Author: Dose

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Gallagher couldn’t have had a better start to the season

MONTREAL, CANADA- NOVEMBER 5: Brendan Gallagher #11 of the Montreal Canadiens celebrates after scoring a goal during the second period of NHL regular season game between the Montreal Canadiens and the Calgary Flames at the Bell Centre on November 5, 2024 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Matt Garies/NHLI via Getty Images)

Ahhhh, good old Brendan Gallagher.

We loved him so much when he was in his prime… Because he worked his butt off night after night for the Canadiens logo.

His form waned during the 20-21, 21-22 and 22-23 seasons, so much so that it was said that he had become a burden on the club’s rink.

But now…

Now it’s time to start giving him some love again, because realistically, the veteran couldn’t have had a better start to the season.

Last night, the forward scored his 5th goal of the campaign (in only his 13th game) and could have had one more had Josh Anderson not entered the zone so quickly on the Habs’ disallowed goal midway through the third period.

It was a beautiful goal too, his 5th of the season:

Five goals in 13 games is a pace of 31 goals over a full 82-game season.

Imagine if he could keep up!

But beyond goals and offensive production, Gallagher is off to a good start because he’s staying true to his style of play.

Let’s cut to the chase: it’s true that he’s not as fast as he was eight or ten years ago, and it’s true that he doesn’t skate with the same intensity throughout his entire career.

But Gally does what he has to do. He goes into traffic, he still disturbs opposing goaltenders… All this while being super disciplined on the ice.

Eille! We don’t talk about it, but Gallagher has only two penalty minutes in 13 games this season.

That means he’s not hurting his club the way he often has during his career, and it shows he’s doing things the right way on the ice.

We know he has a big salary and maybe earns too much money for what he brings to the rink.

But if Gally continues to set an example like this by showing up for every game, if he’s able to produce when needed, if he continues to be a role model for others who should follow his lead, and if he’s able to not hurt the Habs by staying disciplined on the ice, I’ll take him any day in my lineup.

It’s hard to ask for more, after all.

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Nashville’s solution: get Barry Trotz behind the bench?

Yesterday, Barry Trotz was the talk of the town. Why? Because his comments on the possibility of rebuilding the Predators, a few months after they broke everything on the autonomy market, were ridiculous.

Would the Preds owner let that happen? No.

We agree that the Preds’ ugly record (nine points in 13 games, tied for last in the NHL) is horrible and that something has to be done. But the solution isn’t a rebuild.

This morning on BPM Sports, Renaud Lavoie addressed the subject. And his suggestion is simple: get Trotz back behind the bench.

What Lavoie is saying is that Andrew Brunette isn’t necessarily the right man for the job, and that the best coach in the organization is currently in the GM’s chair.

He believes that the Preds’ owner could ask Trotz to resume his place behind the bench to bring the club higher up the standings for the future. His assistant could take more space on the second floor and go to GM meetings, for example.

This would bring Trotz into an environment he knows well, as he is the third-winningest coach in NHL history.

(Credit: NHL)

The former Capitals and Islanders man was, of course, the Preds’ first coach, and as Renaud Lavoie points out, he’s never had a better club under his belt.

Wouldn’t he rather manage it than let someone else do it, seeing how bad it is?

I imagine that the way the season has started, everything will be on the table for the Preds. And whether Trotz goes down or not, a change of coach could be a realistic solution to save the club.

It remains to be seen how long it will take before management reacts. To be continued…

Overtime

– How good will the Canadiens be?

– Alexander Moginly at the Hall of Fame? [RG]

– I love it.

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Habs problems: Several former coaches weigh in

Everyone has an opinion on the Canadiens’ start to the season, because it’s been pretty tough.

For example? In the eyes of Stéphane Waite, who has been the club’s goaltending coach for years, Martin St-Louis is searching for his identity, and he should have an experienced coach at his side.

He said this on 98.5 FM yesterday.

But he’s not the only NHL alumnus with an opinion on the subject. We can also talk about Michel Bergeron, who knows what it’s like to manage in the NHL in Quebec. He also knows what it’s like to run a bad club.

And as he told TVA Sports, in his eyes, the Habs are improvising.

One night’s speech is different from another night’s speech. One day’s practice is different [from the next].

There’s no continuity, and that’s why I have the impression that the Canadiens is an improvisation festival. – Michel Bergeron

We could also talk about Michel Therrien, who was in the NHL just a few years ago. He said that the Habs are too focused on certain individuals.

He believes that if this continues, management will have to decide what to do.

The question here is: would Martin St-Louis, who doesn’t listen to criticism from people he wouldn’t ask for advice, ask one of these former NHL coaches for advice?

As time goes by and expectations are raised, it’s clear that there’s a lot of grumbling in town. Whether it’s in the media or among fans, results are needed to see the Habs move forward.

The ball is in Martin St-Louis’ court.

Overtime

– Really?

– Like the result?

– Speaking of women’s hockey.

– He’ll be one to watch on Saturday.

– Well, well…

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Ivan Demidov (finally) on the powerplay

Ivan Demidov and SKA were in action against HC Sochi.

For those who made the connection, we’re actually talking about Matvei Michkov’s former club. This is where the Flyers’ prospect – who will be left out tonight by John Tortorella – played his last season in the KHL, after being loaned out by SKA.

But we’re not interested in Michkov here. How was the game for the Habs’ prospects, you might ask?

The forward, who’s been having a good time lately, was more relaxed in his game today.

He finished the game with just one shot on goal, but was still used for almost 16 minutes (15:53) by his head coach.

Roman Rotenberg begins to understand that he can count on him if he needs a goal. At the end of the second period, Demidov was punished for holding… And when I saw this, I thought his game was over because Rotenberg often benches him after seeing him do something stupid on the ice.

But no: the SKA head coach needed to create a spark in the third when his club was behind, and he wasn’t afraid to use Demidov.

Ah, and the Habs prospect even got a chance to play on the powerplay:

I wonder if Roman Rotenberg has a fever….

On a more serious note, seeing Demidov get the playing time he deserves is good news.

Let’s not forget that he only spent 8 minutes and 27 seconds on the ice in his last game… But now, Demidov has played more than 14 minutes in five of his last six games.

So much the better!

At least, that should please Kent Hughes and the Habs, who are supposed to visit him in Russia soon.

By the way… I get the impression that Roman Rotenberg knows that the Habs’ visit is coming up, and that maybe that’s why Demidov has been used so much lately, even though he logically deserves it.

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Jack Hughes voted to become President of the United States

Now that’s funny.

The US election was earlier this week and we know that Donald Trump won.

But among all those who voted to elect the new President of the United States, there was one who made his comedian… By voting for Jack Hughes, the New Jersey Devils player.

I’d like to say it’s a joke, but it’s not.

His teammate Paul Cotter also received a vote, as did Jalen Hurts, NFL player for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Oh yes, someone also voted for Bugs Bunny:

I have a feeling this joke came straight from the Devils’ bedroom.

I’m sure the guys thought it would be funny to see Cotter and Hughes each get one vote to become the new U.S. president… And I have to admit, it works.

It’s a good prank. If Marc-André Fleury played in New Jersey, the mystery would be easier to solve, hehe.

That said, I hope at least one journalist will broach the subject with Jack Hughes and Paul Cotter, because I’d be curious to see their reaction to all this.

Overtime

– El’ Capitaine.

– Oh…

– Can’t wait to see this.

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It’s official: The NCAA opens its doors to CHL players

Discussions had been going on for some time about allowing players who had played in the CHL to join the NCAA.

We knew the project was moving forward, but we didn’t know when it would be confirmed.

The news came today: the NCAA has officially approved the rule, which now allows any player who has ever played a game in the Canadian Hockey League to play in the American college circuit.

All in all, this is big news for junior hockey in North America.

Players who have signed an NHL contract won’t be able to go back to university to play… But what’s interesting is that NCAA players will now be able to attend NHL camps.

And that’s big news too.

This is an important development as it will allow NHL teams to properly evaluate their prospects.

All guys are going to be eligible to attend the camp, after all, so it’ll be easier to see where NCAA players are at in their respective development because they’ll have the opportunity to measure themselves against big league players.

Note that the effective date of the new rule is August 1, 2025. This means, therefore, that if the Habs select a player at the next draft and he is expected to play in the NCAA in 25-26, the principal interested party will be entitled to participate in the Habs’ practice camp next September.

If the rule had been approved last summer, a guy like Michael Hage could have been there at the habs’ last camp:

I really don’t hate it.

Now, it remains to be seen how all this will impact the caliber of each of Canada’s junior hockey leagues.

That said, I can’t wait to see how many kids decide to leave Canadian junior to join the NCAA, because we know how popular the university circuit has become in recent years…

Overtime

– What do you think?

– Great idea.

– Pooler alert: Marc-André Fleury will play tonight.

– Well done.

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Michael Pezzetta’s punishment has gone on long enough

MONTREAL, QC - SEPTEMBER 24: New Jersey Devils left wing Xavier Parent (67) defends the puck against Montreal Canadiens left wing Michael Pezzetta (55) during the New Jersey Devils versus the Montreal Canadiens preseason game on September 24, 2024, at Bell Centre in Montreal, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

This morning, there was no practice as such before the game against the Devils.

However, that doesn’t stop us from knowing that Samuel Montembeault will be in front of the net for the club, and that Lucas Condotta will have the chance to enter the line-up.

He obviously takes the place of Oliver Kapanen, who is back in Europe for the rest of the season.

Then again, I can’t help but notice that Michael Pezzetta isn’t being used and has been passed over in the pecking order. That’s quite usual, in the case of the Ontario forward.

And I think that’s enough.

Would Pezzetta single-handedly change everything? Obviously, the answer is no. But rewarding a guy who waits his turn without making waves to take someone else out would send two messages.

It wouldn’t do any harm to a club that’s going nowhere… and it would send the right message to a guy who keeps the right attitude.

Since the start of the season, El Pezz has played just three times. He played against the Rangers and in the next two games, back-to-back against the Blues and Flyers.

Although he hasn’t been a major factor and hasn’t been as involved as one might hope, the club has won two of its four games this season with #55 in the lineup.

(Credit: ESPN)

I don’t know what kind of punishment he’s entitled to (only playing three of the first thirteen games and only playing the ones where Juraj Slafkovsky was injured is a punishment) since the start of the season, but it would be time to bring him back into the lineup.

Is the Canadiens afraid that it’ll work out and they’ll have a dilemma on their hands?

That’s a real question, by the way. After all, it’s easy to take Pezz out of the lineup, but it’s a lot harder to do it with a guy like Joel Armia, Christian Dvorak or Alex Newhook, for example.

I’m sure he’s finding the time long. But for the good of the club, publicly, he doesn’t whine.

Overtime

– Beautiful moment.

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– Max Fried in Toronto?[MLB Passion]

– Good news.

– No word on when Auston Matthews will be back.

– Team Canada: a name to watch.

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Paul Byron invited David Reinbacher to spend time with his family

For David Reinbacher, the 2024-25 season is his first full-time in North America. Last year, he came to Laval to finish the year, but spent most of the season in Europe.

It had been a laborious year marked by countless coaching changes, so the Habs were happy to bring him into a more stable environment.

That said, the youngster suffered a serious knee injury just minutes before Patrik Laine suffered the same fate, and while the latter could return in a couple of months or so, Reinbacher’s season is essentially on the rocks. He might play a few games at the end of the season, but nothing more.

And given that the youngster has just arrived in America, it’s not necessarily easy for him. He doesn’t have his family or close friends around him, so it’s easy to be isolated in such a situation. Especially since rehabilitation can be mentally demanding.

But the Canadiens are trying to avoid this: on Halloween night, Paul Byron invited Reinbacher to spend the evening with his family.

The young defenseman was the delight of many youngsters that evening.

Our colleagues at HabsolumentFan also reported the news.

It’s great to see Byron, who works for the club, trying to take Reinbacher under his wing. The youngster has had to deal with some big changes in his life in recent months, and if the club can help him feel at home in Quebec, that’s a good thing.

Mathieu Chouinard notes that Reinbacher was not familiar with Halloween celebrations in America. So Byron invited him to his home to experience it all.

And for the Habs, it will be all the more important to take such initiatives in the coming days, given that Oliver Kapanen has been sent back to Europe. Yesterday, Kapanen stated that he has been spending a lot of time with Reinbacher since the start of the season, and the two seem to be close.

But now that he’s gone, we’ll have to make sure that the youngster continues to be in contact with members of the organization.

We know that Reinbacher is sometimes around the Habs and/or the Rocket. He’s been seen a few times on both teams’ victory videos (more often on the Rocket’s, that said), and the club will have to keep making sure the kid ‘s doing well.

He’s already going through a major adjustment and recovering from a major injury, so we need to help him with what we can control at the Canadiens.

Overtime

– Should Lane Hutson shoot more often?

– My colleague Marc-Olivier Cook agreed at lunchtime.

– These guys are amazing.

– It’s still the talk of the town.

– Cool!

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Mike Matheson (560 NHL games) takes inspiration from Lane Hutson (15 games)

Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images

Although the Canadiens are off to a rocky start, there are a few bright spots. Cole Caufield is scoring a ton of goals, and Jake Evans and Brendan Gallagher are playing some great hockey.

And rightly so: these are good things happening with the club.

That said, on the blue line, Lane Hutson is another big bright spot. His seven points in 13 games are a fine production, but above all, he’s really dynamic on the ice.

He’s not a perfect player, but he adds a much-needed element of mobility to the Habs’ blue line.

And clearly, the youngster’s style is inspiring some of his teammates. In conversation with Anthony Martineau(TVA Sports), Mike Matheson confessed that he draws inspiration from his young teammate.

And that’s despite the fact that Matheson (560 games) has quite a bit more experience than Hutson (15 games) in the Bettman circuit.

Matheson, who says he’s already been advised to always try to get elements out of his teammates’ play, is trying to incorporate the young defender’s famous shoulder dekes into his game. It’s an element that helps Hutson create space on the ice and often makes his opponents look bad, so Matheson wants to try and have similar success.

You could almost say that #48 is an influencer at this point. He didn’t invent it, of course, but he’s one of the most frequent users of these dekes.

In a context where many fans would like to see Hutson tame Matheson from the first powerplay wave, it’s nice to see that the veteran doesn’t see the youngster as a threat, but as a guy he can learn from. And that’s even if he might think he has no time to waste on that, given that he’s a veteran and has already had his share of success with his own style of play.

The question now is whether more and more NHL players will adopt the famous shoulder deke. It worked for Hutson, and with Matheson successfully integrating it into his toolbox, maybe some mobile defensemen (or even some forwards) will figure it can help them, too,

To be continued.

Overtime

– Darren Dreger finds talk of regression in the Habs “a bit strong”.

– Price family launches foundation.

– The kind of habs season where we talk about the coach’s drinking… in November.

– It’s been tough for Elias Pettersson since he signed his new contract.

– Nice sequence for the Habs prospect.

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Another goal for Ovechkin

Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images

The Canadiens didn’t play last night.

But there were three other NHL games.

Let’s find out what happened:

1: Another goal for Ovi

It’s only a matter of time.

But Alex Ovechkin – barring a major surprise – is on track to break Wayne Gretzky’s record for most career goals scored (894) in the National Hockey League.

The Capitals’ captain took advantage of the visit of the poor Predators to score his 8th goal of the season (in 12 games) and his 861st career goal:

With 861 career goals, Ovi is just 33 goals away from tying Gretzky’s record.

It’s coming…

The Preds lost again last night. The Caps won 3-2 and continue their excellent start to the season.

Steven Stamkos scored in defeat, but Barry Trotz can’t have been happy with his team’s result.

We knowhe’s already thinking about rebuilding…

2: Golden Knights too good for Oilers

We’re transported to the middle of the third period, when the score was 2-1 in favor of the Oilers.

But that’s when Noah Hanifin stepped up.

The big defender tied it with a beautiful goal:

I say Noah Hanifin got up… Because he’s also the one who played the hero at the end of the game.

The score was still tied (2-2) and Hanifin sent everyone home by scoring with 48 seconds left on the clock.

A devastating goal for the Oilers:

Mark Stone completed the scoring in an empty net to give the Golden Knights a 4-2 win.

Jack Eichel’s performance was also noteworthy in the Knights’ victory, with three points (including a goal).

3: Easy win for the Wings in Chicago

This was Patrick Kane’s second game in Chicago since his departure.

And I guess he put money on the board because the Red Wings won easily (4-1) over the Blackhawks.

Connor Bedard was cleared from the scoresheet for a rare occasion, and the game was highlighted by Dylan Larkin’s fine goal:

When he uses his speed… He’s really hard to stop.

For the Wings, this is their second consecutive win. The team has a 6-5-1 record since the start of the season, which isn’t awful… But it’s not great either.

Oh, and for those wondering: no, Patrick Kane didn’t play a part in his team’s victory.

He was cleared, just like Bedard.

Extension

– He’s well accompanied.

– Sometimes it takes a little luck to score!

– Last night’s top scorers :

(Credit: NHL.com screenshot)

– It’s going to be a lot busier in the NHL tonight :

(Credit: Google screenshot)

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