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Series wrap-up: The Panthers needed just five games to take out the Lightning

The Canadiens’ season is over.

But yesterday, there were also two other NHL games.

Here’s what caught our eye:

It’s over for the Lightning too

The first period of Game #5 between the Lightning and the Panthers didn’t lack for action.

The two clubs exchanged two goals in the opening frame… and that set the tone for the game:

In the second period… both clubs also had the same mission: to score.

Aleksander Barkov and Jake Guentzel took turns scoring and the game was tied 3-3 :

It was really after that that we saw the Panthers take control of the match.

Sam Bennett was chased down, the Florida team was able to resist the Lightning’s five-man attack…

And that same Bennett scored coming off the bench. It changed the game:

The Panthers never looked back.

They were able to eliminate the Lightning in just five short games with a 6-3 victory, and that’s a bit of a surprise.

Because in reality, some people thought the Tampa Bay team would go all the way.

The Lightning really looked dangerous with their big offensive players… but the Panthers did a great job throughout the series of neutralizing Tampa Bay’s best elements.

The Panthers deserve credit.

And now they’re in a position to rest up before facing the Leafs or Sens.

Hellebuyck

You’d have thought Connor Hellebuyck’s game had started well when you look at this save.

The Jets goalie quickly stole a goal from the Blues :

But… we saw the Hellebuyck of the playoffs come back afterwards.

The Jets’ netminder allowed two goals on the first five shots he faced. Not a good enough performance from the best goalie in the world:

But… Hellebuyck was able to reposition himself and it helped his team win the game.

The Jets took advantage of their goaltender’s “confidence” to score three unanswered goals (including one in an empty net), when the score was 2-2.

The Blues took off their goalie at the end of the game to attempt a comeback and scored.

But at 5-3, the damage was already done.

The Jets won (5-3) to take a 3-2 lead in the series. Hellebuyck wasn’t great in front of his net, allowing three goals on 19 shots, but hey.

It’s the result that counts, I guess…

It should also be noted that Mark Scheifele was shaken up during the game.

The Jets player was solidly beaten by Brayden Schenn AND Radek Faksa during the game:

After the duel, Jim Montgomery (Blues coach) said Scheifele was injured on the check he received from Faksa.

And Jets coach Scott Arniel… said afterwards that he didn’t know Montgomery had a medical degree and that the Blues coach “was in the field”.

Sounds promising for the rest of the series!

Extension

– This is what it takes.

– It’s all happening!

– Top scorers of the night :

(Credit: NHL.com)

– Four series that could end tonight :

(Credit: NHL.com)
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Slobbery on Instagram and nice on X: the Capitals pass their messages to the Canadian

The Capitals won their first-round series against the Canadiens.

And what do you notice when you go to the platform’s social networks? That the person in charge of posting on Instagram didn’t take the same tone as on the other platforms.

On Instagram, the club took an arrogant tone, using a translation tool to say “c’est la vie” to the CH and its fans. Do you think it’s fair play for Instagram, or a bad winner?

But does this reflect what the club’s field hockey people think? Not necessarily.

I’d be very surprised, for example, if Spencer Carbery, who made a point of congratulating David Savard on his fine career and showing class throughout the series, was proud of his team’s Instagram post.

And the club, on Twitter? It took a kinder tone, under the circumstances.

On X, the Caps mentioned that the series had been excellent and that the CH had a good club. The Capitals added that the club would be back in the playoffs in the future. That’s more respectful.

On Twitter, the Capitals also posted a message in honor of Savard, whose time in the NHL has clearly been memorable. Clearly, Savard is the man of the hour right now.

That’s why the message on Instagram is… amazing.

extension

– Speaking of Carbery’s class:

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Martin St-Louis: “It hurts, but it’s nothing compared to the joy to come”

It’s all over for the Canadiens. The club lost in five… and I said that.

The club will return to Montreal tomorrow and there will be no media availability. After that, the players will empty their lockers and meet the journalists. Will that be on Friday? To be seen.

And then it’s over for good in Montreal. The Rocket will be front and center.

The 2024-2025 season will have seen a huge step forward and the club’s return to the playoffs. The experience of young players is very important for the future.

And that’s clearly where Martin St-Louis wanted to hit the nail on the head following today’s setback.

Because even though the CH was smaller than the Capitals on the ice, and we saw what the CH needed to improve for the future, Martin St-Louis is still proud of his boys.

And he’s not afraid to say it: he’s proud to lead the Habs.

St-Louis, who spoke of the importance of having David Savard to teach the youngsters how to play the right way, knows that the club has done what it can to win.

And he knows it’s only the beginning.

The pain right now is normal, but I think it’s nothing compared to what’s coming… the joy that’s coming. – Martin St-Louis

St-Louis knows he has good players and good people in his dressing room: that’s what makes him proud. He knows that his club will come back stronger in the years to come.

And he’s right.

in a row

– Still.

– Captain’s comments.

– Good listening.

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Tom Wilson: “We knew the Canadiens were going to play cheap”

That’s it: the Canadiens’ season is officially over. The club put up a good fight against the Capitals, but the latter finally eliminated the CH in five games.

And, at the same time, they ended the career of David Savard, who was emotional on the ice tonight.

That said, what we’ll remember about this series is the intensity between the two clubs. There was plenty of action… and of course, Tom Wilson was at the heart of it all.

And after his team’s win tonight, Wilson chatted a bit about the series… and he had a few words for the Habs:

We knew they were going to play cheap. – Tom Wilson

We know that Wilson, who doesn’t exactly have a reputation for being a good boy, is capable of leaving his mark when the going gets tough. It’s a bit ironic, though, to see him criticize the CH at this level, given that this series began with the Capitals physically dominating.

Did the CH fight back? Yes. Did they always respect the limits? Probably not, no… but mostly in response to the Capitals’ physical play.

That said, Wilson did want to give the Habs some respect. He recognized that the CH guys are tough and that the best is yet to come for them. And that’s something we know in Montreal: the club is still very young.

But obviously, for the CH youngsters, this series was a learning experience. The youngsters gave the Capitals a hard time despite the fact that the series was rather short, and it was a series that didn’t come down to much.

The turning point, in the eyes of many, was Wilson’s check on Alexandre Carrier in Game 4… and even Alex Ovechkin admitted as much.

To see Wilson say that the CH was “going to try to play cheap” after all that, it sounds a bit like a bad winner… but after all, he enjoys the role of villain.

And since he won, he can afford it.

Extension

We know that in this series, Wilson and Josh Anderson have had it out for each other on many occasions. Their tug-of-war on the bench, for example, has been a prime example…

But tonight, the two guys shook hands, and you got the sense that the two guys have a lot of respect for each other.

Well done.

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In pictures: David Savard in tears after his last NHL game

The Canadiens’ fifth and final playoff game was also the very last of David Savard’s NHL career.

After the game, the Montreal players shook hands with the Washington players, and even they knew it was Savard’s last NHL game.

The defenseman received several long hugs from his opponents. A nice gesture of respect from the Capitals.

The best part (and a little sad) is that Savard got a lot of love from his teammates after the game. He was seen in tears in the arms of several of his teammates.

The players saw him as an example in the dressing room, almost like a father. He was the kind of veteran the Canadiens needed to reach the playoffs.

In a post-game interview, his teammates showered him with flowers.

“We really wanted to win it for him. […] He had quite an impact on our youngsters in the dressing room. It’s all to his credit.” – Alexandre Carrier

“I sometimes needed his help. He’s one of the best guys in this locker room and I wish we could have extended his career by a few games.” – Nick Suzuki

“We would have liked to give him a better end to his career, but everyone will remember what a good teammate he was.” – Jake Evans

Even his head coach Martin St-Louis took the time to explain what a professional Savard was in that locker room.

David Savard retires with a fine record: 870 regular-season games and 62 playoff games.

We can’t forget his Stanley Cup, which he won in 2021 with the Tampa Bay Lightning against the Canadiens.

He’s earned his retirement and accomplished a great deal in rebuilding the Canadiens.

Extension

David Savard was a real wall during his career, blocking 1624 shots in 870 regular-season games.

That’s good for 35th in the NHL since the statistic began to be compiled during the 2005-2006 season.

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Taylor Raddysh testified at the 2018 Junior Team Canada trial

Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dube and Cal Foote are all accused of sexual assault. The 2018 Team Canada Junior players allegedly sexually assaulted a woman in a hotel room.

All five accused former NHL players have pleaded not guilty.

On Wednesday, Capitals player Taylor Raddysh was called to testify on the sidelines of the trial. The testimony took place before game five between the Canadiens and Capitals.

In fact, Raddysh was McLeod’s roommate. It was in McLeod’s room that the sexual assault allegedly took place.

Questioned on several aspects of the situation, Raddysh tried to answer to the best of his recollection, but had difficulty with several details.

He remembers being invited into McLeod’s room by McLeod and Boris Katchouk. He then went into the room for a brief moment, but left a few moments later.

He also remembered seeing a girl in a bed, but his memory wasn’t clear enough to recall whether she was dressed or naked.

Raddysh did, however, confess to receiving a text message from McLeod around 2:15 a.m. telling him to “come to my room if you want a gummer.” A gummer, in Raddysh’s words, would be a term meaning oral sex.

A week after the alleged assault, Raddysh was informed by a member of Hockey Canada that an investigation was underway.

The current Capitals player wrote to McLeod and Brett Howden to inform them of the investigation.

We’ll have more details when other members of the team testify. Raddysh’s testimony is expected to continue on Thursday.

It’s sad, but this horror story is likely to go on for quite some time.

In bursts

– It’s not how, it’s how much!

– The Rocket’s first playoff goal.

– Still, it wasn’t a surprise.

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86 points in 23 playoff games: McDavid and Draisaitl are unstoppable against the Kings

After being eliminated by the Oilers for the last three seasons, the Kings thought they were done for when they took a 2-0 lead in their first-round series this season. Edmonton, however, bounced back to win three consecutive games.

During this three-game stretch, Connor McDavid collected six points and Leon Draisaitl seven.

The Kings’ biggest problem is countering this monstrous duo. In fact, McDavid (46) and Draisaitl (40) have combined for 86 points in 23 playoff games against the Kings over the past four seasons.

(Credit: stathead.com)
(Credit: stathead.com)

It’s simply unbelievable. Poor Kings who have to deal with this two-headed monster every year.

McDavid is the player with the most points against the Kings in NHL history. It’s the sixth-highest point total against a single playoff team in NHL history.

Draisaitl, meanwhile, has managed a point in each of his last 19 playoff games against the Kings. He scores goals and assists by the ton, but he does it consistently.

He gives his team a chance to win every game.

In 2022, the Oilers won in seven games. The following season, it was in six and then in five in 2024. Edmonton won’t follow logic by winning in four games, but if we forget the first two meetings of this series, logic could be respected with an Oilers victory in the next game.

With players like that, the Oilers didn’t need much help in front of their net, except that this year, Stuart Skinner really hit rock bottom in the first two games of the series.

Since game three, it’s been Calvin Pickard in front of the Oilers net. Granted, he’s far from an elite goalie, but he gets the job done, keeping his team in the game while his offense fills the opposing net.

It’s a bit like the story of Carey Price, who never won a Stanley Cup because he didn’t have a good attack in front of him. With a good goalie, McDavid, Draisaitl and the Oilers could easily be Stanley Cup favorites.

In Brief

– Development in this story.

– Ouch.

– It won’t be for a while, but he has the potential.

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Everything points to Alexandre Carrier playing tonight

Are you ready for Game 5 of the Habs’ series against the Capitals tonight in Washington?

Reminder: one loss and the CH goes on vacation.

The Caps have a 3-1 series lead…

For tonight’s game, we’re keeping an eye on a few stakes.

Among them? The presence (or not) of Alexandre Carrier… who had to leave the last game after being buzzed by Tom Wilson.

The Habs defenseman didn’t train with the group on Monday, and it was unclear whether he’d be able to take part in the game even though he made the trip with the team.

But all indications are that he will play tonight, according to the warm-up :

We already know that Patrik Laine won’t be playing tonight.

Oliver Kapanen is likely to keep his place at center on the fourth unit… but given that it’s do or die for the Habs tonight, we can expect Martin St-Louis not to use him much.

Samuel Montembeault won’t be playing either.

The Canadiens’ goalkeeper is still nursing an injury, and it will be Jakub Dobes’s job to be good enough in front of the net tonight to give his club a chance of winning.

In defense, there are no changes to the line-up.

Arber Xhekaj will keep his place in the line-up and Jayden Struble will be left out.

Extension

On the other side of the rink, Logan Thompson will be the Capitals’ starting goaltender tonight.

Aliaksei Protas, who missed the start of the series, will also be in uniform.

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Jesperi Kotkaniemi has not scored in his last 23 playoff games (!)

Despite being selected with the 3rd overall pick in 2018, Jesperi Kotkaniemi never became the player we thought he would be.

He was seen by the Habs organization as the club’s 1st center of the future, but we know that never worked out.

And now that he’s in Carolina… it’s not much better either.

The man nicknamed “KK” in Montreal enjoyed a respectable second season with the Hurricanes (43 points in 82 games), but has since regressed. He finished his last two campaigns with 27 points (79 games) and 33 points (78 games), which isn’t great.

But it’s especially in the playoffs that the former Canadiens player has tended to disappear over the past two years. Kotkaniemi has NO goals in his last 23 playoff games… and only five assists in that span.

His last playoff goal came on May 5, 2023…

Oops.

The worst part of all this is that there are still five years left on the player’s contract in Carolina.

At his salary ($4.82 M per season), that’s a lot for a player who doesn’t give enough offensively… and the Hurricanes could quickly find themselves with a problem on their hands if things don’t settle down for the main interested party.

Time is starting to run out, too, because Kotkaniemi will turn 25 this summer, in July.

Few players his age are in a position to blossom in the NHL, and it’s not as if Kotkaniemi is constantly improving either.

It looks like the opposite is happening right now :

(Credit: HockeyDB)

The CH missed out by drafting him so quickly, but the CH also succeeded by deciding not to match the Hurricanes’ hostile offer.

Because right now, everyone would be shitting themselves if Kotkaniemi were still playing for the Montreal Canadiens.

You could even say that the CH has practically avoided disaster…

Gossip

– The boys!

– Indeed.

– Wow.

– That’s a change.

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Series : Rocket players and coaches really trust Jacob Fowler

The Rocket series kicks off tonight.

The Canadiens’ training club is in Cleveland for the first two games of their series against the Monsters, and Jacob Fowler will have the job of guarding the Rocket cage.

Cayden Primeau has been recalled and is currently with the CH.

But even though Fowler doesn’t have much pro experience – he’s only played three games in the AHL so far – his teammates and coach have every confidence in him.

Pascal Vincent, Lucas Condotta and Rafaël Harvey-Pinard all say the same thing: they’re not worried about Fowler.

The players and coaches know that Fowler has the talent to help the team. And they feel he’s ready to face the music:

The guys weren’t going to plant it publicly, we understand. But you can really sense in their comments that the team has confidence in Jacob Fowler, even though he’s never played in the playoffs at the professional level.

That said, Fowler joined the Rocket at the beginning of April and didn’t have too much trouble performing well in his first AHL games.

His performance was truly respectable at the end of the regular season:

  • 2-1-0 record
  • .914 efficiency rate
  • 2.32 goals-against average

The goalie is also coming off a big college season, and that’s going to help his confidence. The time is right for him to prove himself at a more important point in the season, and if the words of his team-mates are anything to go by, it should go well.

It will also be interesting to see Pascal Vincent’s decisions when Cayden Primeau returns to the Rocket.

If Fowler is smoking by the time Primeau returns, maybe that’ll force Laval’s hand… because in reality, the 25-year-old goalie deserves the opportunity to play with his dominant season in Laval.

It’s something to keep an eye on.

In gusto

– Georges and Gonzo did what they had to do to win tonight.

– Um…

– The experience is different when you’re sitting in the front row.

– He’s too good.

– Well done!