Author: Dose

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Alexandre Carrier should be with the team in Washington, says Martin St-Louis

Alexandre Carrier is on everyone’s lips at the moment. Will he be able to play tomorrow?

He didn’t train today and is being evaluated on a daily basis. But who knows if he’ll be able to play tomorrow, with an extra 30 hours of rest in his body.

Martin St-Louis, unsurprisingly, was asked about the subject this morning, after today’s training session.

What he said was that Carrier should accompany the club on the road. The only one who could possibly stay at home is Samuel Montembeault, but nothing is certain in the eyes of the coach.

If the Quebec defender is on the road with the guys, he’s got a chance of playing. We remain cautious, however.

And if he’s making the trip with the club, it’s undoubtedly because he’s capable of air travel. For a guy who’s been hit on the head, that’s a good sign, isn’t it?

We should know more tomorrow. But the fact that no recall has been issued for the trip is another good sign right now.

We should also mention that Patrik Laine, who is getting better, is being considered on a day-to-day basis by the Habs. We don’t know if he’ll be able to play tomorrow – or if the CH will need him.

We’ll see, once again, in due course.

gossip

– He’ll have some explaining to do.

– Fine in Florida.

– The Capitals don’t underestimate the CH.

– Please note.

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Patrik Laine really doesn’t look like his wrist hurts in training

Five players were missing from training this morning.

Samuel Montembeault and Alexandre Carrier, unsurprisingly, are still injured. The former is day-to-day and the latter is still undergoing treatment following Sunday’s game.

Otherwise, guys like Brendan Gallagher, Josh Anderson and David Savard were also conspicuous by their absence. But in their case, we can expect to see them play tomorrow – barring a surprise.

The surprise, however, was to see Patrik Laine on the ice with the others.

Colleague Marc-Olivier Cook reported the news, and what he told me was that Laine really didn’t look like a guy with a bad wrist. So we have to conclude that it’s better than Friday night, which is a good sign.

When he took shots, he was able to have velocity.

This is a good sign for the future for the man who lacked precision in the first two games of the series, since we know that the wrist is a factor against Laine at the moment. If he’s feeling less wrist pain, that’s only positive.

Does that mean he’ll play tomorrow? We mustn’t put the cart before the horse, because there’s a difference between a match and a training session, we agree.

We also don’t know if Martin St-Louis wants to give him ice time or if he’s injured elsewhere, like his knee, for example. But it’s something to keep an eye on.

gossip

– Of note.

– Really?

– Hurricanes goalie is OUT tonight.

– Indeed.

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Patrik Laine is present at Habs training (wearing a regular jersey)

A surprise this morning.

Patrik Laine was on the ice at the CN Complex in Brossard on the sidelines of the Canadiens’ training session. Colleague Marc-Olivier Cook was on hand to report the news.

It had been a few days since he had skated with the others, since game #2 in Washington. Since the second period, in fact.

Is his hand better? How’s his knee? And his morale? Will he be able to play tomorrow? If so, will Martin St-Louis call on his services?

These are just some of the questions.

Details to follow…

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Mike Sullivan: the Bruins and Rangers have no intention of letting him go

Ahh, the NHL coaching waltz…

Now that coach Mike Sullivan has officially left Pittsburgh, we all agree that he’s becoming a highly coveted coach throughout the Bettman circuit.

I even wonder if some executives won’t consider replacing their existing coach if Sullivan is open to the idea.

But clearly, since yesterday, there are two teams that are the talk of the town. And we’re talking about two original teams for whom Sullivan has already worked: the Rangers and the Bruins.

Both times, he’s worked in the same organization as Jeff Gorton… but I say that just for information, since the Montreal Canadiens are definitely not looking for an English-speaking coach at the moment.

All that to say, I’m not surprised to see the Rangers in the mix. After all, the club needs an experienced driver to get things back on track, and he’s got the profile to do it.

We don’t know if he wants to do it… but if he does, the job is surely his.

But if the Rangers, who will be putting a lot of money on the table to convince him to sign in New York, really want him, they’ll have to outdo the Bruins in the matter.

And right now, the Bruins are really interested in signing him.

Because Sullivan is from Massachusetts, played in Boston in the NCAA, played for the Bruins and coached the team some 20 years ago, the club must be high on his mind.

And that’s despite the difficulties on the ice.

I don’t know how he sees the club on the ice per se, but management sees it in his soup. If he wants to run the Bruins and become the NHL’s highest-paid driver, he can do it at home in Boston.

Jimmy Murphy(RG Media) thinks that if he doesn’t want to wait too long, he can talk to the Bruins whenever he wants. And it’s likely that he will… so stay tuned.

in a row

– Of note.

– Rick Tocchet: don’t underestimate the Flyers. [JdeM]

– Indeed.

– Stability in Trois-Rivières.

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Second concussion this season? Alexandre Carrier must be careful

The Canadiens are on the brink of elimination at the moment. They need to win their next three games, including two on the road, to survive and advance to the second round of the playoffs.

Is that likely? Is it possible? If the Liberals beat the Conservatives despite their monstrous lead in the polls in recent months, anything is possible, you might ask.

Let’s agree that it’s a tall order.

What’s working against the Habs at the moment are injuries. In addition to Carey Price Kirby Dach, whose season ended several weeks ago, the Habs are without Patrik Laine and Samuel Montembeault for the time being. And there’s uncertainty surrounding Alexandre Carrier.

Remember that the additions of Carrier and Laine in December energized the Habs. I know things have changed since then with Laine, but still.

Right now, the focus is on Carrier, the biggest question mark with 36 hours to go before the next game. Will he be able to play tomorrow? We don’t know.

We might get some answers today on the sidelines, but we’ll have to wait and see. After all, as you know, he was pretty banged up in Sunday’s game.

But even if the Habs’ season is on the line, we still need to play it safe. After all, if he suffered a concussion on Sunday, we agree that he shouldn’t be rushed .

We don’t know if that’s what he had on Sunday, but the head was often the point of contact in connection with Tom Wilson’s hit. It would be a miracle if the head hadn’t been affected.

We also say that because earlier this season, Carrier suffered a blow from Brady Tkachuk. It was during his last game with the Preds before being traded to the Canadiens.

In December, the word was that it was probably a concussion. He missed a few games.

So yes, caution will be the order of the day for Carrier (even if he probably wants to play tomorrow) because for his short-, medium- and long-term health, he can’t risk playing if he has a headache. And he can’t have another blow to the head this season.

Obviously, we don’t know exactly how many concussions he’s had this season, or how hard it’s been on him. But since the concussion protocol looks pretty loose in the playoffs and the officiating is… ordinary, playing with a headache, for a guy under six feet tall, is a risk.

in bursts

– That’s what Alexandre Carrier has to protect himself from.

– Yes.

– With good reason.

– Noteworthy.

– To watch tonight.

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Series in brief: Gabriel Landeskog’s turn to criticize refereeing

Last night in the NHL, two series continued.

The Stars hosted the Avalanche and the Panthers could push the Lightning to the brink.

Here are the results and highlights:

Gabriel Landeskog criticizes refereeing

Dallas is just one win away from the second round.

Yesterday, the Stars crushed Colorado and even ousted Mackenzie Blackwood from the game.

Wyatt Johnston got the ball rolling in the ninth second.

The forward finished the game with two goals and an assist.

Here’s his other goal, which hurt the visitors.

Former Avalanche and Hurricanes Mikko Rantanen finally scored his first goal of the playoffs.

About time.

Just like in the Canadien-Capitals series, the refereeing is not unanimous.

Gabriel Landeskog didn’t keep his tongue in his pocket after the defeat. “Several calls for preparatory games”, according to him.

Let’s not forget that Jakub Dobes and Martin St-Louis didn’t hold back after his team’s defeat on Sunday.

In any case, a big Game 6 to look forward to, in Colorado on Thursday.

Dallas leads the series 3-2.

Both Florida teams score two goals in 11 seconds

In the battle of Florida, the Panthers could push their opponent to the edge of the cliff.

And that’s exactly what they did with a 4-2 victory. Yesterday, all Western series were tied 2-2… and now, all Eastern series are 3-1.

In the win, both Florida teams scored two goals in 11 seconds. Tampa Bay went ahead 2-1, first.

And at the end of the game, it was the home team’s turn to score as many in 11 seconds.

Amazing!

Tomorrow, the defending champions could eliminate the Lightning in Tampa Bay.

Paul Maurice’s team leads the series 3-1.

Overtime

– Yup.

– Still.

– Players with two or more points.

(Credit: NHL.com )

– Four games on tap tonight. The Leafs and Hurricanes can eliminate the Sens and Devils.

(Credit: NHL.com )
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Checking Alexandre Carrier: Tom Wilson yelled to warn him

Last night, Tom Wilson was Tom Wilson against the Canadiens. The forward, who can hit like a train, served up a major-league check to Alexandre Carrier… and that got him out of the game.

Legal or not? Everyone has an opinion on the matter.

That said, what’s clear is that it changed the outcome of the game. Without Carrier, the CH pulled away… and the Capitals made a comeback.

But when you listen to the sequence again, you hear something surprising: someone screaming just before the check.

However, last night, a Capitals fan page rediscovered an interview with Wilson on Hockey Night in Canada earlier this season, in which the forward reveals that, from now on, when he’s about to hit someone hard, he screams before contact.

Our colleagues at HabsolumentFan made the discovery earlier today.

Of course, we agree that it’s pretty easy to figure out that the scream in question is coming from Wilson. He obviously wanted to warn Carrier to be ready for the blow that was coming… but obviously, it wasn’t enough.

And at the same time, just because you warn beforehand doesn’t mean you can do everything afterwards, we agree.

On the other hand, Wilson tries to warn the players before hitting them, to avoid the worst-case scenario. Last night, that said, it obviously didn’t have the desired effect (at the same time, it was done very shortly before the check, which didn’t give the defender much time to react)… and now we’re wondering whether Carrier will be able to return to the game for game #5.

Let’s hope that if a CH player ever hears someone screaming, he’ll be ready to take a big check… because it can be devastating.

In a gust

– What do you think?

– Of note.

– Well done.

– Love this.

– Ah well.

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“Gary Bettman is making the NHL the most p*ssy league in history”

The series between the CH and the Capitals has been the talk of the town in recent days, due to the physical play between the two teams. There’s a lot going on, and the NHL even got involved before Game 4 to tell everyone to calm down a bit.

Tom Wilson makes it sound like he didn’t get the message… but I digress.

And clearly, the league is trying to tighten the screws. Arber Xhekaj and Dylan McIlrath have, like their respective teams, been fined for causing trouble during the warm-up period.

And that disgusted some people, including Chris Nilan… who was quick to criticize Commissioner Gary Bettman:

Gary Bettman is making the NHL the wimpiest league in history. – Chris Nilan

We know that Nilan has made a career out of his physical game, so it makes sense to see him preaching to the choir. For him, it’s all part of the game.

And he can’t believe that the NHL is cracking down on guys who look a little out of place during a warm-up.

Especially since today’s fines seem to have been handed out in a somewhat random fashion. As Renaud Lavoie noted on JiC tonight, Alex Ovechkin and Pierre-Luc Dubois also crossed the red line during the warm-up… but they weren’t fined.

Double standards?

According to Nilan, Tom Wilson’s check on Alexandre Carrier was a legal act. He didn’t like the way the referees (whom he affectionately calls “donkeys” and “clowns”) called a penalty on Josh Anderson (when he had a run-in with Wilson)… and he doesn’t like the way Bettman handles it.

At least he’s consistent in what he says… even if we agree that’s not what Bettman wants.

In a gaggle

– Speaking of referees.

– He’s still effective despite his 39 years.

– Ah well.

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Connor Hellebuyck says he’ll be better

Connor Hellebuyck is having a tough time in the playoffs, but not just this year, in his entire career.

My colleague Raphael Simard wrote an article yesterday about his setbacks during the spring dance, and it’s not pretty…

It’s not complicated, Hellebuyck, as good as he is, isn’t able to perform when it counts, apart from the 2018 series where he had been very good.

But a playoff run seven years ago doesn’t justify a career of playoff despair.

Today, we found out who the three finalists are for the Vézina Trophy, awarded to the best goalkeeper, and obviously Hellebuyck is one of them, because in season, he’s always incredible.

The other two finalists are Darcy Kuemper and Andrei Vasilevskiy.

Logically, the Winnipeg Jets goalkeeper should win it.

But in the NHL, it’s not just about getting to the playoffs, it’s also about performing when you’re there, and Hellebuyck has a lot of trouble with that.

Regarding his poor performance in the 2025 playoffs, Hellebuyck made it clear that he must and will be better.

It’s a familiar saying, but now it’s time for the boots to follow the chops.

If there’s one goaltender who has what it takes to make a comeback, it’s Hellebuyck.

With a 2.00 goals-against average this season and a 0.925 save percentage (both personal bests), he has what it takes to help the Jets get past the St. Louis Blues.

“I’ve studied goaltending a lot. I’m probably the one who’s studied it the most in the world, so I know what I need to do and how to deliver my best performances.” – Connor Hellebuyck

To be confident, he is. Confidence is very important, but coming from a goalkeeper who’s known to crumble under pressure, those are big words.

“You don’t win 47 games and come into the playoffs and change everything. I know what I have to do. I like a lot of things [in what I do]. I’m not going to make any big changes.

One thing’s for sure: Hellebuyck knows where he’s going, and the Jets can only hope he bounces back next game.

They’ll need it.

In a row

– Good news for the Tampa Bay Lightning.

– Read on.

– It didn’t take long for the Quebecer to make his presence felt.

– Incredible, all the same.

– What a guest of honor!

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Top speed: Lane Hutson ranked 3rd in the NHL this season

Lane Hutson surprised many in his rookie season for a variety of reasons.

Firstly, of course, his grand total of 66 points is quite surprising, even if we knew of his offensive talent.

On the other hand, his maturity, competitiveness and ease on the ice are also worth mentioning, as he already seems to be among the elite at these levels.

Speaking of his skating, we knew he was very agile, but few fans and experts saw him as a fast skater.

Well, I can tell you that he managed to silence his detractors about his top speed.

He finished 3rd in the NHL among defensemen for the highest top speed achieved in a game, according to this tweet from the JFresh page, which used NHL data.

The first category corresponds to the highest top speed achieved during the 2024-25 season (among defensemen).

The second represents the number of blasts per 60 minutes of at least 18 MPH in the entire season, while the third category represents the number of blasts per 60 minutes of at least 20 MPH.

Hutson is 3rd (behind Quinn Hughes and Jaccob Slavin) for top speed, with an impressive 23.8 MPH recorded. However, he is also 10th in the 2nd category, while he and Matheson are tied for 19th in the final category.

Hutson has proved once again that he really is a gem on defense, and it’s very encouraging to see that he’s one of the fastest, as well as being as agile as he is.

At the other end of the spectrum, among the slowest defensemen in these same categories, we can see David Savard’s name come up.

That’s to be expected, of course, as Savard has never been a speed merchant, and he won’t be retiring after these playoffs for nothing: he’s just not keeping pace.

As for the forwards, Josh Anderson stood out, as did… Emil Heineman in the 3rd category (!!!).

Anderson is ranked 18th for the highest top speed (23.6 MPH), 6th in the 2nd category (this time for bursts of at least 20 MPH) and 9th in the final category (22 MPH and over).

Alex Newhook sees his name listed 18th in the 2nd category and 22nd in the last. That’s not very surprising, given his speed and all his zone entries on the power play (the famous slingshot).

I was pleasantly surprised to see Heineman ranked 22nd and 7th respectively in the last two categories.

We knew that Heineman had a dangerous shot, as well as being a generous checker.

But to see that he often reached 22 MPH or more is even more encouraging, as he could definitely be useful to the CH in the years to come.

Personally, I love Heineman (at least, his style of play).

He’s got a lot going for him, and now he’s got another one we didn’t necessarily expect him to have, with his speed.

A big guy who can play both ways of the rink, who’s got a great shot, who’s physical and who’s fast too, it’s hard to ask for more, honestly.

In terms of speed, the CH is in a good position, and we know that’s the club’s strength. Martin St-Louis’ team will have to make the most of this advantage over the Capitals if they hope to come from behind.

In bursts

– Once again, the work of the referees (and the league in general) is being criticized. This time, by Martin Lemay.

– Incredible.

– Nice coincidence, that.

– Now that’s really impressive.

– Gabe Vilardi will be back tonight for game #5.