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Series wrap-up: A fire at Scotiabank Arena didn’t stop the Leafs

Yesterday was Easter, and three playoff games were on the schedule.

At 3pm, the Hurricanes hosted the Devils, at 7pm, Ottawa was in Toronto and at 10pm, the Wild crossed swords with the Golden Knights.

Here are the day’s results:

Ontario’s first battle belongs to the Leafs

One of the most exciting series of all is undoubtedly that between the two Ontario teams.

Last night, the Maple Leafs and Senators crossed swords in Toronto for game one. In the end, it was the Leafs who prevailed with a convincing 6-2 victory, despite a fire in the arena early in the evening.

Just before half-time, Oliver Ekman-Larsson broke the ice in this series.

Later in the period, Mitchell Marner put the red light back on with a superb breakaway goal.

Before the end of the period, however, Ottawa came back to life.

Drake Batherson scored his first elimination goal, and let’s just say Anthony Stolarz wanted to see the sequence again.

In the second period, Toronto’s playoff experience showed.

First, John Tavares scored a power-play goal.

Still on the power play, William Nylander took advantage of a five-on-three situation to give his club a four-goal lead.

As for Brady Tkachuk, he’s still not welcome in the Queen City. He couldn’t care less about the booing, though.

A victory that will do Toronto a world of good, as they lead the series 1-0.

The two teams will meet again on Tuesday in Ontario. A promising match-up, given the way the game ended at Scotiabank Arena.

Two goals from Logan Stankoven; Hurricanes lead 1-0

If there’s one thing I take away from the Canes-Devils game, it’s that I don’t think the Devils are going to win a game.

And if Montreal were to beat the Capitals, it would be very difficult in the second round against Carolina…

Yesterday, Rod Brind’Amour’s team won 4-1.

Logan Stankoven was the star of the victory. In his first playoff game with the Hurricanes, he scored two goals. The second and the third.

He already has two more goals than a certain Mikko Rantanen…

Anyways.

Late in the second period, New Jersey captain Nico Hischier gave his team some life, but it wasn’t enough.

The Raleigh club finally finished the match with 45 (!) shots.

The two teams will meet again on Tuesday, at 6pm, in Carolina.

The Canes lead 1-0.

Two Brett Howden goals propel Vegas to victory

Late in the evening, the Golden Knghts hosted the Wild.

Vegas struck late in the first period, Tomas Hertl broke the ice in this series.

Minnesota fought back, however, with Matthew Boldy scoring both of his team’s goals in the game.

But his two goals weren’t enough.

Brett Howden also scored two goals, including the winner:

And the insurance one in the last second of the game.

The 4-2 win propelled Vegas to a 1-0 series lead.

The two teams meet again tomorrow in Vegas.

Overtime

– For the Devils, Jacob Markstrom injured Cody Glass with a stick.

– It was originally a five-minute, but after revision, he only got a two-minute.

– More of the same.

– He needs to give more.

– Last night’s top scorers.

(Credit: NHL.com)

– Four games on the bill tonight:

(Credit: NHL.com)
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Ivan Demidov represents a challenge for the Caps, according to their head coach

Earlier in the evening, Danslescoulisses revealed his team’s predictions for the Canadiens-Capitals series.

The predictions were fairly mixed, but most columnists expect a lot from Ivan Demidov. And clearly, so do the Caps. Their head coach, Spencer Carbery, spoke to the media today and praised the young man.

He also admitted that his team is wary of the Russian.

Washington knows Demidov’s talent and knows he could be a game changer.

The problem for the Caps: they don’t have much video on the youngster, who played just two games with the Habs. Like everyone else, the DC team has highlights of him in the KHL, but it’s not the same league, obviously.

But in the two games he played in the NHL, the coach noticed that he’s the kind of player who thrives when the platform is big and wants the puck at all costs, especially in important moments.

Against the Blackhawks and Hurricanes, we saw some very good flashes from the young man who collected two points in one period against Chicago. How dangerous will he be in the playoffs? Will he be the Habs’ best player?

Alex Ovechkin and his team will be waiting for him, that’s for sure.

In addition to praising the 93, Carbery also had good things to say about the opponent’s core of Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield.

One thing’s for sure, the next recipient of the Jack-Adams Trophy isn’t taking the eighth-ranked team in the East lightly.

He knows what happened in 2010…

But to add to Demidov’s story, we learned today, via Olivier Primeau’s X account, that he’s partnered with Downlow, the new relaxation drink.

Lane Hutson has also been a partner for a few days now.

Two young people partnering with a Quebec company in their first year…

Let’s hope this doesn’t become a distraction.

Burst

– Not ideal…

– Not the best call.

– Zeev Buium’s debut.

– What’s up, TVA?

– Not a pretty sight.

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Kirby Dach travels with the team to Washington

The Canadiens landed in the U.S. captain’s chair earlier today.

Tomorrow, Martin St-Louis’ team will play its first playoff game since the 2021 season. Many will be playing in their first career playoff game, including Kirby Dach, who made the trip with the team.

No, number 77 won’t be playing, but he’ll be supporting his club from the stands. And don’t hold your breath: Dach won’t be playing in the playoffs, and we’re still waiting for him to start next season.

In 57 games this season, the center collected 22 points, including 10 goals.

He hasn’t played since February 22 against the Ottawa Senators. Although the CH doesn’t necessarily miss him, he wouldn’t have been out of place in the playoffs. He’s talented, and perhaps with an Ivan Demidov, he would have been a bigger offensive contributor.

Martin St-Louis’ line-up for the first game of the series should remain unchanged from the last regular-season game.

Here are the trios at morning practice:

Samuel Montembeault will be the automatic goalie.

We still don’t know who his opponent will be in front of the net.

In gusto

– The Habs are reportedly in business with a Jaccob Slavin.

– I can imagine.

– Coming up.

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Logan Thompson or Charlie Lindgren: coach refuses to confirm who will be in front of the net

Tomorrow sees the start of the long-awaited series between the best team in the East, the Washington Capitals, and the Montreal Canadiens.

In goal for Martin St-Louis’ team: Samuel Montembeault, no surprise.

But for Washington, it’s a little less certain. Will it be Logan Thompson or Charlie Lindgren? Spencer Carbery refuses to confirm which of his left-handers will start the series.

Whether it’s Thompson or Lindgren, I don’t think it’s going to affect the opponents’ game plan.

Yes, Thompson is better, but so what. We’re going to find out tomorrow night who the coach thinks is going to be the starter.

Logically, it will be the one who has maintained an efficiency average of .910 and a goals-against average of 2.49 who will start the season. But Thompson hasn’t seen action since April 2. As for Lindgren, his season has been a little less fruitful.

In seven of his last eight games, he hasn’t maintained a save percentage above .900. The CH hopes to face him.

The rest of the line-up that will face the Tricolore tomorrow is a little clearer.

No Aliaksei Protas (66 points this season) at last count, which is a great announcement for Montreal.

Look out for Ryan Leonard, a player built exactly for the playoffs. At morning practice, he completed a trio with Lars Eller and Andrew Mangiapane, two players who are no slouches either.

In gusto

– Nice.

– Ah bon.

– Rob Hutson is cheering for the Habs.

– The CH will need his physical contribution.

– Montreal is playing better defensively.

– A great way to end.

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Canadiens vs Capitals: team predictions

It’s here: the Canadiens’ first-round series is upon us.

We’ve been setting the table for this series for days on this site, but here’s what our columnists are predicting for the first-round series between the Canadiens and Capitals.

Who will be right?

Maxime Truman: Capitals in 7

I think the Habs will be able to pull off no fewer than three wins. The Bell Centre could not be louder.

However, this young group has struggled to pick up a point at the end of the season, when it was needed to confirm their place in the playoffs. I think a 4th win will be almost impossible for this young group. But it’s all part of learning and gaining experience…

Marc-Olivier Cook: Canadian in 6

The Caps enter the playoffs with bad momentum. And the CH will take advantage of its recent success to create one of the big surprises in the first round of the playoffs.

Raphael Simard: Canadien in 7

I’m confident that the magic of 2010 will work again. Ivan Demidov is going to change everything.

Mathis Therrien: Canadian in 7

I think the guys are going to play without pressure like they’ve been doing most of the season, and that’s when they’ve performed best. They’ve been underestimated all season and they’ll be underestimated again.

The guys are going to play for David Savard and they’re going to stand up like never before, so I think they can surprise with Samuel Montembeault, who will be in great form, and Nick Suzuki, who is captain clutch.

FΓ©lix Forget: Canadian in 7

The Capitals are running out of gas and Ivan Demidov is going to inject some energy into the CH. He’ll be the Habs’ top scorer in this series.

I don’t think the Habs will be able to beat the Capitals if Demidov is quiet. Remember Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield against the Maple Leafs in 2021.

Kevin VallΓ©e: Capitals in 6

The Habs are out of juice. The guys squeezed what was left out of the bottom of the tank to qualify with 91 points, but the guys all have boo-boos (the infirmary is full) and the Capitals are really imposing.

Montreal got off to a bad start in the series, winning two in a row with the energy of despair, but losing out. Ivan Demidov will be dangerous, but will be slowed down by the context and his coach‘s caution.

MichaΓ«l Petit: Canadian in 6

The Habs will take advantage of the Bell Centre’s energy by picking up a win in Washington in Game 1, because the Capitals will be taking the CH lightly.

Juraj Slafkovsky will play like a true Brady Tkachuk and all the trios will contribute in one way or another.

Pablo Herrera : Canadian in 7

The Caps haven’t finished their season strong (8 losses in their last 12 games) and the ankle injury to big man Aliaksei Protas could – literally – hurt them badly in the playoffs. Their #1 goaltender Logan Thompson and reliable defenseman Martin FehΓ©rvΓ‘ry also seem far from 100%, although we should see them against the CH.

More generally, one wonders about this team’s focus and motivation after Alex Ovechkin’s record. On the Flannel side, in theory, Nick Suzuki and Lane Hutson are the two best players in this series.

With a little help and magic from Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky, Ivan Demidov, Patrik Laine and Samuel Montembeault, the CH’s best players could well have the upper hand over the Caps’, although Strome, Dubois, Wilson and company will have to be wary.

Montreal is just one win behind Washington in the last 52 games. First and eighth place mean nothing here.

Jonathan Di Gregorio: Canadian in 6

The CH will take advantage of a few mentally and physically beneficial days of rest to get back to its 4 Nations break level, and will surprise the Caps, who seem to be lacking a bit of gas since Ovy broke his record.

Also: Ivan Demidov!

Charles-Alexis Brisebois: Capitals in 5

The Habs have been struggling to get off to a good start in recent weeks, so playing catch-up field hockey against a playoff powerhouse won’t be easy for the young Montreal team.

But even if I see the series ending in five, I don’t see the CH getting downgraded.

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Florian Xhekaj achieves LAH first in nearly 30 years

The best prospects are often qualified by incredible production at a very young age.

In the case of the Montreal Canadiens, they have several fine young players in the organization, but there’s one who could cause a surprise next year.

Arber Xhekaj’s little brother, Florian, had a historic season in the AHL at just 20 years of age.

In the Laval Rocket’s final game of the season, Xhekaj scored two goals, bringing his total to 24.

What’s even more impressive is that he scored the majority of his goals on a 3rd or 4th line, while racking up a grand total of 175 penalty minutes.

Incredible.

Nicolas Cloutier of TVA Sports recently wrote an article on this very surprising season for the Unicorn, as Nick Bobrov so aptly called him.

In this article, we understand that Xhekaj’s achievements are a first in the AHL since the 1995-96 season.

No, but 175 penalty minutes, plus 24 goals in a mostly physical and defensive role in his rookie pro season, you’ve got to do it.

And that’s why Xhekaj could surprise many at next season’s training camp.

Personally, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him carve out a position on the fourth line.

According to the same Cloutier article, only five players in the history of the American Hockey League have ever had a season like that.

The last to do so was David Ling, who didn’t exactly have a great NHL career, but was an excellent player in the AHL.

On the other hand, Florian’s potential is arguably higher than Ling’s at the time.

Looking at Ling’s statistical record, I find it hard to believe that he wasn’t able to establish himself in the NHL as a bottom-6 player .

He played in 93 games, but there’s still hope that Xhekaj will have a longer career than Ling.

Florian may not have his big brother’s fists, but he certainly knows how to fight, and he’s still seven inches taller than Ling.

Xhekaj could also develop into a very good bottom-6 player over the years.

Keep in mind that Xhekaj will probably never be an NHL impact player, but he’ll certainly have his uses.

With the playoffs approaching in the AHL, #63 will be even more useful to his club, as he’ll be able to “stir the pot”.

The CH definitely has a gem in Florian Xhekaj, and the possibility of him playing with his brother next year is very exciting.

In gusto

– Guhle is absolutely right.

– This is good.

– I like this song.

– Dubois could be a playoff spoiler against the CH.

– The Devils were angry at being dominated by the Hurricanes.

– Some MLB news:

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21-2-2 (0.880) : Best win rate in AHL history for Cayden Primeau

It’s hard to argue with that, but the Laval Rocket had an excellent season with 101 points, putting the club in 1st place overall.

In addition to the Rocket’s record, it’s worth mentioning that six (!!!) of the club’s players finished the season with at least 20 goals.

This shows just how well-balanced the team is, and that’s important, especially in the playoffs.

What’s even more important is to have a hot-shooting goaltender in the moment, and Pascal Vincent’s troupe seems to have one in Cayden Primeau.

He hasn’t just been excellent lately, but all season long, with a goals-against average of 1.96 and a 0.927 save percentage.

Now that’s a star goalie.

But what’s even more impressive about Primeau’s season is his 21-2-2 record (.880).

This incredible record is the best single-season winning percentage for a goaltender in AHL history.

With a record like that, it’s no surprise that it’s going in the American Hockey League record books.

And the Rocket will need the Primeau of the regular season as the playoffs approach.

With all the players contributing offensively, guys like Florian Xhekaj and Xavier Simoneau who will be there to disrupt and shuffle, plus Primeau at his best, the chances of the Rocket going all the way are very good.

In fact, Primeau and Connor Hughes won the Holmes Trophy, awarded to the goaltending duo who allowed the fewest goals in the regular season.

Laval will also be able to count on Jacob Fowler to back up Primeau if needed, as Hughes is currently injured.

The latter suffered a lower-body injury during the April 6 game and will certainly miss the start of the playoffs.

And all this is without mentioning the excellent work of David Reinbacher, who provides stability on the blue line. What’s more, there’s still hope that Logan Mailoux can officially blossom during the spring dance.

His powerful shot and size will definitely help his club, but he’ll have to give it his all, as this season has been pretty tough for the young defenseman.

The Rocket has a real chance of winning the Calder Cup this season, and that would be excellent for the development of all the youngsters on the team.

Featured

– Another Lane Hutson ad, this time with L’OrΓ©al Paris.

– Slafkovsky is excited to be playing in the NHL playoffs for the first time in his young career.

– All signs point to Logan Thompson as the Capitals’ starter in Game 1 of the series against the CH.

– The Canadians are defeated in overtime in the gold medal match.

– The Los Angeles Kings better get ready.

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Monty didn’t play in the NHL playoffs, but he was excellent at the World Championship

The Canadiens enter the playoffs with a young squad.

Many of the team’s players haven’t yet had a taste of the playoffs in the National League, so seeing the CH qualify for the spring dance is a good thing.

Some of them will be able to add experience, and with a view to the next few years, when the club will be more competitive, that’s a good thing.

Among the guys who haven’t played in the NHL playoffs is Samuel Montembeault.

But for Monty, we can push the note even further: the Quebecer hasn’t participated in a playoff since he played in the QMJHL.

His last playoff appearance came in the 16-17 season, when he played for the Bailnville-Boisbriand Armada.

He hasn’t played a playoff game since turning pro:

(Credit: HockeyDB.com)

But… let’s not forget one thing either.

Monty may not have played in the NHL playoffs, but he was excellent in front of his net at the World Championship in 2023.

The Canadiens’ goalie was dominant… and he helped Canada win the gold medal:

  • 6-1-0 record
  • Goals-against average of 1.42 (!)
  • Efficiency rate of .939 (!)

Of course, you’ll tell me that the playoffs and the World Championship are two completely different things. And they are.

But still: Monty has proved he can keep a cool head and stand up at an important moment – on the international stage no less – and that’s what he’ll have to do against the Capitals.

He also gained experience practicing with Canada’s top players at the 4 Nations Confrontation. That’s no mean feat…

I was at practice this morning in Brossard and caught a glimpse of the Quebecer working alone with Γ‰ric Raymond and Alexandre Burrows for several minutes.

The Canadiens want to prepare him properly for the series against the Caps, who have several offensive players in their line-up :

Samuel Montembeault has shown time and again this season that he can help the Habs.

But the playoffs are something else… and I’ll be curious to see what he’s got up his sleeve

Because we know that a dominant goalie in the playoffs can lead his team to glory.

The CH will need Monty – as they did this season – if they hope to make any headway in the playoffs.

In a gust

– Logical.

– Of note for the Capitals.

– What will the Oilers line-up look like tomorrow night?

– Ah well.

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β€œThere’s more traffic”: that’s playoff fever in Toronto for Auston Matthews

Well, you know as well as I do, when it comes to the Stanley Cup playoffs, the Toronto Maple Leafs are a joke.

They’re known as the undisputed “chokers” of the National Hockey League, and of course, they’ve got that reputation again this year.

Even though they face the Ottawa Senators, and on paper the Maple Leafs are clear favorites, it’s hard to pick them as a prediction.

The Leafs have made the playoffs for nine straight years (an NHL record), but have won only ONE SERIES in those nine years.

Not very glorious, let’s say.

Once again this season, Maple Leafs fans will believe in their team, but the fact remains that playoff fever is more tentative, at least if captain Auston Matthews is anything to go by.

For Matthews, one of the reasons for the Toronto playoffs is that there’s more traffic.

Really?

Let’s just say it’s not the first thing that comes to mind for the Habs when we talk about the playoffs.

Rather, it’s what’s on everyone’s mind when it comes to playoff fever in Montreal.

Traffic? Seriously, Auston?

Well, obviously, it’s a little joke Matthews was trying to make after saying the weather was a little warmer and there were more people out.

But the fact remains that the Leafs’ captain looks relaxed and laid-back on the eve of the first game of his series against the Ottawa Senators.

He doesn’t look like a guy with a knife between his teeth, ready to give it his all in order to finally succeed in the playoffs and silence the critics.

In short, will Matthews finally be able to perform in the playoffs and carry his team into the second round?

The answer begins tonight at 7pm.

In a gust

– Incredible. I’ve got chills.

– They need to bounce back.

– Listen up!

– A job well done.

– Magical.

– A huge record for Poulin.

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Training: Joel Armia made some appearances on the 2nd A.N

The Montreal Canadiens were training one last time in Brossard this morning before flying to Washington for games #1 and #2, both tomorrow and Wednesday at 7pm.

My colleague Marc-Olivier Cook, true to form, was on hand to observe this last full practice before the team’s departure.

And he was able to observe a few interesting details.

He noticed that, unlike in recent days, Nick Suzuki was no longer taking all the reps on the second wave of the power play.

In fact, Joel Armia made a few appearances on the 2nd power play today.

It’s interesting, because for several weeks now, Nick Suzuki has been playing on both waves, and therefore spends two minutes on the ice when the opposing team is punished.

Martin St-Louis may be looking to lighten his captain’s load for the playoffs by giving this extra ice time to Armia, who has already often played on the 2nd wave of the power play.

The Finn is used to it, but the problem is that he’s clearly been bothered by a wrist injury for the past few weeks.

Armia hardly ever shoots anymore, so that’s probably why he didn’t take every shift on the 2nd wave today.

We want to allow him to recover, but at the same time, we want to prepare him for a role he’s likely to play in the playoffs.

It’s interesting to note that St-Louis preferred to insert Armia rather than Emil Heineman, who had had that role for much of the season.

Presumably, Heineman’s production in 2025 had an impact on the head coach’s decision.

It’s not much better for Armia, but whatever.

In short, here’s what was on the CH’s training schedule today.

In a gust

– Of note on the Caps’ side.

– Discussion between St-Louis and Laine.

– Good news for the Maple Leafs.