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Shea Weber felt betrayed by David Poile after the trade in 2016

MONTREAL, QC - JUNE 07: Look on Montreal Canadiens defenseman Shea Weber (6) during the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs second round game 4 between the Winnipeg Jets versus the Montreal Canadiens on June 07, 2021, at Bell Centre in Montreal, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire)

Before he was traded to Montreal, Shea Weber was the leader of his club in Nashville.

He had played every game of his career in a Predators uniform and was also the club captain.

Weber thus developed a sense of belonging to the Preds, which is normal.

That’s why, in the summer of 2016, when he was acquired by the Montreal Canadiens, Weber had a hard time swallowing the deal.

Marc Dumont met him that summer at the World Cup, before his official arrival in Montreal (the tournament had been played in the summer).

That said, this same Marc Dumont was on colleague JB Gagné’s podcast and told us that Weber wasn’t happy at the time:

He wasn’t happy to be in Montreal. He felt betrayed by David Poile. – Marc Dumont

Go listen to the podcast episode. It’s worth it:

Sure, it must be frustrating at the time.

Weber was appreciated in Nashville and he loved playing there.

Seeing your GM trade you elsewhere when you’re the captain and when you have such a big role, that’s got to hurt….

But Weber can take solace in the fact that he also had a superb career in a Canadiens uniform.

He wore the “C” on his jersey, he took the Canadiens all the way to the Stanley Cup Final… And he made some good friends.

Suzuki, Caufield, Evans, Gallagher, Anderson and Armia will all be there tonight for his official Hall of Fame induction:

The Canadiens players will fly to Toronto after the game in Buffalo.

They’re keen to support their former captain… And it just goes to show how influential he was with his Montreal teammates.

Taking a step back… It wasn’t that bad, being traded to Montreal!

Overtime

– NHL 3 stars of the past week :

– To date, it’s nothing to write home about.

– Oh!

– It’s about time…

– It’s crazy too!

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A flurry of goals ends a six-game losing streak for the Canadiens

After losing their last six games, the Canadiens got a change of scenery for Monday’s match against the Buffalo Sabres. Montreal took on Buffalo early this afternoon.

Here’s the line-up the Canadiens used to try and put an end to this bad run.

And here’s the Sabres lineup.

What the Canadiens have often been criticized for this season is that they’ve struggled to score the first goal in each of their games.

This time, the Habs were able to change that. Christian Dvorak served up a powerful and precise pass to Josh Anderson, who completed the scoring on a breakaway.

Except that the Canadiens have made a habit of disappointment this season.

Less than 30 seconds later, everyone was back to square one after a Tage Thompson goal.

Martin St-Louis took advantage of the first period to try out some new defensive duos. It was hard to keep track of who was playing with whom throughout the first period.

After one period of play, it was tied 1-1.

The second period brought plenty of goals, and fortunately for Habs fans, it was their team that scored the majority of them.

Lane Hutson gave ammunition to those who want to see him take Matheson’s place permanently on the first wave of the powerplay. His point shot was redirected by Cole Caufield.

It was also Caufield’s 11th goal of the season, putting him back at the top of the NHL scoring charts.

Once again, the Canadiens’ lead was short-lived. Dylan Cozens tied the game with a deft redirect.

Then, less than a minute later, the Sabres took the lead for the first time in the game. Peyton Krebs scored Buffalo’s third goal.

It looked like the Sabres were going to be in the driver’s seat until Nick Suzuki decided to become Buffalo’s nightmare.

The Habs captain tied the game with less than a minute left in the period.

Suzuki’s dream night continued 22 seconds later. Another fine pass from Juraj Slafkovsky led to Montreal’s fourth goal.

Slafkovsky and Kirby Dach each collected two assists on the two goals.

After 40 minutes of play, Montreal led 4-3.

True to form, the Canadiens fell behind early in the third period.

Rasmus Dahlin fired a shot from the blue line past Cayden Primeau.

As if that wasn’t enough, JJ Peterka gave the Sabres back their lead less than two minutes later.

And so ended Primeau’s afternoon of work, as he allowed five goals on just 14 shots.

The fans who turned out for this afternoon’s game got their money’s worth.

Emil Heineman scored the Canadiens’ fifth goal and the two teams were once again tied.

Lane Hutson collected his tenth point of the season on this sequence.

The madness didn’t stop there!

Caufield scored his 12th of the season moments later.

The Sabres requested a review of the sequence, claiming that Mike Matheson had made a pass with his hand, but the referees ruled that the puck had bounced off Matheson’s glove.

The goal was awarded and Caufield was now alone at the top of the NHL scoring charts with 12 goals this season.

Buffalo pulled their goalie with just under two minutes left in the game. Unfortunately, Suzuki and Caufield were unable to take advantage of the opportunity to score a hat trick.

Christian Dvorak scored to confirm the Canadiens’ 7-5 victory.

The Habs return to action on Thursday against the Wild in Minnesota.

Overtime

– The support players are getting the job done this season.

– Mike Matheson is working hard defensively.

– This is definitely something for the Habs to improve on.

– Great lineup!

– Heavy losses for Buffalo.

– He had quite a game.

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Martin St-Louis was not asked about Gerard Gallant

On Monday lunchtime, a rumour surfaced that the Canadiens had met with Gerard Gallant. The rumor mill is in full swing in Montreal, so much so that Kent Hughes was forced to comment on the situation before the Habs game.

The Canadiens’ general manager completely denied having met Gallant, saying he had never spoken to him.

The Canadiens were playing an afternoon game in which they managed to end a six-game losing streak. Let’s just say everyone was in good spirits, except perhaps Cayden Primeau, who allowed five goals.

At the post-game press conference, no journalist dared ask Martin St-Louis about the Gerard Gallant rumor.

So you have to wonder why the journalists didn’t ask about this.

Perhaps the Canadiens organization had asked journalists not to ask questions about it before the press conference.

Even though the Canadiens won a big offensive game, it’s something that would have caught the eye of many interested parties.

It’s also strange, considering that Renaud Lavoie will be appearing on JiC this evening to talk about this very situation.

So this is the kind of question we might have expected from Lavoie.

As my colleague Marc-Olivier Cook mentioned at the end of his piece on Kent Hughes denying that he had met Gallant, it may be that Montreal is trying to hide its discussions with Gallant so as not to run any risks.

General managers can’t always say what they’re up to on the sly. Remember the P.K. Subban saga with Marc Bergevin.

On June 24, 2016, Bergevin told reporters that Subban wasn’t on the market. Five days later, Subban was traded to the Predators.

So we’ll have to wait and see if the Canadiens hire Gallant, but certainly a little help from an experienced man behind the bench wouldn’t hurt in St. Louis.

Overtime

– Four points for the captain on Monday.

– The broadcast on the main channel paid off.

– A nice set for the Avalanche head coach.

– P.K. Subban has faith in K’Andre Miller.

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Cole Caufield leads league in goals for last-place club

The Canadiens have finally tasted victory. It’s the first time the Habs have won a game since October 27!

We’ll be honest, it was far from a perfect game, but under the circumstances, we weren’t going to spit on it.

Most importantly, the Habs’ forwards finally got their touch back. Just look at the number of points scored by all the team’s forwards on Monday.

(Credit: NHL.com)

Having six forwards with at least two points in the same game is literally candy.

With his four points, Suzuki reached the 300-point plateau in the NHL. He also helped the Canadiens regain some lost confidence late in the second period with his two goals.

His first goal tied the game and his second gave Montreal the lead just before the break.

We can’t overlook Juraj Slafkovsky’s three points. The Slovakian got on the score sheet for the first time after three games in the doldrums.

The solution was probably to put him back on the first line with Suzuki.

This first line-up of Suzuki, Slafkovsky and Kirby Dach proved to be an excellent idea. For his part, Dach collected two points.

And putting Caufield on the second line didn’t stop him from scoring goals. He may not have scored at five-on-five, but he gave himself two goals on the powerplay, where he excels.

With his two goals on Monday, Caufield now has 12 since the start of the season. He is now alone at the top of the NHL in this respect.

(Credit: NHL.com)

It’s crazy to see that in a club that occupies last place in the East!

The supporting forwards also played their part in this game. Josh Anderson and Christian Dvorak picked up two points, while Brendan Gallagher and Emil Heineman had one.

A number of other points attracted attention during the match.

1. Lane Hutson made a case for a regular spot on the first wave of the powerplay. His shot was redirected by Caufield on the Habs’ second goal, giving him his first assist. He then picked up another assist on Heineman’s goal.

These two points bring his total to 10 this season, tying him with Matvei Michkov for second place among rookie scorers.

(Credit: NHL.com)

The closest rookie defenseman in terms of points is Seamus Casey of the Devils, who has just four on his record.

Emil Heineman is also on this list with five points.

2. “The boys had had enough”. That’s what Martin St-Louis said after his team’s first win in seven games. It seemed to do the Habs dressing room a world of good.

3. Cayden Primeau doesn’t look like he belongs in the NHL. It was disastrous to watch. The Canadiens didn’t allow many shots. They led 23-18. Primeau still found a way to let in five goals on 14 shots.

With an efficiency rate of .845 this season, he can’t really be trusted in front of the net.

4. Speaking of shots on net, the Canadiens surprised by winning this battle. It’s rare for that to happen and it’s what can tip the balance in a game, especially when your defense and goalies are ripping it up.

5. The Canadiens’ centers are at it again in the face-off circle. Once again, the Habs weren’t able to do well on face-offs, winning only 39.4% of them.

Something really needs to change here. We know it’s something the Canadiens are working hard on in practice, but we’ll really have to double our efforts on this.

It’s a great victory in the Gerard Gallant era… it’s a joke.

Overtime

– Season over for Mantha.

– Well done.

– Well deserved.

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The Canadiens meet with Gerard Gallant

Ask @MaximeTruman, I told him… Ask him if it’s big if you don’t believe me!!!!

– Georges Laraque (@GeorgesLaraque) November 11, 2024

Georges mentioned around dinner time that he had some very interesting information about the Canadiens that he was going to reveal on his show the next day (today). And he linked me to it a few minutes later…

So, what was Georges’ news?

As just revealed on BPM Sports, Kent Hughes and Martin St-Louis met with Gerard Gallant in a Toronto café a few hours before the game against the Maple Leafs on Saturday.

Why were they there? We don’t know. A source witnessed the meeting in question – even though the principals involved tried to do so away from curious onlookers – but was unable to hear what was said.

But we can speculate…

1. Kent Hughes and Martin St-Louis may meet with experienced candidates to support Martin behind the bench.

The Canadiens have lost their last six games and sit alone in last place in the entire NHL… even though a month and a half ago, the organization was telling us we’d be in the mix.

Seeing the GM and head coach take part in the meeting, and not the president of hockey operations, fits with that possibility.

If this is the case, it will be interesting to see whether Gerard Gallant (or another experienced candidate) will be called upon to support Martin St-Louis behind the Habs bench.

No one has been brought in to replace Alex Burrows behind the bench…

2. Maybe Martin St-Louis wanted to listen to criticism from a guy he dared to ask for advice

I don’t need to remind you of the Martin St-Louis quote, you all still have it in your heads…

It would be wise, when your team is (really) going nowhere, to ask a coach of Gerard Gallant’s calibre what he thinks of your coaching, of your club…

And what he’d do if he were in your shoes.

If Martin St-Louis really felt he needed to ask a veteran like Gallant for advice, that’s very mature of him. Acknowledging weaknesses and mistakes – and asking for help – is commendable.

Itremains to be seen whether Gallant was an advisor for a day, or whether the option of hiring him as a coach-consultant is on the table.

Reminder: the Canadiens hired Roger Grillo as a consultant-coach back in September (and we’re not sure what he does, but hey).

3. Kent Hughes, Martin St-Louis and Gerard Gallant just felt like drinking coffee together on Saturday afternoon… talking about anything and everything.

Forget it! 0 chance!

Who is Gerard Gallant?
Gerard Gallant is a familiar name in Montreal; he was Michel Therrien’s assistant with the Canadiens from 2012 to 2014. And he doesn’t speak French, before you ask…

He played in the NHL from 1984 to 1995, before moving into coaching. And he’s been coaching for over 25 years!

He was head coach of the Panthers (from which he was fired on the road, before taking a cab), the Golden Knights and the Rangers. He also played in the QMJHL, where he won two championships with the St. John Sea Dogs.

In short, he’s got experience behind the bench… and that’s exactly what Montreal is lacking right now. How do you hard-coach without losing your dressing room? How do you adjust during a match? How do you out-coach your opponents?

It should be noted that Martin St-Louis never played under Gerard Gallant in the NHL, and that Jeff Gorton was no longer with the Rangers when Gerard Gallant was hired by them.

It’s also worth noting that Gallant is from the Maritimes, and that it was easy for him tofly in and out of Toronto on a Saturday afternoon.

In closing, Gallant had signed a four-year contract with the Rangers in 2021. He’s available now, but the Canadiens would still have to deal with the Rangers if they decided to take Gallant on.

Gallant, 61, would love to get back behind an NHL bench. But would he be happy to be behind Martin St-Louis? God knows…

Overtime

– I hope some of my colleagues on the Canadiens beat dare to ask Martin St-Louis about this one after today’s game…

– If they could make ONE move as Habs GM, fans would hire an experienced assistant coach. So I guess they’re happy with Georges’ information this afternoon…

– Sport is a show. It’s entertainment. And my buddy Georges has figured out how to put on a show and entertain. #Marketing

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The Habs are dead last in all these categories

Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images

The Sharks won last night against the New Jersey Devils thanks to a 44-save shutout by Mackenzie Blackwood.

The result?

As of this morning, the Canadiens find themselves in last place in the overall National League standings.

But it doesn’t stop there…

The Habs are dead last (32nd) in the standings, and when you look at the various statistical categories, you can see why things aren’t going well.

After all, the Habs are also the worst club in terms of differential (-23), they’re the worst club in terms of goals allowed so far this season (62) and they’ve also collected the fewest wins so far (4).

Even the Sharks have won more games… and that’s far from positive.

(Credit: NHL Screenshot)

The Habs’ goal for the 24-25 season: to be in the mix.

Good news, then! The Habs are in the mix… But for the race for the first pick in the next draft. #Oops

On a more serious note, the main goal was to see the club progress on the ice, and lately, it’s hard to believe that’s happening.

The club is struggling to score goals… They’re giving away a lot of goals because the goalies aren’t making the big saves… The players are mixed up in the defensive zone because they don’t understand how the system works… The effort is there one game out of three…

Watching the Canadiens play for two weeks is no fun. The guys have to look at the standings to motivate themselves, because in a way, it’s starting to get embarrassing.

That said, today is a great opportunity to put an end to the humiliating sequence of six consecutive defeats.

The Montreal team will be in Buffalo to face the Sabres (7-7-1), who are off to a decent start to the season.

It takes a good result (and effort on everyone’s part)… Otherwise, the mood in the dressing room – which isn’t great – will become even heavier than it is at the moment.

Overtime

– Good old Alex Galchenyuk.

– Bravo!

– He does look good.

– Coming up.

– What a football match!

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44-save shutout for Mackenzie Blackwood

Photo by Elsa/Getty Images

Only three games were played yesterday in the NHL.

But there were still a few things to take away from what turned out to be a rather quiet evening.

Let’s take a look together:

1: Blackwood is too good for the Devils

If you’d told me before the game that the Sharks would win 1-0 and that Mackenzie Blackwood would make 44 saves to earn the shutout, I probably wouldn’t have believed it.

But that’s exactly what happened.

The Sharks’ goalkeeper was simply dominant in front of his net, stopping the attacks of New Jersey’s powerful forward line.

A great performance he’ll remember for a long time:

Late in the game, with the score at 1-0, the Devils did everything they could to try and tie the game.

Except we almost witnessed a rather comical moment.

The Devils almost scored on themselves:

Note that it was Jake Allen who was guarding the cage for the Devils.

He finished the game with 26 saves on 27 shots. Nico Sturm was the lone scorer for the Sharks.

2: Big win for the Hawks

The Chicago Blackhawks hosted the Minnesota Wild, and like the Devils-Sharks game, there weren’t many goals in the game.

Jason Dickinson scored in the first period, but we had to wait until the end to see the Wild wake up.

The Minnesota team managed to tie the game thanks to a Matt Boldy goal:

The third period ended with the score tied 1-1.

Overtime was therefore necessary to determine a winner between the two clubs, and it was finally Philipp Kurashev who ended the debate with a good wrist shot :

Petr Mrazek was solid in his team’s 2-1 victory, making 32 saves on the 33 shots he faced.

Connor Bedard was quiet in the game, registering just two shots on goal.

He has four assists in his last seven games… And he’s on a quieter streak offensively.

3: A goal for Leo Carlsson in a Ducks victory

Is it just me, or… We haven’t heard much about Leo Carlsson since the start of the season?

It’s understandable that he’s playing in Anaheim and that the Ducks’ activities are somewhat under the radar, but still.

I’m telling you about him because the young forward played a key role in his team’s victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Carlsson scored his 5th goal of the season (in 14 games):

Cutter Gauthier also chipped in with an assist on the Ducks’ first goal.

Gauthier is still looking for his first NHL goal, with six assists in 15 games so far.

Carlsson’s goal gave the Ducks a 4-2 win over the Blue Jackets.

Overtime

– Nice save.

– He’s off to a great start.

– Love this.

– Top scorers of the night :

(Credit: NHL.com)

– Six games today, including the Canadiens against the Sabres :

(Credit: Google Screenshot)

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Demidov looks fearful in front of his coach

When he was selected by the Canadiens in the 5ᵉ spot at the last draft, Ivan Demidov looked like such a happy kid.

A little guy who had finally achieved his childhood dream.

He’s having trouble getting the absolute trust of his coach, Roman Rotenberg, even though he’s producing a lot for an 18-year-old.

Recently, SKA St. Petersburg held a press conference with Rotenberg, Demidov and another teammate.

And to be honest, Demidov doesn’t look too happy. At least, not the way he looked at the draft.

It’s normal to experience pressure as an 18-year-old player in the KHL, drafted 5ᵉ picks overall.

But listening to the press conference with English subtitles, you really get a sense of fear from the Habs prospect.

What’s more, after saying that Demidov is young and talented, he didn’t hesitate to say that he needs to work on some things and that he simply wants the best for his team.

“He’s young and talented, but there’s a lot to work on. I also try to improve my work every day and give more to the team than other coaches can give.” – Roman Rotenberg

Rotenberg is also seen looking at Demidov awaiting the latter’s approval after saying that the competitive spirit is present and you have to be competitive to win.

It looks as if Rotenberg wants to point the finger at Demidov’s lack of competitiveness and fighting spirit.

With so few clips of SKA games, it’s hard to get a good overall idea of the player, given little details like competitiveness.

Still, the stats are there and the Habs prospect dominates when he plays and the team wins when he produces.

One plus one makes two, doesn’t it?

If Demidov gets reasonable playing time, he produces and his team’s record is much better when he’s on the scoresheet.

Lack of consistency in his use can prepare him for the worst, but it can also affect his confidence.

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The Canadiens’ prospect, Sam Harris, is the NCAA’s leading scorer

DENVER, CO - APRIL 15: Forward Carter King (15) of the Denver Pioneers commemorates the moment with teammates forward Sam Harris (12), goaltender Paxton Geisel (30) and forward Tristan Broz (16) during a celebration of the Pioneers' record setting 10th NCAA national championship at Magness Arena on the DU campus on Monday, April 15, 2024. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)

If we can’t be satisfied with the Canadiens’ performance so far, we can at least look at our prospects.

Our feeder club, the Laval Rocket, is firing on all cylinders with nine wins in eleven games, and several of our prospects are doing very well in their respective leagues.

These include our two first-round picks this year, Ivan Demidov and Michael Hage, as well as goalie Jacob Fowler, who picked up his third shutout today.

However, a much less talked-about Canadiens prospect currently leads the NCAA in scoring with nine goals in nine games. That’s Sam Harris, a fifth-round pick, 133rd overall, in the 2023 draft.

He moved into the scoring lead with a three-goal performance over the weekend in his University of Denver team’s double win over Lindenwood University.

In addition to leading the scoring charts, his thirteen points put him seventh in the American college circuit. All this while playing on his team’s second line. No worse for wear!

By the way, Denver is currently the highest-ranked team in the NCAA and is still undefeated after ten games.

And for those wondering why Harris is playing on the second line with stats like that, it’s simply that his teammates on the first line, Jack Devine and Aidan Thompson, both lead the scoring charts with seventeen points apiece.

The Pioneers have five players among the top twelve scorers this season and are currently the team to beat in the NCAA.

This is a more than interesting start to the season for Sam Harris after a rather ordinary debut campaign of 21 points, including 14 goals, in 42 games.

But whether this is a real breakthrough for the Canadiens prospect, or just a good sequence, is open to question. In the latter case, it could be an incredible steal for a fifth-round pick, should he continue to perform like this.

But only time will tell.

However, with three Canadiens prospects – Sam Harris, Jacob Fowler and Michael Hage – performing well with their teams ranked first, second and seventh respectively in the NCAA, it’s a great time to start looking at college hockey.

Overtime

– It’s time to start thinking about it.

– Serial reinforcement for the Rocket?

– It’s hard to swallow!

– Not easy for the Cowboys…

– Big win for the Cards.

– Sixth win for the Chargers.

– Moncton emerges victorious.

– A third title for Joey Logano.

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A third shutout in eight starts for Jacob Fowler

While the Canadiens’ goalkeepers have been struggling since the start of the season, our prospects in front of the net have been doing just fine.

Connor Hughes and Jakub Dobes(lower-body injury for eight to ten weeks) have helped the Rocket to their best ever start to a season, with a record of nine wins and two losses.

However, another young goalie off to a great start with his college team, Boston College, is Jacob Fowler, who earned his third shutout in just eight games earlier this afternoon.

He’s already equalled his total from last season, when he played 39 games, 31 games less. His stats are unbelievable, like something out of a video game!

Fowler boasts a 1.26 goals-against average, just ten goals in eight games and a .950 save percentage. He already has seven wins, including three shutouts, in just eight starts. It’s insane!

It has to be said that Fowler also plays for a very good NCAA team, Boston College was ranked second in college hockey’s top 20 last week. With its two wins over the weekend, the team should remain in the same position. However, Fowler’s performances are an important part of the team’s success.

Since being selected 69th overall in the 2023 draft by the Canadiens, Fowler has been burning up the NCAA, and the team may have made a steal with this selection. His first-season stats (2.14, .926, 32-6-1) were already more than respectable, but this year he’s taken it to a whole new level.

That said, Jacob Fowler isn’t the solution in front of the net for the Canadiens, either in the short or medium term.

There’s no way the team will recall him before the end of the current season, especially since Boston College has a good chance of participating in the Frozen Four tournament and will want the presence of its goaltender.

And with Hughes and Dobes showing good promise since the start of the season (and practice camp), they’d be more logical candidates should the Canadiens want to recall a goaltender this season.

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However, a recall is probably not the solution for the Habs, because while the team’s goalies are bad, the defense is just as bad, and that’s absolutely not an ideal context for a young goalie.

So we’ll have to be patient before we see Jacob Fowler’s arrival in the professional ranks, but it’s nice to see another prospect performing well on his own.

No word yet on whether the Canadiens will offer him a contract this summer or whether he’ll play another year in the university ranks, but we could perhaps see a duel between Jakub and Jacob for the number-two spot (or starter in Laval) at the next training camp.

In short, something to keep an eye on!

Overtime

– To be continued!

– The Chiefs win thanks to a blocked kick.

– Pittsburgh wins a tight duel.

– Five in a row for the Bills.

– He’s costing the Penguins dearly.

– Force yourself a bit!

– Ouch!

– Psyche XD!

This content was created with the help of AI.