Author: Dose

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Ilya Kovalchuk admits: his time in Montreal is one of the most beautiful moments of his career

Ilya Kovalchuk played a total of 22 games in the Canadiens uniform.

He collected 13 points (six goals) before being traded to Washington, where he finished the 2019-2020 season.

And even though his time in Montreal was short, he had a blast:

Kovalchuk quickly became a fan favorite due to his positive energy.

People loved him – even though he didn’t stay long in town – and he felt appreciated in Montreal.

In a recent interview in Russia, the former CH player notably admitted that his time with the Canadiens was one of the best periods of his career.

That says a lot:

That must sound like beautiful music in Ivan Demidov’s ears.

The latter seems eager to arrive in Montreal… And like Kovalchuk, he is likely to be one of the highly appreciated players in the organization upon his arrival.

Already the fans love him a lot, even though he hasn’t played a single game in the CH uniform!

Returning to Kovalchuk, let’s remember that he showed up in Montreal after signing a contract following his release by the Los Angeles Kings.

It’s therefore normal to see that he enjoyed playing for the Canadiens because the organization gave him a chance, and he was able to make the most of it even though the pressure to perform was there.

He found joy on the ice and had fun with his sons outside. He was happier than ever, and it was beautiful to see:

Lastly, it should be noted that Kovalchuk officially hung up his skates after the last season in the KHL.

He experienced a lot during his career… And it’s interesting to see that he particularly remembers his few weeks in the Canadiens uniform.

In brief

– He really impresses.

– Well done.

– What will the Wild do about their captain’s injury?

– It’s true that the Avalanche is playing better.

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The Canadiens are three points away from a playoff spot.

The leaders of the Canadiens talked about being in the mix this season.

And to kick off the year 2025, that’s exactly what’s happening.

The Canadiens won a great game yesterday in Vegas, and this means that this morning, the team is just three little points behind the Ottawa Senators and a playoff spot. It’s crazy, isn’t it!

(Credit: NHL.com)

At one point, everyone was saying that the Habs were going to finish in the bottom of the NHL standings.

Rightly so… Because the team was playing really, really poorly.

However, things have really turned around in the last fifteen games. The Canadiens have won 9 of their last 13 matchups, coinciding oddly with the return to play of Patrik Laine.

Martin St-Louis has found his smile, too.

His reaction after his team’s victory yesterday says a lot:

F*ck yeah! – Martin St-Louis

 

What’s nice is that the team has been really enjoyable to watch lately because it seems everything is working.

Good for the fans, as we know how tough the last seasons have been.

Now, let’s see if they can keep it up… And if they do, the Canadiens could surprise more than a few by the end of the season.

Can we really dream of the playoffs? That question arises…

It would be a real tour de force, and I think we can all agree it would be a hell of a surprise, too.

The players said before the season started that they truly believed, and they’re proving it right now.

That said, things are going well for the Canadiens, and the same goes for the other teams in Canada.

All seven teams are in the playoff race at the time of writing these lines:

Let’s agree that the playoffs are not around the corner… But seeing Canadian teams perform like this is still fun.

It makes you wonder if there’s a chance we could see the Stanley Cup return to the country for the first time since 1993!

In brief

– Indeed.

– Happy New Year to you!

– Good point.

– Year in review for the Jays:

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Bye Bye: TVA Sports and its advertisements are getting crushed.

Happy New Year! And by the way, did you enjoy the Bye Bye this year?

For what it’s worth, I think the Infoman / Bye Bye combo was stronger than ever this year. There were great highlights throughout the evening, and it made me laugh.

The news was relevant, and it was well handled.

Of course, in both shows, there were segments about sports. Réjean Tremblay and Julie Bertrand were mentioned in both shows, and the couple even showed up on Jean-René Dufort’s show. #Iguanas

There were references to Martin St-Louis during the evening (his chairs and he were present at the end of the show), but the most notable sports sketch was undoubtedly the one featuring TVA Sports.

Basically, in the Bye Bye segment that talks about Quebecor’s sports channel, we can see Dave Morissette, Élizabeth Rancourt, and Maxim Lapierre on the set of their show discussing Montreal’s Victory.

But what stands out is that the angle chosen by Simon-Olivier Fecteau’s team is as follows: TVA Sports has numerous sponsors, and everyone notices it.

(Credit: Radio-Canada)

In an increasingly challenging sports television world, advertising is at the heart of the solution for TVA Sports. And Radio-Canada folks have not missed the chance to highlight this.

We see Élizabeth Rancourt making numerous connections with the “Pizza Solvatoré” during the segment of L’après-pas-de-match.

Eat it, or we won’t get paid. – Élizabeth Rancourt

There are also jokes about the famous Canadiens mix and the speed of women’s hockey. All of this is hosted by a Dave Morissette who is affected by his concussions and needs Maxim Lapierre to remember his own name.

Claude Legault, Sarah-Jeanne Labrosse, and Pierre-Yves Roy-Desmarais are the three comedians in the sketch.

Overtime

Of course, one must remember that being parodied on Bye Bye should be considered an honor. We can only hope that the three parodied individuals took it that way.

After all, not everyone sees it that way.

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Top-5: Canada falls to the United States in the World Junior Championship

There was a lot of action yesterday in the NHL.

The Canadiens won the first game in their history in regulation in Vegas… But we were also watching Canada, which faced the American team at the World Junior Championship.

Here’s a summary:

1: Things are starting to smell bad…

The World Junior Championship is always fun to follow.

That said, I don’t know if it’s just me… But this year, I’m finding it hard to watch Canada’s games while staying calm. The team is not playing the right way!

Last night, the Canadian team faced the Americans. And even though the guys performed relatively well, they were never able to take the lead in the game.

In the third period, with the score at 1-0 for the United States thanks to a goal from Cole Hutson, Bradly Nadeau scored to tie it up.

But in the end, we’re talking about the only moment of glory for Canada during the game:

I say it’s the only moment of glory for Canada during the game because the United States took control of the match afterward.

Danny Nelson and Cole Eiserman scored within seven minutes, and we felt the end after the Islanders’ hopeful goal:

Eiserman even took the liberty of taunting Canada’s bench…

That’s the fun of the World Junior Championship!

At the end of the game, it was Ryan Leonard who secured his team’s victory.

The U.S. captain scored into an empty net:

So Canada finishes in 3rd place in its division and will face the Czech Republic in the semifinals.

It’s not over for the team, but they’ll need to step up if they want a chance to win a medal…

2: Connor Bedard apologizes

It was the Winter Classic yesterday in Chicago.

The game was presented at Wrigley Field… But the Hawks didn’t show up.

The Chicago team lost the game by a score of 6-2 and was never in it. Connor Bedard even had to apologize to the fans because he felt bad:

When a player says that after a game like this, it’s because there’s disappointment and frustration in the locker room.

Yet, the Hawks knew the opportunity to play well was there… Especially given they were facing their long-time rival.

The Blues won the game by a score of 6-2, with Cam Fowler standing out by scoring two goals in the game.

Let’s also note that the Blues’ defenseman played in his 1000th career game in the NHL. What a nice way to celebrate!

3: A celebration that’s worth its weight in gold

It’s known: Elvis Merzlikins has quite a personality.

And we saw it last night, as the Blue Jackets defeated the Hurricanes by a score of 4-3 in a shootout.

After securing the victory for his team with a save, the goalie decided to launch the puck into the air with his stick:

I don’t know where the puck landed… But let’s just say if a fan caught it, that would be one great souvenir.

Kirill Marchenko helped his team win the game by scoring two goals, and it was a needed victory for the Jackets.

The Columbus team has only four wins in their last ten games.

4: Chaos between the Canucks and the Flames

There’s a great rivalry between the Flames and the Canucks.

We’re talking about two Canadian teams that hate each other… And yesterday, we saw it again.

Things got heated in the second period:

Fights, penalties… At one point, the party was stuck in the penalty box because there were so many people.

The following video made me laugh:

And when we look at the score sheet, we realize it was completely crazy in the second period:

In all of that, let’s note that it was the Flames who ultimately won the game by a score of 3-1.

Nazem Kadri scored his 14th goal of the season, and Jonathan Huberdeau scored into an empty net.

Let’s note that Huberdeau has 16 goals so far this season. Things are going better for him this year.

5: Save of the Year for… Moritz Seider?

Usually, when we talk about the save of the year… It’s because a goalie made a spectacular play.

But this time, the honors go to Moritz Seider, who really saved a goal with an incredible stop:

Wow!

The Wings defender is known for being reliable in all three zones of the ice, but maybe he should convert to a goalie.

Hehe.

The save was beneficial, by the way, because the Wings won the game by a score of 4-2 against the Penguins.

Patrick Kane scored his 7th goal of the season in his team’s victory.

Overtime

– Beautiful goal.

– Oh!

– Oops… Hehe.

– When Andrew Mangiapane decides to play tough standing at five feet and ten inches:

– The top scorers of the night:

(Credit: NHL.com)

– Just one game today in the NHL: Kings vs Devils, at 6 PM.

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Here are the five players from the CH who impressed the most in 2024.

Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images

In 2024, the Canadiens had a rather difficult year on the ice. The team’s record (32-37-14) is not particularly dominant, and the club was never close to making the playoffs.

That said, it would be wrong to say that 2024 was a completely wasted year for the club. Five players particularly impressed this season, and they deserve to be recognized for their efforts.

Here are the five players on the team who impressed the most in 2024:

Juraj Slafkovský

A year ago, there were serious doubts about Juraj Slafkovský’s development. There was uncertainty about whether the first overall pick in 2022 would eventually become the player the Canadiens thought he could be.

However, at the turn of the year, there was a breakthrough for Slaf. He suddenly seemed to gain confidence, and his chemistry with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield was evident on the ice.

He earned a huge eight-year contract, and even though his 2024-25 season has been a bit disappointing so far, we saw this past year that a confident Slaf can change the game in Montreal.

Statistics in 2024: 80 games, 20 goals, 58 points

Lane Hutson

Since being drafted in 2022, Lane Hutson has been a source of excitement for fans in Montreal. After dominating the NCAA for two years, Hutson made the jump to the NHL this year.

And while some wondered if the kid would need a bit of time to find his footing in the NHL, that was certainly not the case: right from his arrival, he showed he was up to the task.

He plays like a guy who can aspire to be among the elite offensive defensemen in the NHL for many years.

Statistics in 2024 (NHL): 39 games, 2 goals, 28 points

Samuel Montembeault

By trading Jake Allen, the Canadiens clearly demonstrated that the plan in 2024 would be to see if Samuel Montembeault has what it takes to be a #1 goalie in the NHL.

After being a success story since his arrival, Montembeault stepped up in his new role, even earning a spot on the Canadian team for the Four Nations Faceoff.

He’s even capable of showing some flair in front of his net, and until a young player takes his place, Monty is right where he belongs as the #1 on a rebuilding team.

Statistics in 2024: 55 games, record of 23-24-8, goals against average of 3.06, save percentage of 0.902

Jake Evans

Jake Evans has been grinding as a supporting player in Montreal for a few years now. The center, who rarely makes headlines, has however stepped up his game in 2024.

Set to become a free agent at the end of the current season, he has found his scoring touch, while also becoming a real asset for the Canadiens on the penalty kill.

He is well-positioned to command a hefty paycheck this summer, whether it be in Montreal or elsewhere.

Statistics in 2024: 83 games, 15 goals, 40 points

Brendan Gallagher

It has been a struggle for Brendan Gallagher these past few years in Montreal. The veteran, who has mileage on his body, has greatly slowed down since his peak years.

However, over the past year, we have seen Gallagher return to being a quality supporting player in Montreal, proving he can still be effective in a reduced role.

He may not be playing up to his annual salary of $6.5 million… but he has been able to redefine himself.

Statistics in 2024: 78 games, 21 goals, 36 points

Conclusion

Of course, players like Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield have also been solid, but in their case, this is what we expect from them. They are the two highest-paid players on the team offensively (excluding Patrik Laine), and we expect to see both of them elevate the team.

Laine could also have been considered, but let’s wait and see if he can maintain his pace a bit longer. After all, he has only played one month.

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Canadian: Eight players are on track to score 15 goals or more this season.

MONTREAL, CANADA - OCTOBER 9: Cole Caufield #13 of the Montreal Canadiens celebrates after scoring a goal during the first period of the NHL regular season game between the Montreal Canadiens and the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Bell Centre on October 9, 2024 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Vitor Munhoz/NHLI via Getty Images)

Scoring goals has not been an easy task for the Canadiens in recent years.

Often – too often, in fact – it was evident that there was a lack of offensive power within the team, which partly explains the club’s failures over the past few seasons.

But it seems that the trend is changing.

I’m saying this because the Canadiens could have eight scorers with 15 goals or more by the end of the season if all the guys stay in town and continue to produce at this level.

And it’s been a long time since we’ve seen this in Montreal:

  • Cole Caufield: pace of 42 goals over an 82-game season
  • Nick Suzuki: pace of 24 goals over an 82-game season
  • Brendan Gallagher: pace of 22 goals over an 82-game season
  • Jake Evans: pace of 22 goals over an 82-game season
  • Patrik Laine: pace of 35 goals over a 58-game season
  • Emil Heineman: pace of 20 goals over an 81-game season
  • Alex Newhook: pace of 15 goals over an 82-game season
  • Joel Armia: pace of 15 goals over an 82-game season

Let’s remember that Laine missed the first 24 games of the season, while Heineman missed one.

That’s why we shouldn’t project over 82 games. Heineman will play 81 games if he stays healthy, and Laine will play 58 if he doesn’t have to sit out.

We don’t know if Armia and Evans will be around after March because they could be traded before the trade deadline.

But still: for now, both guys are doing well.

(Credit: HockeyDB)

In the second half of last season, we saw Juraj Slafkovsky break through.

He finished the campaign with a total of 20 goals… And it could happen again this year if he finds his rhythm.

There’s also Josh Anderson, who is giving himself a chance to finish the season with 15 goals or more. If he maintains his current pace, he would finish the season with 13 goals, but we know Andy can also have a good streak.

All this to say that there are currently eight players on track to score 15 goals or more this season with the Canadiens, and we shouldn’t necessarily rule out Slaf and Anderson from the equation.

It’s a nice change after the recent tough years offensively.

Overtime

In all this, we somewhat overlook Lane Hutson because he has only two goals this season.

But the Canadiens’ defenseman is rather racking up assists.

He could accumulate 54 assists (over 82 games) if he keeps his current pace. For a rookie playing defense… That’s more than excellent.

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Patrick Roy pulls his goalie during a face-off in his zone (and gets scored on).

Patrick Roy is known for pulling his goalie at different times than others. But today, he really pushed the envelope.

As his team struggles this season and all solutions should be on the table, the New York King decided to pull his goalie during a faceoff… in the defensive zone.

You heard that right.

The Maple Leafs were leading by one goal with about forty seconds to go and they had a power play. Roy, wanting to make a hockey hail mary, decided to take action.

We saw the Islanders lose the faceoff, be aggressive… and concede a goal.

This means the Islanders lost by a score of 3-1. Roy’s strategy did not work, and even though he knew he might be risking it, he still looked… perplexed.

It probably wasn’t pleasant in the locker room afterwards.

With the way things are going for the Islanders, it will be increasingly difficult to dig themselves out of the hole. The club does not have a bright future, and the present is not exactly shining either.

At the time of writing this piece, here is the standings in the East.

(Credit: NHL.com)

Will Lou Lamoriello, who is not exactly known for his patience, grow weary of changing coaches? The right thing to do, in fact, would be to rebuild… but does Lamoriello want to undertake that at his age?

Let’s see what awaits the Islanders.

Overtime

– The next two weeks for the Islanders won’t be easy.

(Credit: NHL.com)
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Elias Pettersson: He is not mature enough and he could be traded, according to his GM.

Nick Suzuki has been a top-line center for the Montreal Canadiens for several years now.

His consistency, versatility, and intelligence make him valuable in all facets of the game.

He has been scoring at a pace of almost a point per game since last year, and fans are very happy to have such a good top center. A true top center has been quite rare for the CH in recent years.

However, some still wonder if Suzuki is truly a genuine top-line center, or if he would be a very good second-line center instead.

Adding a #1 center is very difficult, but Kent Hughes could pull off a big move, as Elias Pettersson is available for a trade.

This is at least a possible option, according to his general manager, Patrick Allvin, who has not closed the door on trading the Swede.

Allvin also mentioned that his star player lacks maturity.

“I believe in him, but he needs to mature and understand that there are certain expectations of him and that it doesn’t get easier. You have to face the music when things aren’t going well. Is a trade possible? I guess anything is possible.” – Patrick Allvin

He didn’t say word for word that he is on the trading block, but knowing that things haven’t been going very well for him lately, it all makes sense.

Moreover, his underperformance coincides with the return of J.T. Miller, and there seems to be friction between these two players.

However, both players involved have denied the subject, saying that the media fabricated this story.

However, Rick Dhaliwal, a reporter from The Athletic covering the Canucks, stated that this is not something made up.

He remarked that Bruce Boudreau and Travis Green could confirm: there have been issues between the two in the past and that it is not new.

Allvin could therefore decide to shake things up by trading one of the two players.

The Tricolore could undoubtedly be interested in one of the two, but Pettersson would be the better choice. In fact, they MUST be interested.

Having the opportunity to have Pettersson and Suzuki as center lines is worth trying.

It is difficult to assess the potential return that the Canucks could receive for Pettersson.

He is reliable defensively but also had a season with 102 points.

Kent Hughes has several assets that are interesting for a trade of this sort.

Personally (and don’t throw stones at me for this 100% fictional proposal), the Tricolore should propose an established player and Kirby Dach comes to mind immediately. On top of that, I would add the CH’s unprotected first-round pick to give a very interesting value and possibly one or two prospects, if necessary.

It must be kept in mind that the CH is not far from a playoff spot and adding a Pettersson would help them win more games. The chances that this pick remains in the top 3 are quite low, but anything is possible.

With a Pettersson-Suzuki center line, along with Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky, Patrik Laine, and soon Ivan Demidov, that would be intimidating.

That may seem like a lot, and I am not an NHL trade expert, but you have to give to receive and Pettersson still has very high value.

Kent Hughes really needs to give Allvin a call.

In a nutshell

– There’s only Patrick Roy to do that.

– That must hurt.

– An expensive train.

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Elvis Merzlikins paid the tribute to the Latvians after the victory against Canada.

At every Junior World Championship, there are always surprises.

The biggest surprise so far is Latvia’s victory over Canada in the first preliminary round match.

This shocked many, myself included.

When you have such a well-equipped team with so many first-round draft picks, it seems impossible to lose against the Latvians.

The effort and intensity made the difference in this match, but it was mainly goaltender Linards Feldbergs who was more than incredible.

In short, the entire team played very well and it paid off.

However, the players and staff members were not just rewarded with this victory.

Indeed, Elvis Merzlikins contacted Latvia’s management to let them know he was inviting everyone to dinner at a steakhouse in Ottawa.

This is what Bob Hartley revealed on RDS.

A very nice gesture from the Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender.

Merzlikins called the team via Zoom while they enjoyed the goaltender’s treat to congratulate them.

Bruce Garrioch from the Ottawa Sun also confirmed that they dined at Giovanni’s, an upscale restaurant.

For those who know the restaurant, it’s really not a bad choice.

This must have further motivated the young Latvians, who must be overflowing with confidence right now.

When do I get my invitation, Elvis?

In rapid succession

– Finally, a return to play for the Quebecer.

– A first in the NHL.

– That makes for a lot of interested teams.

– Klay Thompson responded beautifully.

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Jagr loses teeth, but still finishes the game with a assist mention.

Jaromir Jagr is a true force of nature.

Here he is now at the age of 52… But he is still playing for his club in the Czech Republic.

And let’s just say his last game was a bit of a wild ride.

On his very first shift during the game, the veteran took a stick to the face.

The result? He lost some teeth… So much so that he now has a slightly different smile. Hehe.

But what’s crazy about all this? Jagr finished the game… And he managed to get an assist along the way.

A true warrior!

It is often said that hockey players are tough.

And here, Jaromir Jagr has just proven it.

It’s not just the fact that he lost some teeth that impresses: at 52, he could have decided to leave the game for quite logical reasons.

But he chose to stay and help his team win 4-2, and that really deserves recognition.

Note that Jagr has played 19 of his team’s 31 games since the start of the season and has accumulated six points, including three goals.

For a guy his age, that’s more than respectable… And it shows how much he loves the sport.

He is still able to help his team on the ice, and that certainly makes him a respected player in his team’s locker room.

Quick Hits

– That explains that.

– He’s going to be good.

– That’s great.

– Oh really?