Author: Dose

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“It was a pleasure to have Jacob Fowler in class” says a teacher from Boston College

This week, after the elimination of Boston College last weekend, we were closely watching what would happen with Jacob Fowler, the Habs’ top prospect in net.

After seeing Fowler’s teammates with Boston College, Gabe Perreault and Ryan Leonard, sign their entry-level contracts in the NHL, we were wondering when it would be Fowler’s turn.

And finally, on Thursday, the Habs’ prospect signed his entry-level contract in the NHL, which will begin next season. In the meantime, Fowler will finish this season with the Laval Rocket via a professional tryout.

The Habs’ top prospect in net is therefore under contract, and it’s excellent news.

Fowler is a good kid, and the organization has believed in him from the start, when they had him at the top of their list of goalies in the 2023 draft.

The Habs love Fowler, especially for his attitude, which is a key element of what the Habs are looking for in their team culture. He has great energy and a great personality that we all loved in the behind-the-scenes video of the 2023 draft.

No one is surprised when we hear a former teacher of Fowler say that he was a pleasure to have in class.

In fact, Chris Cotillo, a journalist who covers the Boston Red Sox and teaches communication at Boston College, took the time to mention that Fowler was a very good student in his classes and that he was very pleasant to have as a student.

Fowler is therefore a young man who likes to learn and especially wants to learn, which is exactly what the Habs are looking for in a young player.

The Habs’ top prospect in net not only has impressive assets on the ice, but also very important assets off the ice.

It’s no wonder that Kent Hughes and his team had set their sights on him in the third round, 69th overall, in 2023.

We really like Jacob Fowler’s overall work with the Habs.

In short, let’s see how the Habs’ new goalie will do now that he’s made the jump to the pros.

Overtime

– Ovechkin’s teammates are just as invested and happy as he is.

– CF Montreal will be in action tonight in Columbus to face Wilfried Nancy’s Crew.

– The former Leafs prospect, traded for Brandon Carlo, could play soon with the Bruins.

– It will be tough for the Bruins to remain competitive.

– For those interested.

– A player to watch in the next draft.

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Alex Ovechkin confirms it: he doesn’t want to break the record with an empty net

We witnessed a historic moment in the National hockey League last night, as the record for most career goals by Wayne Gretzky was tied by none other than Alexander Ovechkin.

The number 8 of the Washington Capitals scored two goals in a 5-3 win for the Capitals over the Chicago Blackhawks, which allowed him to catch up with Gretzky at the top.

It was a completely crazy evening in Washington, and this evening could have been even crazier if Ovechkin had scored a third goal in this game.

He would have thus tied and broken the record in one evening with a hat-trick.

It would have been clearly magical.

Moreover, several people thought he would score a third, especially when the Blackhawks pulled their goalkeeper at the end of the third period.

However, as many have been talking about for a while, breaking the record on an empty net would clearly not have the same effect.

This historic moment that would be viewed thousands and thousands of times would lose some of its charm if it were achieved with a goal without a goalkeeper in front of the net.

And fortunately, Ovechkin agrees, he who confirmed not wanting to break the record with an empty net.

The “Great 8” could have been on the ice to try to score his third goal of the game in an empty net, and thus break the record, but in the end, he told his coach, Spencer Carbery, that he didn’t want to jump into the fray.

It was finally Ryan Leonard who sealed the outcome of the game by scoring the empty net goal, he who by the same token scored his first goal in the National hockey League.

Of course, it doesn’t have the same magnitude as the goal that would have allowed Ovi to surpass Gretzky, but still, in Leonard’s place, I don’t know if I would have wanted to score my first goal in the National hockey League in an empty net.

In short, in the end, it’s good news to know that Ovi doesn’t want to break the record with an empty net, because it confirms that we will have a goal worthy of the record that will be scored.

Of course, we all hope that it will be a signature Ovechkin goal, either a shot on a powerplay or a deke.

Wayne Gretzky must also think so, he who was on site last night.

Additionally, it’s also a great moment to have the two best scorers in National hockey League history tied at the top for a while.

Tying and breaking the record in two steps gives us two historic moments filled with emotions, which is clearly not a bad thing.

Moreover, note that if Ovechkin scores at least one goal in his next game, on Sunday at 12:30 against the Islanders in New York, Ovi will have more goals than Gretzky having played the same number of games, namely 1487.

Overtime

– A well-deserved nice gesture.

– Magical.

– What an incredible season for the Trois-Rivières Lions. They were close to disappearing about a year ago, and now they’re division champions.

– The Minnesota Wild should start looking in their rearview mirror.

– Wow, what a performance.

– Incredible.

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Top-3 : the Hurricanes and the Wild did not help the Canadiens last night

Last night, in the NHL, all eyes were on Alex Ovechkin, who joined Wayne Gretzky as the top scorer in NHL history.

That being said, there was also action elsewhere in the NHL.

Here’s what to take away from last night’s game in the Bettman circuit:

1. The Islanders find their way back to victory

Not so long ago, the Islanders were at the forefront of the playoff race in the East. That being said, the team was in the midst of a six-game losing streak… so the men of Patrick Roy had some work to do to get back on track.

And last night, against the Wild, that’s exactly what the team did: they finally found their way back to victory.

The Wild opened the scoring… but the Islanders scored two quick goals in the third period.

And in the third period, Noah Dobson scored the insurance goal for his team with a powerplay goal.

That nailed the coffin for the Wild.

The Islanders won 3-1, which wasn’t the ideal scenario for the habs.

And unfortunately, that scenario repeated itself in Detroit…

2. A record for Patrick Kane in a Red Wings win

The Red Wings, another team that has work to do to get back into the playoff race in the East, faced the Hurricanes last night.

And quickly, the Wings took the lead, courtesy of old Ben Chiarot.

Both teams added a goal after that… and then it was Patrick Kane’s turn to score.

By doing so, he became the American-born player with the most 20-goal seasons in NHL history.

The Hurricanes tried to come back in the third… but Alex DeBrincat put an end to their hopes of winning with a goal in an empty net.

The Red Wings won 5-3.

For the Canadiens, it’s not the end of the world given that they still have a lead over the Islanders and the Wings… but the win by the two teams last night allows them to get back into the race.

Losing would have “pretty much” taken the two teams out of the race, but this morning, they still have a chance, however small it may be.

(Credit: Screenshot/NHL.com)

3. A first career goal for Ryan Leonard

Last night in Washington, all eyes were on Alex Ovechkin. And when we saw him equal Wayne Gretzky’s record, we wondered if he would complete his hat-trick if he had to do it in an empty net.

And we finally got the answer to the question: Ovechkin told his coach that he didn’t want to break the record that way. So last night, when the Blackhawks pulled their goalie, Ovechkin was sitting on the bench.

That being said, we still had a special moment at the end of the game: Ovechkin may not have scored, but Ryan Leonard did.

He scored his first career goal… and he did it in front of his family and friends who were attending the game.

The Capitals eventually won 5-3.

John Carlson had three points (three assists) in the win.

Overtime

– The photo of the night.

– Beautiful moment.

– Justin Robidas, the son of Stephane (who is an assistant to Martin St-Louis), played his first game in the NHL last night. He had an assist.

– Game-winning goals: Alex Ovechkin at the top of NHL history.

– The top scorers of the night.

(Credit: Screenshot/NHL.com)

– The (big) schedule for the day.

(Credit: Screenshot/Google)
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Chris Chelios would love to see Lane Hutson break his franchise record

Lane Hutson is closing in on the Montreal Canadiens’ franchise record for most points by a rookie defenseman.

He currently has 62 points, while Chris Chelios’ record stands at 64 points.

Just two points, which should be achievable considering the #48’s recent production.

Chelios wasn’t even aware he still held the franchise record until he heard about it recently.

That’s what he mentioned in an interview with 98.5 FM Sports.

« I had no idea I still held the record until Hutson emerged. And now, he’s going to break it. » – Chris Chelios

Even Chelios is certain Hutson will break his record.

The current record holder had kind words for the young defenseman.

Chelios said he knows his role, is a very intelligent player who works with angles, and has excellent vision of the game, and will continue to improve.

« He’s a good skater, has nice skills, is fun to watch, and the fact that Montreal is in the playoff hunt makes it all the more exciting. » – Chris Chelios

Still in the same interview (which you can listen to in English or a summary in French), the former right-handed defenseman sent a little message to the habs. He mentioned that if the organization wanted to pay for his flight to see him break his record, he would be delighted.

Although it’s not in the same category as the career goal record Alex Ovechkin tied on Friday, if Chelios could be present to see young Hutson break his record, it would be great. A bit like Gretzky was present for the game against the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday.

Overtime

– Beautiful gesture by the Chicago Blackhawks players to take the time to shake Alex Ovechkin’s hand who joined Gretzky with his 893rd and 894th career goals.

– The #8 is really in a class of his own.

– Even though Ovechkin didn’t manage to break Gretzky’s record, rookie Ryan Leonard scored his first career goal… in an empty net.

– The Québécois amassed his first point in the NHL.

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Alex Ovechkin ties Wayne Gretzky’s record

It’s done. Alex Ovechkin has joined Wayne Gretzky for the most career goals scored.

The Washington Capitals hosted the poor Chicago Blackhawks on this Friday evening.

The Capitals’ captain scored his 893rd career goal at the beginning of the game, with a surgically precise shot, as he has accustomed us to throughout his prolific career.

And in the 3rd period, #8 scored the long-awaited 894th goal.

Of course, he did it with a powerplay goal.

Legendary.

Wayne Gretzky was actually in the stands for the occasion and was alongside Gary Bettman.

The photo below was when Ovechkin scored the first goal of the game.

(Credit: Screenshot)

One can wonder if he was stressed to see his competitor get within one goal of his record, or if what Bettman was telling him didn’t interest him that much.

Overtime

– This statistic shows just how dominant Ovechkin has been throughout his career. He has more 40-goal seasons than all these teams have had players reach that plateau.

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“For me, Cayden Primeau is an NHL goalie” – Pascal Vincent

The Laval Rocket is having an excellent season and it’s largely thanks to Cayden Primeau’s success since his demotion.

The 25-year-old goalkeeper has a goals-allowed average of 2.02, as well as an efficiency rate of 0.922 in 22 starts, with 19 wins.

Things weren’t going well for him with the Montreal Canadiens at the beginning of the year and the decision to send him down (in favor of Jakub Dobes) was the best decision possible for him and the organization.

His performances have allowed the Rocket to climb to the top of the American Hockey League, with a five-point lead over the second-place team (before tonight’s games).

His coach in Laval, Pascal Vincent, had very good things to say about him in an interview on BPM Sports, during the Retour des Sportifs.

The words reported by Anthony Marcotte in the tweet above summarize what Vincent had to say about his goalkeeper.

On paper, there’s no doubt that Primeau is good enough to make the official jump to the National Hockey League.

But looking at his start to the season with the big club, there was nothing impressive.

The situation in Laval is quite different from Montreal and it’s always very difficult to make the jump to the National Hockey League, especially for a goalkeeper.

His confidence was clearly affected by the poor starts he had at the beginning of the season in Montreal. His demotion to the American Hockey League allowed him to regain his confidence and he could be a good backup to Samuel Montembeault.

However, it shouldn’t be this season, as the Rocket has a real chance of winning the Calder Cup and things are going too well for Primeau.

Next year will be a different debate, but he will still need to have a good training camp to take back his role as the 2nd goalkeeper behind Monty.

Overtime

– If Tage Thompson deserves his place, Cole Caufield deserves it just as much.

– Elliotte Friedman believes that Gabriel Landeskog’s return for the playoffs is now very realistic.

– Is Patrick Kane the best American player of all time? Ahead of Mike Modano and Brett Hull?

– The two rookies are trying to stand out in one way or another in this game.

– Too bad for the Toronto Raptors.

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I am sure there will be offers for Pascal Vincent as head coach

We can agree on one thing: Pascal Vincent is having an excellent season as the head coach of the Laval Rocket.

We knew the Rocket had a good group on paper, but when a team is so young, it’s difficult to have a clear idea of the successes it will have.

But seeing Laval at the top of the AHL with a five-point lead over its closest pursuers was not really expected.

The job he has done with all the young players is quite remarkable and could earn him an offer, or even offers, as a head coach in the NHL.

He could therefore return behind the bench of an NHL team, having been in charge of the Columbus Blue Jackets last year. He also has seven years of experience as an assistant coach.

Bruno Gervais, an RDS analyst and former NHL defenseman, was on the airwaves of TSN690 a little earlier today and discussed the offers Vincent could receive this summer.

According to Gervais, it seems clear that there will be offers from a few NHL teams.

I wouldn’t be surprised at all if he’s approached by a few teams, because he’s young and is good with young players. He’s also done an excellent job this season in his return to the AHL, after having tasted the head coach job in the NHL.

According to Bruno Gervais, Vincent was clearly very happy with the opportunity with the Rocket, as he could return to Laval, his hometown.

However, the ultimate dream remains to make a name for himself as one of the best coaches in the NHL, a bit like the players.

It’s just a matter of being patient and not getting caught up in the first opportunity. It’s about taking the time to evaluate the offer, but also the group you’ll be working with and the type of group you want to lead.

Still on the airwaves of TSN690, it seems to be understood that there could be four or five teams that could change head coaches during the offseason.

Obviously, we can think of the Philadelphia Flyers, who only have an interim coach to replace John Tortorella.

But another team could well want to look elsewhere, and that’s the Vancouver Canucks.

Rick Tocchet has a good track record in the NHL, but the Canucks’ current season is somewhat disappointing. Moreover, Rick Tocchet’s contract ends this summer, but there’s also a team option to keep him for another season. This means that it’s the team that determines whether it wants to keep its coach for another season at the same salary.

Going after a coach like Vincent could be beneficial for them, but other teams with a young core could also benefit from what Vincent can bring.

Overtime

– Nick Suzuki is really the MVP of the Habs this season, it’s not even a debate.

– Of course, Ovechkin scored another goal tonight and it only took him four minutes to open the scoring in Washington against the poor Blackhawks. Will tonight be the night Ovi finally breaks Gretzky’s record?

– With his 14th season of 40 goals or more, Ovechkin is undoubtedly in a class of his own.

– The head coach of the US team at the World Championship will be the coach of the San Jose Sharks.

– Worth reading.

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David Reinbacher got injured in his last match with the Rocket

Earlier this week, the Rocket announced that David Reinbacher would not be joining the team on the road for their western trip.

Pascal Vincent (BPM Sports) gave a few more details about the absence of his defenseman.

And it’s normal to worry…

The Rocket’s coach was a guest on Martin Lemay’s show and he said that if Reinbacher hasn’t played since March 19, it’s because the defenseman was injured in his last game.

Pascal Vincent didn’t want to elaborate on the nature of the injury… and we don’t know if he’s talking about Reinbacher’s knee.

However, what’s important to know is that Reinbacher is currently injured and that’s why he can’t play.

The Rocket’s head coach said that the Canadiens’ organization wants to be cautious with their defenseman, but still.

Especially in the context where we don’t know if his injury is serious…

Pascal Vincent mentioned that it’s nothing “major” with the defenseman, but he didn’t go any further in his comments.

It’s clear that the Canadiens don’t want to talk about it too much… and maybe that’s why there are starting to be some doubts about this story.

Because the worst that could happen is that Reinbacher has aggravated his knee injury. We know he had to miss a lot of time after getting hurt in a preseason game before the season even started…

In all of this, we can only hope that it’s not too serious for the defenseman. He needs to be able to progress to reach the National League… and if he’s not able to do so, it will quickly change the organization’s plans.

Especially since we agree that it’s already thin on the right side of the defense within the organization…

Overtime

– It’s not the first time we’re talking about it… 🤔

– To be continued.

– Indeed.

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The Canadiens succeeded in their mission by allowing Lane Hutson to be “himself”

Before he was even drafted by the Canadiens, there were huge doubts about Lane Hutson.

It’s no wonder he slipped to 62nd overall: teams didn’t believe in him, mainly because of his size.

Today, it’s Kent Hughes and his associates who can laugh about it…

But if Hutson is having so much success right now, it’s because there’s a reason behind it all.

The Canadiens didn’t want him to change his identity.

The Habs management and Martin St-Louis never told him to change his playing style because of his size, because they knew the defenseman had the natural talent to become a good player in the National League.

And it’s paying off today.

Without Lane Hutson, the Habs are surely not in the playoffs today…

The Canadiens have succeeded in their mission, in the end.

If they had asked Lane Hutson to change, the defenseman would probably not be as good as he is today.

The Habs surrounded him well from the start, they let him progress at his own pace in the NCAA (Hutson played two seasons with Boston University) without putting obstacles in his way, and that’s giving the result we see today.

It’s all for the better, because Hutson has been and still is able to exploit his strength: his offensive play.

The Canadiens know he will make mistakes at the defensive level – like 99% of other offensive defensemen in the National League -, but they have decided to live with it.

Martin St-Louis trusts him to the point of using him for almost 23 minutes per game (22:40) in his rookie season, and that’s not for nothing.

Hutson will learn from his mistakes, and that’s how he will improve.

And that makes you realize that the Canadiens have really done a great job in developing the young player.

Overtime

– Dylan Holloway will miss some time.

– He’s injured.

– Leon Draisaitl is (again) injured.

– News in the MLB:

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Georges Laraque : “One day, Nick Suzuki will have 100 points in a season”

Nick Suzuki has been constantly improving since his arrival in the National League.

Year after year, he finds a way to be better… and he has developed today as one of the (very) good players in the National League.

The captain of the Habs has 81 points in 75 games so far this season and it is his best career haul.

The center player made his entry into the NHL in 2019-2020, he has never missed a game… and he is constantly improving.

  • 0.58 points per game in 19-20
  • 0.73 points per game in 20-21
  • 0.74 points per game in 21-22
  • 0.80 points per game in 22-23
  • 0.94 points per game in 23-24
  • 1.08 points per game in 24-25

At 25 years old, Suzuki is in his prime. He still has time to improve… and that forces Georges Laraque to think that the captain of the Habs will be able to score 100 points in a single season at some point

The last to achieve this feat was Mats Naslund… in 1985-1986:

Stephane Gonzalez explains it well: if Slaf had been good and Lane Hutson had had the chance to be on the Habs’ first powerplay from day one of the season, El Capitaine would probably already have more points on the board.

And it’s going to become even more interesting with the arrival of Ivan Demidov next season…

Whether he scores 100 points or not, Suzuki has demonstrated that he has the qualities to be a regular 75-80-85 point player in the NHL.

These players are not a dime a dozen, after all. And even if in the eyes of some, Suzuki is not a #1 center who can lead a team to the Stanley Cup… the #14 of the Canadiens is really making his case right now.

He is earning a spot on the Canadian team for the next Olympics because he is simply excellent.

And that makes you realize that we are really, really lucky to have him in Montreal.

Let’s just say that Suzuki was Bergevin’s 3rd choice in the Max Pacioretty trade…

Overtime

– Justin Robidas will play his first game in the NHL tonight.

– Ivan Demidov’s season with SKA is not over yet…

– It’s tight in the American League.

– The Panthers will have to do without their captain’s services.