Author: Dose

Categories
Uncategorized

UFC 315: Several Habs players were present last night at the Bell Centre

While the majority of Canadiens fans were focused on the Stanley Cup playoffs, the Bell Centre was packed for UFC 315.

Many people were on hand, including several players from the Montreal Canadiens.

In fact, several of the team’s members could be seen on television.

The following images show Josh Anderson, Jake Evans, Kaiden Guhle, Alex Newhook, Jayden Struble and Jakub Dobes.

The guys were celebrating on the floor, giving each other lots of hugs.

And if my colleague Maxime Truman’s information is anything to go by, there were also other Habs players on hand, namely Cole Caufield and Brendan Gallagher, as well as some Laval Rocket players, including Jacob Fowler.

So there was a very large group of Habs and Rocket players at the Bell Centre last night, which was nice to see, as the guys really seem to have a nice friendship.

It’s also worth noting that the guys strolled from the parterre to their dressing room, as can be seen in the following photo, sent in by a fan on site.

(Credit: )

Kaiden Guhle and Jayden Struble can be seen in this photo.

In short, the guys had a great night at the Bell Centre, while perhaps taking notes on how to be more robust and physical for the upcoming playoffs.

Overtime

– I’d be in favor of this change.

– Coming up.

– To listen to.

Categories
Uncategorized

Frustrated, Tomas Hertl hits a staff member on the head with his stick

Last night was a truly historic moment, as the Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Edmonton Oilers thanks to a last-second goal.

It’s the latest winning goal in NHL playoff history, tied with Nazem Kadri and Juuse Jokinen.

The Golden Knights thus avoided overtime, and by the same token, avoided the risk of falling behind 0-3 in the series.

But even though they won, it was a frustrating game for the Golden Knights at many points.

Just ask Golden Knights forward Tomas Hertl, who tried to break his stick in frustration on the players’ bench.

The problem was that Hertl hit and injured a member of his staff in the head.

The footage has been making the rounds on social networks, so Hertl really does look like a madman, especially considering that the staff member in question retreated to the locker room after the incident.

What I find even more bizarre is the reaction of Hertl and the other Golden Knights players, who all look like they couldn’t care less as they watch the staff member hold his head while heading to the locker room.

Would he have put on a little more? #embellishment

Fortunately, the staff member in question returned later in the game, in the third period, as the following images demonstrate.

Hertl can be seen talking to the coach on his return, no doubt to make sure he’s okay.

In short, the Golden Knights forward will have to manage his emotions and, above all, his environment better.

Trying to break your stick on the players’ bench, when you’re surrounded by people, is definitely not the idea of the century.

Thomas Chabot demonstrated this in the past, when he hit Travis Hamonic in the face.

Overtime

– Finally a first MLS win this season for Montreal CF.

– Indeed, what a beautiful goal we no longer expected from him.

– Bravo!

Categories
Uncategorized

Series wrap-up: Golden Knights score with 0.4 seconds left to win the game

As has been the case since the start of the second round, last night featured two NHL playoff games.

Game #3 of an Eastern series, and Game #3 of a Western series.

Here’s a review of both games.

Golden Knights escape with victory thanks to last-second goal

After losing both their home games, the Golden Knights found themselves in trouble late in the 2-0 series in Edmonton.

They needed to win last night to get back into the series, and they did, but it wasn’t easy.

Vegas needed a little (a lot) of late-game luck to escape with the win.

Things really got off to a bad start for the Golden Knights, as Corey Perry quickly opened the scoring with back-to-back goals.

He’s really having a great series. Seeing that Marc Bergevin thought two years was too much…

Everything was going well for the Oilers, as they seemed to be closing in on a 3-0 series lead.

However, before the end of the first period, the Golden Knights had already tied the game in the space of 54 seconds thanks to Nicolas Roy and Reilly Smith.

After that, it took until late in the second period to see a team take the lead, and it was William Karlsson who gave the Golden Knights the lead going into the locker room.

The Oilers hadn’t said their last word, however, as Connor McDavid (who else) tied the game late in the third period, sending everyone into overtime… or almost.

Just when we all thought the game was heading into overtime, a miracle happened on the Golden Knights’ side, as Reilly Smith scored the winning goal with 0.4 seconds left in the game.

He sent Stuart Skinner picking strawberries, then rounded him and fired a shot into the net, which was deflected by Leon Draisaitl.

Vegas ran away with the 4-3 victory in the last second, avoiding a stressful overtime.

Game #4 of the series takes place Monday in Edmonton, starting at 9:30pm.

The Oilers lead the series 2-1.

Hurricanes easily blank Capitals

In the first game of the day, we were treated to a much less exciting match-up, between the Carolina Hurricanes and the Washington Capitals.

It’s a much less exciting series, but one that should be covered like all the others.

Last night, in Game #3, with the series tied 1-1, the Hurricanes gave their fans a great victory, as they blanked the Capitals 4-0.

Frederik Andersen turned aside all 21 shots he faced.

Unlike the game between the Oilers and Golden Knights, no goals were scored in the first period, while the score was only opened up in the second period thanks to Andrei Svechnikov and Jack Roslovic.

And in the third period, Eric Robinson quickly added more for the Hurricanes with another shot Logan Thompson would surely want to see again.

Jackson Blake finally sank the Capitals with a fourth goal on a late powerplay.

In short, the Canes were never bothered by the Caps, and played an excellent game from start to finish.

The Caps will have a chance to bounce back in Game #4, which takes place in Carolina on Monday at 7pm.

The Hurricanes lead the series 2-1.

Overtime

– Here are the two results from yesterday.

– Here are yesterday’s top scorers.

(Credit: NHL.com)

– On the program today: game #3 and game #4.

(Credit: Google/NHL)
Categories
Uncategorized

Georges St-Pierre thinks he could be a good moral support for the Canadiens

The Canadiens still haven’t replaced Alexandre Burrows.

Last summer, he stepped down as assistant coach. Could Georges St-Pierre be a good replacement?

The HFTV gang asked him on the heels of the UFC event at the Bell Centre, and here’s his answer:

GSP says he couldn’t be an assistant coach due to his limited hockey skills.

However, he could be an excellent motivator and moral support. We know the veteran and he has great advice for people.

Well, his English may not be the best, but it’s improving.

Here he is, in partnership with Sportsnet, to set the table for Game 3 of the Oilers-Golden Knights series.

If he can’t coach hockey, maybe he can coach fighting…

The two Georges (St-Pierre and Laraque) would make a hell of a duo, and frankly, agitators like Tom Wilson would think twice before picking on Canadiens players.

Overtime

– Finally.

– Still.

– What do we think?

Categories
Uncategorized

Emil Heineman seems to be insinuating that Juraj Slafkovsky is injured

At this stage of the season, all the players are recovering from minor injuries.

Now that the Habs have been eliminated, we know more about the guys’ injuries. We know that Nick Suzuki, who’s not at the CDM, is a little shaken up. After all, he always plays every game and never takes time off.

And now it seems that Juraj Slafkovsky is also hiding an injury. Emil Heineman seems to imply as much.

Here’s what he told a journalist on the heels of the World Championship.

He [Slafkovsky] knows his body, so if he could play, he would definitely come. – Emil Heineman.

I took this excerpt from Sportaktuality.sk.

Yesterday, the Habs forward stood out for Sweden. My colleague Michaël Petit wrote about his game against Slaf’s nation, Slovakia.

Looking ahead to the tournament’s next games, Heineman expects an atmosphere similar to Montreal’s during the playoffs.

In fact, the forward, who scored 18 points in 62 games in 2024-2025, says that making the playoffs was a great experience, and that he and his team will be looking to take another step forward next year.

The atmosphere at the Bell Centre during the playoffs was indescribable. – Emil Heineman

As for Slaf, I’m not necessarily shocked if he was really injured. After all, he had a great end to the season and was a real power forward in the playoffs.

He seemed involved in every sequence. He was honestly one of the best players in the five-game series against the Washington Capitals. It’s a shame he’ll miss the CDM, as we know he’s always been very good when wearing his country’s blue-white-red.

Overtime

– That was close.

– Their series against the Americans begins on Wednesday.

– Nathan MacKinnon would have liked Mikko Rantanen to stay. [is.fi]

– Notice to interested parties.

– Big win.

Categories
Uncategorized

Advance to the draft: listen to Scott Wheeler, the Habs can forget about it

The Canadiens hold the 16th and 17th picks in the upcoming NHL Entry Draft. He needed the Flames not to win the lottery to keep the 16th pick… and that’s what happened last Monday.

Otherwise, he would have had the 17th pick… and that of the Panthers, which is likely to be quite a bit lower considering they’re still alive and playing a team deprived of its #1 goaltender.

The popular feeling right now is that the club won’t be using these two picks. It’s expected that at least one of them will be traded, possibly for the second center the club is looking for. Because clearly, we expect other teams with a need at center to consider doing the same.

But there’s also a world in which the Habs use these two picks to try and get ahead in the draft. After all, the club needs quality more than quantity at this stage… and trying to climb into the top-10 could be an avenue the club would consider.

Especially if a prospect like Caleb Desnoyers or James Hagens (we’ll come back to his case) were to miraculously slip through the cracks.

That said, to move up in the draft, Kent Hughes will have to find someone willing to come down… and that’s probably something that’s easier said than done. In response to a question from a reader on The Athletic, prospects expert Scott Wheeler weighed in on a hypothetical scenario of whether he’d rather have the 8th pick (which belongs to the Kraken) or the 16th and 17th picks (which belong to the Habs).

And he says he’d rather have the 8th pick.

(Credit: Screenshot/The Athletic)

What all this shows is that even with two picks in the middle of the first round, the Habs won’t be able to climb into the top-10 easily. If they want to talk in the top-10, it’s likely to cost more than the 16th and 17th picks: they may have to cough up something else in addition to the two picks.

And that’s for a pick towards the end of the top-10: not for nothing did colleague Charles-Alexis Brisebois mention Cole Caufield or Juraj Slafkovský to try to move up to 4th and try to select Caleb Desnoyers.

As things stand, making such a deal is probably of little interest to the Habs, who probably wouldn’t go after the big, quality prospect who could really help them. But all that could change if one of the big prospects were to fall.

And in response to another reader’s question, Wheeler said that “it’s not completely impossible” that James Hagens could drop a bit, possibly to sixth. If the Habs see Hagens, who was Jacob Fowler’s teammate at Boston College this season, as a solution for their second center spot and the youngster is slow to be selected, maybe they’ll suddenly become more interested in paying the (very) big price to climb into the top-10.

But if that happens, he’ll have to give a team a good reason to turn their nose up at Hagens. And in a draft where quality drops pretty quickly after the big names, it’s going to take (a lot) more than the 16th and 17th picks.

The next few weeks are going to be very interesting in Montreal, and we have to wonder how the management will navigate through all this. Because the decisions that will be made in the next two months will speak volumes about the team’s future.

Overtime

– Speaking of Caleb Desnoyers.

– Love the kid‘s attitude.

– Nicolas Roy gives his version of events.

– It was to be expected. Joel Quenneville will want to bring his own assistants.

– Nice read on the Penguins.

Categories
Uncategorized

Olympics 2026: New York’s hiring of Mike Sullivan will work against Lane Hutson

It’s been almost ten days since Mike Sullivan took over as head coach of the Rangers. The man who led the Penguins until recently will now have the task of reviving the Blue Shirts… who are coming off a most disappointing season.

In New York, hopes were high that the club would make it far in the playoffs… and in the end, the Rangers weren’t even able to secure a playoff berth.

But next season, Sullivan will also be coaching another team: Team USA at the 2026 Olympic Games. And while that may seem like a long way off, the first players to represent their country will be announced next month.

And what’s interesting is that, for the United States, the blue line is really congested. Quinn Hughes, Zach Werenski, Jaccob Slavin, Brock Faber and Jake Sanderson were solid at the 4 Nations Confrontation, which is likely to earn them points… and make life difficult for the other American defensemen.

And when you consider that Sullivan is the team’s coach, you’d think he’d be pushing for Adam Fox… and suddenly, Lane Hutson’s path to the 2026 Olympics is getting harder.

There’s no doubt that the Habs defenseman is one of the NHL’s most special talents on the blue line. That said, in a world of very limited spots and stiff competition, it could quickly become difficult for him to carve out a spot on the roster.

Especially if Hughes, Werenski and Fox are there, it’ll be hard to find time for him on the powerplay, where he could really shine.

It’s worth remembering that, back in February, Fox really came into his own at the 4 Nations Showdown, and while Sullivan and Chris Drury (who is assistant GM for Team USA) will be able to argue their case and push for Fox to be on the team (much like Jon Cooper pushed for his players at the 4 Nations Showdown), it’s still Bill Guerin who will have the final say.

And Guerin doesn’t necessarily benefit from bringing Fox on board more than anyone else.

In Lane Hutson’s case, his best chance of making the team is as an extra defenseman who would come on board in the event of an injury to one of the team’s offensive defensemen. It would also give him international experience that could help him in the long run.

What’s clear, though, is that the competition for these positions will be fierce. It will be up to Hutson to force the hand of Team USA management… but at least we know he has the talent to do it.

In Overtime

– Golden Knights hit by injuries.

– Ivan Demidov enjoying his vacation.

– The Panthers’ depth shines through.

– Draw for the Roses.

– Will it help the case?

Categories
Uncategorized

“Having played in Montreal will help us”: Spencer Carbery gives love to the Bell Centre

Over the past few weeks in Montreal, we’ve been able to discover just what a class act Spencer Carbery is. The Capitals coach, who saw his club end the Canadiens’ season, was a true prince during the series.

Of course, some of that’s just part of the game (you don’t want to give the other team material to cringe at), but seeing him take the time to give David Savard some love after the last game was a nice touch.

And it was clear that Carbery not only respects the Habs, but also the fans in town. He’s seen just how important the atmosphere at the Bell Centre is in the playoffs, and it’s clearly made an impression on him.

Indeed, as the Capitals face the Hurricanes in Raleigh in a few hours’ time, the coach acknowledged that having had to play in Montreal will help his club.

Because clearly, it has prepared his group to play in some of the NHL’s most hostile environments.

Carbery asserts that, like the Hurricanes’ arena, the Bell Centre is among the league’s most hostile arenas for opposing teams. Having had two games in the first round to warm up, and being able to deal with it better, is likely to be beneficial for his group.

Carbery says he saw it for himself against the Habs: things went quickly for his charges at times in game #3, but the club handled things better in game #4, which they eventually won.

We’ll see if the Bell Centre’s experience in the playoffs will indeed benefit the Caps. The atmosphere in Raleigh may be a notch less intense than at the Bell Centre, but the Canes also have a better team than the Habs.

I can’t wait to see how the Capitals come out tonight.

Overtime

– Speaking of the Capitals.

– Habs prospect Vinzenz Rohrer did well in defeat, but logic prevailed.

– Wow!

– It’s still the talk of the town.

– Phew.

Categories
Uncategorized

Oilers: Stuart Skinner will take Calvin Pickard’s place in net tonight

What’s been happening in Edmonton since the start of the current playoffs is a pretty cool story. After losing their first two games to the Kings in the first round, the club decided to bring in Calvin Pickard to replace Stuart Skinner in net.

And clearly, the decision paid off, as since then, the Oilers haven’t lost a game. The club has just won six straight games… and Pickard has been in net for every one of them.

But tonight, Pickard won’t be in net for the Oilers in Game #3 of their series against the Golden Knights. The goalie didn’t take part in the morning session, which had some people worried…

And a few minutes later, Skinner announced to media members that he would be the starting goaltender tonight.

This will be his first start since Game #2 against the Kings.

Kris Knoblauch later confirmed that Pickard is currently injured and being evaluated on a daily basis… and it’s easy to make connections with his team’s last game. He appeared to be injured following contact with Tomas Hertl last game, and was visibly inconvenienced.

He was able to finish the game, but it was still a little worrying.

Obviously, for the Oilers, we have to hope the injury isn’t serious. Pickard’s arrival in front of the net has reinvigorated the group… but for the time being, it’s Skinner who’ll have to carry them through.

He did take them to the Stanley Cup Final last year, after all: the club must hope to see that goalie again tonight.

Extension

Skinner’s backup tonight will be Québécois Olivier Rodrigue. He has played in two NHL games this season, with decent numbers, but nothing more.

Let’s see how it all plays out against the Golden Knights tonight.

Categories
Uncategorized

Leafs-Panthers: Anthony Stolarz’s streak looks over (and Joseph Woll will have to be better)

In the first game of the series between the Maple Leafs and the Panthers, Anthony Stolarz fell victim to… Sam Bennett. The Panthers forward, who has a reputation for being a bit vicious, elbowed the Leafs‘ goalie in the head, and the Leafs’ goalie was stunned.

Stolarz was seen vomiting on the bench… and hasn’t been seen since.

The Leafs ‘ #1 goalie didn’t even make the trip to Florida, and this morning we learned from Craig Berube that Stolarz hasn’t even started skating yet.

So, according to Joshua Kloke (The Athletic), Stolarz’s streak appears to be over. The chances of seeing him again against the Panthers “are starting to look slim”.

Obviously, this isn’t ideal for the Maple Leafs, who would certainly have preferred to retain the services of their starting goalie. But it also means that we now need Joseph Woll, who was in net for the last two games of the series, to step up.

Because if the Leafs are to win, Woll will have to be better than he was yesterday. Finishing a game with an efficiency rate above .900 would be no luxury, let’s say.

Yesterday, Woll looked weak in front of some of the Panthers’ shots (the overtime goal was particularly ordinary), but we’re still talking about a goalie who’s had some good times in the NHL. If he can’t regain his confidence soon, the guys in front of him will start to feel it… and the repeated playoff failures of recent years may come back to haunt them.

But for now, the Leafs need to focus on the fact that they still lead the series 2-1 and that now is not the time to feel sorry for themselves… even if it is frustrating to see that Bennett wasn’t punished for an action that could cost the team’s #1 goalie the entire series.

Overtime

– NHL schedule for the evening.

– Can the Jets believe it?

– Bobby Orr’s famous goal is 55 years old today.

– There are some great names on this list.

– Derek Carr announces his retirement. His shoulder is seriously banged up.

– Too bad.