Author: Dose

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Injuries: Brendan Gallagher hasn’t missed a game since the change in the medical group

There’s been a lot of praise for Brendan Gallagher lately and you know what?

It’s frankly well-deserved.

The little warrior from the Canadiens in Montreal has never changed his style of play and he continues to help the club in his own way. He’s started scoring goals again, he continues to disrupt the opponent and he’s fulfilling his role to perfection.

But there’s an interesting aspect when looking at the veteran’s file since the start of the 23-24 season, which is when the Canadiens changed their medical group.

Renaud Lavoie talked about it this morning (BPM Sports): the veteran hasn’t missed a single game since the start of the 23-24 season.

He played 77 games last season, but he missed five due to a suspension, not an injury.

He’s found a way to play every night… even if we know he must be worn out too.

Of course, part of this is due to the medical team.

Again, Gally hasn’t always looked 100% over the past two years, but still: he’s healthy enough to play and that’s what matters most.

This is also a big turnaround because, in fact, he hadn’t played 82 games since the 2018-2019 season.

Gallagher has often been injured since the 2019-2020 season…

(Credit: HockeyDB)

Gally has not only played in the Canadiens’ 75 games so far this season: he’s also scored a total of 19 goals.

He’s really having a great campaign, the 32-year-old veteran.

No one could have predicted he’d be able to bounce back after having tougher years, but he’s been able to do so.

We agree that he’s still overpaid right now because he’s earning a $6.5 million salary (his contract is valid until the end of the 26-27 season)… but okay.

I prefer the Gallagher we have now to the one we had two or three years ago.

And I’m sure it’s the same for you too.

Overtime

– The Caps face the Blackhawks tonight. And Ovi is three goals away from Gretzky’s record…

– I love Seth Jarvis’ personality.

– Good deal.

– What do you think?

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Standing: the Canadiens didn’t get the tiebreaker against the Rangers (and it’s important)

Let’s talk about the standings a bit.

When we look at it, we can see that the Senators will be difficult to catch in the first place among the drafted teams. If the Sens do what they have to do, they will qualify for the playoffs.

We suspect that the race to watch is for the Montreal Canadiens’ spot.

The Canadiens no longer have a game in hand against any direct opponents in the race – on the contrary – currently, but they have points ahead. In terms of points percentage, they are also ahead of the other teams outside the playoffs.

So, at the risk of repeating myself: if the habs do what they have to do, they can qualify for the playoffs.

The Islanders (seven points behind the habs) and the Red Wings (six points behind the habs) may have a game in hand over the Canadiens, but the carrots are starting to be well-cooked for these teams.

A miracle is always possible, though.

But logically, the teams that scare the habs the most right now must be the Blue Jackets and (especially) the Rangers. Looking at the standings, it’s a logical conclusion.

The Blue Jackets still have eight games to play, including two back-to-back and four road games. They also have the sixth most difficult schedule in the NHL from now until the end of the season – according to Tankathon, at least.

(Credit: NHL.com)

But most importantly, there is an important aspect to note: the Blue Jackets have two fewer regular-season wins than the habs. We’re talking about 24 for Columbus and 26 for the habs.

In the event of a tie after 82 games, it’s the number one factor in determining which team is ahead of the other.

So if the habs win more games in regulation than the Jackets from now until the end of the season, and the Ohio team gets four more points than the habs from now until the end of the season, the habs will still pass the Blue Jackets.

It’s therefore logical to think that the Blue Jackets need five more points than the habs (or several more wins in regulation, at least) to pass the habs in the standings. And that’s without counting the Rangers, who still exist.

And that brings us to the Rangers, precisely.

The New York Rangers (who were supposed to be an NHL power in 2024-2025) have played 75 games (like the habs) this season, have two points fewer than the habs, have the seventh most difficult schedule from now until the end of the season…

(Credit: NHL.com)

But they have 32 wins in regulation. Clearly, the habs (26) will not surpass the Rangers in this regard.

If the two teams have the same number of points at the end of the season, the Rangers will pass the habs in the standings. This is a very important aspect.

So the habs may have a two-point lead over the Rangers (and the third easiest schedule in the NHL from now until the end of the season), but they only have a one-point margin over the Rangers.

Winning games would not be a luxury for the habs. After all, a Rangers win on Saturday afternoon and a habs loss on Saturday evening would have the effect of temporarily removing the Montreal team from the playoff picture.

(Credit: NHL.com)

The habs have been rolling in sequences this year, and it will be necessary for the latest trend (three wins) to be the heavy trend from now until the end of the campaign. We must put the previous trend (five losses) aside.

Because otherwise, it will be hard to qualify.

The habs have a 55.8% chance of making the playoffs, according to MoneyPuck. And since the team will play more games at home than on the road from now until the end of the season (unlike the Rangers and Blue Jackets), this can be a help.

After all, except for the Sharks and Blackhawks, everyone in the NHL wins more often than not at home this season.

Overtime

– The idea of sending Jacob Fowler to Abbotsford to allow Cayden Primeau to be in Nashville on Sunday (and for Samuel Montembeault not to travel to Nashville for nothing) was raised by Martin Lemay and Bob Hartley. I liked the idea… but Fowler won’t be going to the West.

– Nick Suzuki: a revealing differential. [Réjean Tremblay]

– Ouch.

– Well done.

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Ivan Demidov makes up for a mistake with a superb goal

Today, Ivan Demidov faced elimination with his club, the SKA. The Dynamo led the series 3-1 before today’s game.

Roman Rotenberg still trusted Demidov on his first line, once again. We could think that the young man had chances to score.

And it happened. Obviously

After making a mistake, his coach didn’t bench him. On the contrary: he continued to give him playing time. In my opinion, Rotenberg has a fever – and I’m not talking about the playoffs.

Demidov used his good shot to score.

We must mention that earlier in the game, Demidov had collected a primary assist. The first two points of the SKA, including the goal that allowed them to take the lead 2-1, are partly thanks to him.

Anyway!

His second point of the game brought him back to five points, including three goals, in five games. All this at 18 years old and while he didn’t have a lot of playing time to start the series.

Details to come…

Overtime

– Interesting.

– I like that.

– Nick Suzuki, player of the week according to the NHLPA.

– Oh.

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A statistic about Lane Hutson that will blow you away

The Canadiens won their third consecutive game last night, defeating the poor Bruins. As the Habs are turning the corner on their rebuild, the Bruins are still in the first stage, which is to tear everything down before rebuilding.

The next few years could be long in Boston… but I don’t know many Habs fans who will cry for the people of Boston. Did they cry for us when we were at the bottom of the standings?

This morning, the Bruins are last in the East. F*ck them.

Be careful not to burn stages
The Canadiens are improving from season to season. 32nd, 28th, 28th, in the mix…

Nick Suzuki (81 points), Cole Caufield (35 goals), Juraj Slafkovsky, Lane Hutson… the young players have taken control of the club and are bringing the team to safe harbor.

But we must be careful not to get too excited too quickly. The Rangers finished at the top of the entire NHL last season and they are lining up to miss the playoffs this year.

The Islanders, after two very good seasons despite a reduced roster, will see their season end in two or three weeks. Same thing for the Nashville Predators…

The Canucks finished at the top of the Pacific Division in 2023-24 and they should miss the playoffs this year.

My point is that just because a team has a great season in year X, it doesn’t mean they will inevitably have another one in year X + 1.

The good news is that the Canadiens are a young team and their best players are likely to get even better in the coming years. And Kent Hughes won’t lose any important free agents on the market on July 1st…

However, David Savard is not getting any younger… Joel Armia and Christian Dvorak could be difficult to replace… and no one is immune to a major injury next season.

In short, let’s enjoy the spring of 2025 and encourage the Habs to 1. Make the playoffs and 2. Surprise the Capitals. Because we never know 100% when it will come back, a playoff run….

This morning, the Habs have a 55.8% chance of making the playoffs according to MoneyPuck and 64.2% according to HockeyReference. That’s it! Let’s go!

Lane Hutson is tireless; on the contrary
Before the start of the season, several observers were worried about seeing a small player like Lane Hutson, who had never played 40 games or more in his previous seasons, come into the best league in the world and hope to play 82 regular season games (plus the preseason and playoffs).

Well, here we are after 75 games of the season, and Lane Hutson is on his way to winning the Calder Trophy. He has 62 points, several blocked shots to his credit, and a ton of minutes per game.

He hasn’t missed a single game… or a single practice, optional or regular, this season.

And as my buddy Phil just pointed out to me by email, Lane Hutson is better when he hasn’t had much rest between games.

In the second game in two days: 13 points in 13 games.

In a game after a day off: 34 points in 36 games.

In a game after two days off: 12 points in 20 games.

In a game after three or more days off: 3 points in 6 games.

(Credit: My buddy Phil by email)

The sample size is not huge, but we can still conclude that in 2024-25, there is an inverse relationship between Hutson’s individual production and the number of days off he has had since his last game.

It’s still something, considering that many players struggle to succeed in a second game in two nights.

As if we didn’t already have enough reasons to be impressed by the young American defender…

in overtime

– Jacob Fowler will wear #1 in Laval.

– The Habs prospect has a word for his fans.

– To watch.

– Goalies can have good shots.

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Jacob Fowler is already on the ice with the Canadiens (and he’s taking shots from Joshua Roy)

As you already know, Jacob Fowler has signed an entry-level contract with the Canadiens.

The contract is valid starting from the next season for what concerns the NHL. In the meantime, he will go finish his season with the Rocket de Laval, which will be excellent for him.

But since the club is in the Canadian West, he will not train with the Rocket before April 9.

In the meantime, Fowler is already in the Canadiens’ entourage and has started practicing. There’s nothing to prevent the Canadiens from inviting him to their practices while waiting for the return of the affiliate team in town.

This morning, as reported by Renaud Lavoie, he jumped on the ice and received shots from some players. We can see Joshua Roy on the ice, who did not play yesterday.

The Canadiens are not officially practicing today, but a few players still jumped on the ice. It’s very normal to see a Joshua Roy, who missed the last games, skating.

And having a goalkeeper like Fowler on the ice is good for everyone.

Speaking of Fowler, it’s interesting to note that the goalkeeper signed an entry-level contract with maximum signing bonuses, but not maximum performance bonuses.

It’s a good move by Hughes at that level.

His agent is Sean Coffey, the same agent as Lane Hutson, and an employee of the Quartexx firm, Kent Hughes’ former agency in his previous life.

Interesting, nonetheless.

In Overtime

– Nice.

– Geoff Molson: the Habs are on a mission. [98.5 Sports]

– Ivan Demidov on his team’s first trio. If the SKA loses, their season in the KHL will be over.

– Note.

– Indeed.

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Official: the Canadiens announce that Jacob Fowler will finish the season in Laval

It’s done.

The Canadiens have announced that Jacob Fowler has signed his entry-level contract for the seasons 2025-2026, 2026-2027 and 2027-2028. He will not burn a year of contract in 2024-2025.

He will also finish the season in Laval on the terms of a tryout contract in the AHL for the rest of the season.

More details to come…

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“Nick Suzuki is on his way to the Olympics” : since the four nations, he has been destroying everything in his path

Since the four nations break, Nick Suzuki is on fire.

We know the story: he went to see Kent Hughes before the deadline to ask him to keep the group intact, and since then, he has simply put the club on his shoulders to guide his teammates towards – ideally – the playoffs.

I don’t know if he’s upset about being ignored by Team Canada (probably, to be honest) or if the rest did him good, but Suzuki has been rolling like a #1 center for two months, since the start of the break.

Used in the right way by his coach, Suzuki has 29 points, including 11 goals, in 19 games since the break. He has nine games with more than one point, which is impressive.

And his entire line, in fact, is the hottest in the NHL since two months, since the four nations break. Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky are doing a good job, even if we would like more consistency from Slaf.

Slafkovsky, who didn’t really follow Alex Kovalev’s exploits in Montreal (because he was a baby in Slovakia), sees that his center is on another planet right now.

Like everyone else, in fact.

It’s interesting to note that Suzuki is rising to the occasion for the Canadiens. And that, I’m sure Team Canada has taken note of, with the 2026 Olympics in mind.

In fact, according to Renaud Lavoie, who discussed the topic this morning on BPM Sports, there is no doubt: the Habs’ captain is going to the Olympics.

It’s clear that Suzuki and Robert Thomas, another young player who is in the same mold as Suzuki, who plays for Doug Armstrong and who has put the Blues on his shoulders in the playoff race in the West, must be considered for the Olympics.

Pierre LeBrun recently discussed this on the Radar podcast.

But even if Suzuki was maybe motivated by his absence from the four nations tournament, he must keep in mind that in the short term, his goal must be to return to the playoffs.

And in my opinion, he knows it.

overtime

Maybe also, if the opportunity arises, the Habs’ captain will say yes to representing his country at the next World Championship.

But once again: we’ll see in due time.

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Josh Anderson’s wife can give birth at any moment

In January 2025, we learned that Josh Anderson and his wife were expecting a child. This is very good news.

As it was announced in January, but we did not know exactly when the child was due, we were not paying much attention to this aspect of Anderson’s life.

When we talked about him, it was mainly to discuss his injuries and the fact that he is a warrior who continues to play.

But yesterday, the man himself gave an update on his wife’s pregnancy. And the #17 of the Habs said that at this point, his child can be born at any moment.

The “baby watch” has begun.

I do not know what Josh Anderson’s plans are in this regard. From a personal point of view, it’s his business. But from a hockey point of view, we can wonder if he will have to miss games.

After all, a father has the right to be present at the birth of his child.

However, I have the feeling that the veteran will do everything to not miss a game. He has been giving his all for months to make the playoffs, and I do not think he wants to miss a game.

Obviously, we never know what can happen, but that’s my feeling.

Let’s recall that his teammate, Brendan Gallagher, recently lost his mother and saw his wife give birth… without missing a game. Maybe this will inspire Anderson, whose line with Gally and Christian Dvorak is working well, to play all the remaining games.

We’ll see in due time… even if I say that knowing Anderson doesn’t need motivation. He’s the one who’s been giving it, for a few months now.

But if Anderson is absent, it could give playing time to Oliver Kapanen, Joshua Roy, Arber Xhekaj (if the 11-7 formula is used) or Michael Pezzetta, who has been playing for a few games, but could lose his spot in the sun eventually.

To be continued.

Overtime

– Tough break.

– He’s improving over 200 feet.

– Facing the Habs in the playoffs would be a challenge.

– That’s funny.

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Christian Dvorak wants to stay in Montreal (and he is really on fire these days)

It smells like spring, doesn’t it?

We can talk about several guys who have put the team on their shoulders for a few weeks to allow the Canadiens to be in the playoff race this season.

Nick Suzuki and Lane Hutson are two players we need to mention in this regard. They’ve had their say recently.

(Credit: Sportsnet)

But there’s also a player we need to talk about: Christian Dvorak. He has 10 points in his last 10 games and since March 1st, in 16 games, he has no less than 12 points.

He’s tied with Cole Caufield in terms of points and is only surpassed by Nick Suzuki, Lane Hutson, and Juraj Slafkovsky – who are not exactly nobodies.

(Credit: NHL.com)

His trio (with Brendan Gallagher and Josh Anderson) is really important for the Habs. We know how much Gally and Andy are giving it their all for the Habs right now. The death of Gallagher’s mother and Anderson’s injuries are well-documented.

But Dvorak, who’s playing the best hockey of his career in the NHL, is also at the heart of this. He’s found his role in Montreal, clearly.

I’m not sure how far I’m willing to say he’s indispensable, but clearly, without him, it would be much harder to win hockey games right now.

That being said, if he doesn’t ask for too much, it’s worth considering. But he’s putting himself in a position where he can ask for a lot…

I have a feeling that if Kent Hughes can go get his #2 center this summer, a center line consisting of Nick Suzuki, the new center, Alex Newhook, and Jake Evans, with Oliver Kapanen and Owen Beck for depth, it could work out.

But if Dvorak wants to stay and the GM is happy with the negotiations, who knows if Caufield’s roommate could stay longer than expected in town…

But anyway. Dvorak isn’t the only player to talk about after the Canadiens’ 4-1 win against the Bruins. Several guys had their say in the team’s win.

What did I take away from yesterday’s game?

1. Yesterday’s game, against the worst team in the division and conference (it’s funny to say that about… Boston), could have been a trap. But the guys played good hockey and took control of the game.

The Bruins against the Canadiens, in recent years, isn’t what it used to be. And for once, yesterday, it wasn’t because of the Habs…

2. You could feel the rivalry building between the two teams. If only there were more than three small battles against Boston in a year, with only one between October 11th and April 2nd…

And if there’s one guy who understood the importance of the moment, it’s Kaiden Guhle. Yesterday, he was in the Bruins’ face – and he even fought at one point. He had a great game, and his return is doing the team good…

3. Brendan Gallagher said the guys were having fun coming to the rink, and it shows. This week, there’s a hockey buzz in the city. It smells like hockey right now.

Will the team make the playoffs? Will Samuel Montembeault, who’s been doing well lately, take the team to the next level?

4. Nick Suzuki went out and got his 80th and 81st points yesterday. He became the first Habs player since the 2007-2008 season to reach 80 points.

And with one more point, he’ll have the first 82-point season for the Habs since Alex Kovalev in 07-08, exactly. Kovalev had 84 points that year, and Suzuki is capable of doing better than that in seven games, if he wants to.

But it’s not the only milestone that was reached.

Yesterday, Cole Caufield became the first Habs player since Max Pacioretty in 2016-2017 to score 35 goals in a season. Can he do what the former captain never did, namely score 40 goals in a season?

5. Martin St-Louis said after the game that learning is done, and now it’s time to execute.

I really have a feeling that there won’t be a third season of “The Rebuild” on Crave. And if there is a series, they’ll just have to find a new name to make it logical.

overtime

This morning, the Canadiens had a day off from practice.

Let’s remember that this weekend, the Flyers will be in town tomorrow night. And after that, the team will head to Nashville for a game that’s nicely placed in the schedule, namely Sunday night.

(Credit: NHL.com)
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Top-5: The Habs can thank Makar and MacKinnon, who took care of the Blue Jackets

The Habs accomplished their mission last night by beating the Bruins at the Centre Bell.

But there was also action elsewhere in the NHL.

Let’s see what happened:

1: The Habs can thank the Avalanche

The Habs’ win was important last night, but we were also watching the Senators and the Blue Jackets in the playoff race in the East.

And the Habs were “lucky” in a way because the Blue Jackets lost 7-3 to the Avalanche.

The Senators beat the Lightning… but that’s not bad: the Habs’ win (in regulation, too) combined with Columbus’ loss means the Habs now have a four-point lead over the Blue Jackets in the standings, who still have a game in hand.

Things are getting interesting…

(Credit: NHL.com)

At this point, we can really believe it’s going to come down to the Habs, the Blue Jackets, and the Rangers.

The Red Wings and Islanders are starting to fall behind… and unless there’s a miracle, I don’t see them coming back to secure a playoff spot.

2: Jeremy Swayman… wow!

The Habs played well against the Bruins last night.

But in Boston’s loss… we have to mention Jeremy Swayman’s completely crazy save.

It’s one of the saves of the year in the NHL, after all:

Jeremy Swayman has the talent to win games on his own… but it’s really tough right now.

And it shows in the team’s performance, which has now lost 10 straight games.

The Bruins are last in the East and also 29th in the overall NHL standings this morning.

It’s been a while since we’ve seen this…

3: Cale Makar is sensational

We can agree on one thing: Cale Makar is the best defenseman in the world right now.

And it’s not even close.

The Avalanche defenseman took advantage of his visit to Columbus last night to reach the 30-goal plateau in the National League.

He helped his team beat the Blue Jackets 7-3:

The last time a defenseman scored 30 goals in an NHL season was Mike Green in 2008-2009.

But Cale Makar is a special player, and we’re seeing it right now. The Avalanche has the luxury of having two of the best players in the world in their lineup…

At this level, note that Nathan MacKinnon finished the night with three points (one goal and two assists), just like Makar.

MacKinnon now has 114 points this season and leads the NHL in that category, ahead of Nikita Kucherov (111 points):

4: The Blues had a close call, but…

We’re heading to the end of the game between the Penguins and the Blues.

The Blues are leading 4-3… but Rutger McGroarty hasn’t had the last word yet.

The Penguins prospect scored with just under 35 seconds left to tie the game:

The Blues had a close call, but they still found a way to sign their 11th straight win (!).

It was Robert Thomas who played the hero in overtime:

In the Blues’ win, we should also note this: Jimmy Snuggerud got his first career point in the NHL with an assist on Jake Neighbours’ 21st goal of the season.

Well done!

5: Wyatt Johnston is on fire

Wyatt Johnston, without making too much noise, is terrorizing NHL goalies.

Why do I say that?

Because before the Stars’ game against the Preds, the young Stars player had scored in five straight games.

And he kept it up last night:

Johnston helped the Stars beat the Predators 5-1.

And…

And in the win, Mikko Rantanen reached the 700-point plateau in the National League. He became the third-fastest Finnish player to achieve the feat:

Overtime

– Tough night for Leon Draisaitl.

– Wow.

– Big win for the Flames.

– Nice play.

– The top scorers of the night:

(Credit: NHL.com)

– We’re keeping an eye on the Wings and Islanders tonight:

(Credit: Google)