to be followed up.

On the other hand, if Ehlers really wants to stay in Winnipeg, everything points to the Jets giving him the opportunity to seize it.

I wonder what his salary would be like, because we’re talking about a guy who’s scored a steady 60 points since the start of his career…

Leafs and John Tavares talk

John Tavares said it openly during his end-of-season review.

He’s not interested in leaving Toronto.

The veteran would like to live out his childhood dream of bringing the Stanley Cup back to town. He grew up a Leafs fan and has been dreaming of this moment since he was young.

The player’s seven-year contract will expire in a few weeks, but there’s some interest on the Leafs’ side to keep him in Toronto.

And the two sides will resume talks shortly, according to David Pagnotta :

Even though he’s no longer the team captain, John Tavares still has love for the Leafs.

But we agree on one thing: if he stays in town, it won’t be by earning $11M per season, as has been the case since the start of the 18-19 season.

He’ll have to accept a certain pay cut to be able to wear the uniform of his boyhood club again… and he can still help the Leafs because he’s still capable of producing.

He scored 38 times and added 36 assists (74 points) in 75 games this season…

Overtime

– The boyyssssss!

– Oh no?

– I love this!

– Happy reading.

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Statistics: Very few goalies have done worse than Primeau in the playoffs so far

Pascal Vincent has had some tough choices to make since the start of the AHL playoffs.

And here, you’ll understand that I’m obviously referring to the situation in front of the net.

Cayden Primeau took the club to the playoffs and helped the Rocket finish the season in 1st place overall in the AHL. But on the other side of the coin, Jacob Fowler has been better than him in recent weeks…

When you look at Primeau’s stats since the start of the playoffs, you realize that it’s not glorious.

But when you compare Primeau’s playoff stats to those of other AHL goalies who have played at least one game, you realize that it’s atrocious.

After all… Primeau ranks :

  • 26th out of 29 for goals-against average (3.62)
  • 28th out of 29 for efficiency rate (.865)

The Rocket has the advantage of being able to rely on two good goaltenders at the moment.

But with the series tied 1-1, tonight’s game at Place Bell is really important.

Primeau’s mandate is to get the win… and he MUST have a good game.

Primeau needs to have a good game because he may be playing out his season.

If he can’t come up with a big one tonight and Fowler wins game #4… it’s boring to say, but the veteran may have to sit out the final game.

And even then, if Fowler is capable of stealing the series single-handed… I don’t see how Pascal Vincent would decide not to trust him in the next round, knowing that Primeau has been struggling lately.

That said, the longer this goes on, the easier it seems to be to realize that Cayden Primeau is a sequence keeper. When he’s hot, he’s hot for real.

But as soon as he has a bad game…. it really looks like he’s having trouble getting back on track. It’s difficult when it comes to confidence, and when he’s not at his best, it really shows.

So I can’t wait to see what kind of Primeau we’ll see tonight at Place Bell.

The Cayden Primeau who really smoked during the regular season in Laval… or the Cayden Primeau who’s been on fire since the start of the playoffs?

Overtime

– He’s on fire.

– It’s going to be a bumpy ride tonight.

– Really?

– Well…

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Mitch Marner refused to sign a contract extension during the Toronto season

Where will Mitch Marner play in 25-26?

That’s the question on everyone’s mind right now.

Seeing him stay in Toronto would be a bit of a surprise, because he really looks like a guy who wants out. And just because the Leafs haven’t tried to keep him…

Here’s what you need to know.

According to Jonas Siegel(The Athletic), the Leafs offered him a contract extension last season. The organization didn’t want to wait and risk losing him for nothing.

But… Marner – who has always said he loves playing in Toronto – said no.

He wasn’t interested in signing a contract extension at the time. And that’s no coincidence.

If Marner leaves the organization, the Leafs will have to find a replacement.

Because losing a winger who averages 95 points a season… that hurts any club.

But at this level, we shouldn’t necessarily expect the Leafs to break out the big cheques to go out and sign a big, quality player this summer.

And the reason is simple: according to Chris Johnston(The Chris Johnston Show), in the summer of 2026, the free agent class is truly exceptional.

McDavid, Panarin, Eichel, Kaprizov, Makar, Robertson, Connor… these guys will find themselves free as a bird if they haven’t signed a new contract by then :

Obviously, Marner’s case will be one of the most interesting to follow this summer.

He’s got a good case for going for a hefty salary-very hefty, in fact-because he’s one of the National Hockey League’s elite.

And especially in terms of salary, that’s going to slow down some clubs. Mathias Brunet (Processus), for example, would never give him a $14 million contract:

But whether in Montreal or not, the forward will break the bank because there’s a club that will pay for his services.

Again, he’s a great asset for a team looking to add skill and natural talent to its line-up, and he’s a proven performer in that regard. His play in the playoffs has often been criticized in the past, and it’s true… but that won’t stop him from getting a contract that will make him really rich.

Because, like it or not, 90+ point per season forwards aren’t a dime a dozen in the NHL.

Overtime

– That would be interesting – especially for Connor Bedard.

– T’sais, quand ça va bien… #Misère

– What a stop.

– Wow!

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Moment of the season: Mishkov jokes about his two goals against the Habs

Matvei Michkov is not one of the three finalists for the Calder.

But that doesn’t mean he had a bad season.

Far from it, in fact: the Flyers player finished his first campaign in the Bettman circuit with 63 points, which is more than respectable for a 20-year-old.

He had a great time in his first season in North America, and talked about it in an interview with RG Media.

He was asked, “What was your favorite moment of the season?” and his answer was, how can I put this… weird?

Probably the home game against Montreal. I almost scored a hat trick, but I hit the post. I was on fire that night.

But honestly, I’m kidding: the most special moment was scoring my first NHL goal. – Matvei Michkov

Everyone knows that the Canadiens decided not to select him with the 5th overall pick in 2023.

And clearly, it’s easy to feel that Michkov really enjoyed himself against the Habs in Philly, scoring twice… even if he won’t openly say he enjoyed hurting the Canadiens that night.

Did Mishkov say this in the context of wishing he’d played for the Canadiens? Or is it more in the context that he enjoyed scoring twice against the team that ignored him?

Nevertheless, his answer raises questions.

Or maybe he was trying to send a message to the Habs organization.

Note that in the interview in question, Mishkov talked about his reaction with Ivan Demidov.

The two guys are friends off the ice and talk regularly together.

Mishkov says he wanted to congratulate the Canadiens player after his first NHL game… and he also says that Demidov’s playoff experience will help him become even better in the future.

Oh, and the Flyers’ player also wanted to give Lane Hutson some flowers, saying he was really good.

Michkov considers Canadiens fans lucky to have a player like Hutson in Montreal… and he’s right!

Overtime

– News from CF Montreal practice :

– At least he’s making the effort!

– Happy reading.

– Go Felix!

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The Isles have asked permission to speak to Shanahan: Good news for Bergevin

Marc Bergevin is a popular name on Long Island.

He’s being talked about as the Islanders’ next potential GM, and he’s one of the finalists for the job – along with Mathieu Darche.

But while we’re on the subject of the Isles and Bergevin… let’s move on.

It’s relevant to talk even more because, last I heard, the Islanders also asked the Leafs for permission to speak with Brendan Shanahan.

Chris Johnston reported the whole thing on X… and in his piece, we read that the Leafs’ recent humiliating loss to the Panthers has the Toronto organization looking to make changes.

Elliotte Friedman said the same thing earlier this week.

The Islanders are looking for a president, and that’s where Brendan Shanahan’s name becomes interesting.

He has experience as a player and a leader, after all. And he’s been part of an organization that’s won a lot of hockey games in recent years in Toronto. Maybe not in the playoffs… but still.

But there’s also a connection to be made between Shanahan and Marc Bergevin. In 2023, before Brad Treliving was hired, Bergevin was interviewed for the Leafs GM position.

And if we push the note a little further, we should also remember that the former GM of the Canadiens had really impressed Leafs management… which included Brendan Shanahan.

The point I’m trying to make here is that the possible hiring of Shanahan on Long Island could really help Marc Bergevin get back into the GM fold. There’s a certain connection between the two men, and we know that helps in a world like the National Hockey League.

It’s also worth noting that seeing the Islanders ask the Leafs’ permission to speak to Brendan Shanahan is very similar to the situation seven years ago, when John Tavares left.

Back then, the Islanders courted Lou Lamoriello – who was the Leafs’ GM – in an attempt to convince John Tavares to stay… but Tavares ultimately chose Toronto to continue his career.

The bottom line…

The important thing here is to know that the Islanders have asked to speak with Brendan Shanahan. And that if he gets the Islanders’ president’s job, we won’t have to fall out of our chairs if Marc Bergevin gets the GM’s.

Overtime

– Oh!

– It goes on.

– Hmm…

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Geoff Molson knows why the Montreal market is attractive to players

In 2021, when he relieved Marc Bergevin of his duties, Geoff Molson made the decision to rebuild the Canadiens.

To do so, he brought in Jeff Gorton, who had experience in rebuilds, to guide the club in the right direction back to the top.

Gorton brought in Kent Hughes, and together they hired Martin St-Louis.

From then on, there were more difficult years, but the Habs seem to have turned the corner on their rebuild. It’s not over, we agree, but making the playoffs in 2025 is a good step forward.

And after that, the club is going to get better. The guys in the 2024-2025 edition will continue to progress and new players will be added. And tonight, Geoff Molson will have a front-row seat to see which ones, as he’ll be at the Rocket game.

There’s also reason to believe that the Habs will add established players who choose to come and play in Montreal.

And as Anthony Martineau reports, the owner believes it’s logical to think that guys will want to join the Habs since hockey players want what the Habs will do for 10 years: win hockey games.

He has a point.

Of course, the well-known disadvantages of hockey in Canada will continue to hold many players back. Mr. Molson can’t control the weather in winter.

But what the Habs do control is the product on the ice. And the more time passes, the more we realize that the next editions of the Canadiens have enormous potential. The club can really succeed, if all goes well.

Ah: the Habs also control how they treat their players….

overtime

– Jeff Blashill in Chicago?

– Logical.

– Coming up.