Yesterday, the club took a real beating against Dallas (7-1 loss) and morale is low. The club has just 14 points (two more than the Habs) in 17 games (one more than the Habs) so far this season, and everything is on the table.
Firing the coach? That’s debatable, yes.
Are we entering ‘Penguins coaching change’ territory?
Mike Sullivan will get scooped up somewhere fast, but something’s gotta give in Pittsburgh.
The promise made to Sidney Crosby during the off-season (to be better than last year and to fight for the playoffs) is clearly not coming true. Like the Habs? Yes
It seems that with an aging group, this was to be expected in Pennsylvania.
Pittsburgh’s management obviously ignored the red flags and decided to go for it, building a great team around Sidney Crosby for the end of his career. But – as expected – it’s not working out so well.
The 16,526 fans at PPG Paints Arena who bought a ticket for Monday’s matchup between the Penguins and Stars were treated to a terrible slice of local hockey history.
And soon, much of what they witnessed might be history, as well.
Does this mean the club would be willing, at the right price, to let the likes of Evgeni Malkin and Kristopher Letang go? Obviously, the answer seems to be yes, from what Taylor Haase has heard.
Of necessity, we have to wonder whether Kristopher Letang will be linked to the Canadiens.
After all, Kent Hughes’ former client has, according to rumours that have been denied in recent months, opened the door to a deal that would allow him to finish his career with the Canadiens.
At $6.1 million on the chopping block until 2028, I wouldn’t go looking for him… even if, at the moment, he’s helping the Canadiens.
Overtime
– Read on.
These (good) texts used to be written in March/April/May…
Yesterday, Gerard Gallant’s name was bandied about in Montreal under familiar circumstances. The Habs denied having spoken to him.
But all this has brought a subject back to the forefront: should the Canadiens replace Alex Burrows (who left a few months ago and hasn’t been replaced behind the bench) with an NHL-experienced pilot?
Because right now, Burrows has been replaced (not behind the bench) by Roger Grillo, who isn’t brimming with NHL experience.
If not Gerard Gallant, could another experienced coach come in to help/challenge Martin St-Louis in the future as an assistant? The question is more topical than ever.
These are the only two names that were brought up by TFP, which no doubt means that there are reasons why the journalist didn’t name anyone else.
Woodcroft has almost 20 years of NHL (and AHL) experience and is probably looking for a job. Unless he wants to take advantage of his last guaranteed contract year to stay at home?
(Credit: Hockey DB)
Yes, it didn’t end well with the Oilers last year (he lost his job around this time of year), but he’s got the experience the Habs are looking for. He’s also won in the AHL.
He doesn’t speak French, so he’s no threat to Martin St-Louis. Why not give him a call, if you haven’t already? A phone call doesn’t mean anything…
– Temple news: new additions to the selection committee.
Jarome Iginla and Ed Olczyk have been appointed to the Hockey Hall of Fame’s selection committee starting in 2025, replacing David Branch and Mike Gartner who served a full 15-year term.
Nathan MacKinnon and the Avalanche played their 16th game of the season yesterday.
And the best player in the world, with one assist, collected his 30th point of the year. He is the first player to achieve such a feat in 2024-2025.
In team history, he is the third fastest to reach this plateau.
Nathan MacKinnon (7-23-30 in 16 GP) tied Joe Sakic (16 GP in 1992-93) as the third-fastest player in @Avalanche franchise history to record 30 points in a season, behind Peter Stastny (14 GP in 1987-88) and Michel Goulet (15 GP in 1987-88).#NHLStats:https://t.co/suYji47guspic.twitter.com/Cu6G0zR4Cf
Another defeat for Nashville and suddenly nothing is going right…
The team finds itself in last place in the NHL, tied with the Canadiens (5-9-2).
Despite yesterday’s win, the Habs haven’t gained any ground.
2. Six Stars goals in the first period
I feel sorry for the Penguins fans who bought tickets to their favorite team’s game yesterday.
They certainly didn’t have a good night. In the first period, the Stars, who were the opponents, scored six goals. After 20 minutes of play, it was already 6-0.
The Russian had been left out of the last two games.
4. Good start for Jonathan Huberdeau
In his second season with the Flames, Jonathan Huberdeau has collected just 52 points.
That’s not nearly enough for a guy with 115 points in 2021-2022 and a lot of money.
But in 2024-2025, you get the feeling he wants to improve. This summer, he asked his coaches for help, and it’s paying off so far. In 16 games, he already has 10 points, including six goals.
BUFFALO, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 11: Dylan Cozens #24 of the Buffalo Sabres and Lane Hutson #48 of the Montreal Canadiens follow play during an NHL game on November 11, 2024 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York. Montreal won, 7-5 (Photo by Bill Wippert/NHLI via Getty Images)
Let’s take a look at the list of players who didn’t score often this season for the Canadiens.
Among the forwards, the names Kirby Dach and Juraj Slafkovsky, who have just one goal apiece since the start of the campaign, quickly come to mind. Here are two who need to score more often.
Will they? We think so.
But two names that come to mind first are Lane Hutson and Mike Matheson. The two guys, who are the club’s offensive engines, have yet to find the back of the net.
The two defensemen have 10 assists each (including six on the powerplay for Matheson and four for the rookie) this season in 16 games, but no goals to their name.
Should we be concerned that both players have yet to find the back of the net? After 16 games this season, or about 20% of the campaign, it’s fair to wonder, yes.
But just because they suck doesn’t mean they can’t score, so it’s not the end of the world. After all, they still manage to generate offense.
Lane Hutson on the 1st powerplay and Caufield scores his 11th!
But still: they must be looking forward to scoring.
You can tell Lane Hutson, who has never scored in the Bettman Tour, that he’s among the most productive rookies in NHL history in terms of assists in his first 18 NHL games, but he probably can’t wait to score goals.
Contributing a couple of helpers in his @CanadiensMTL 7-5 win against the Sabres earlier today, 20-year old rookie defenseman Lane Hutson is now up to 10 assists through 16 games this season. With 12 in his first 18, he sits behind just 6 others on this list of playmaking starts pic.twitter.com/mo4hxoEUpc
What this tells me is that the defender, as we can see, needs to improve the quality of his shot. We already knew that, but there’s more evidence of that in light of what we’ve seen over the past month.
We’re sure he’ll never have the range of Shea Weber, but still: he’s got to be better.
“One of the toughest defensemen to ever play the game.”
The good news? Hutson is playing well on the ice, developing and has the confidence of his coaches. He’s the third-highest scorer in his draft class (2022) so far this season, behind Slaf and Logan Cooley… who each have just one more point than him. #11
That’s all there is to it.
Lane is on the right track, then. But even if the Habs want to develop, the NHL is still a results league and Hutson will have to find the back of the net sooner or later.
And if he does, watch out for the Calder.
It’s probably early to talk about it, but as it’s a rare bright spot in the #CHsseason… quick question about the race for the Calder Trophy.
The 3 leaders in this race: Logan Stankoven, Matvei Michkov and Lane Hutson.
What fuels the Panthers now that they’ve lost their ‘angst’? In my latest for@TheAthletic, sat down with Paul Maurice who was terrific in this interview. Enjoy! https://t.co/hAAEaG8fzN
The hockey topic of the day yesterday in Montreal was Gerard Gallant. The Canadiens denied ever having met him, as you no doubt know.
But the question it raises is this: would the Canadiens be willing to hire someone to back up Martin St-Louis with a lot of experience?
That’s a common criticism.
On this subject, we wonder if there are any links to be made with the Boston Bruins, a club that really wants to do something big to shake things up a bit.
The problem? Transactions are rare at this stage of the season.
Rumors are heating up around the @NHLBruins as fans await a potential shake-up. An NHL source says to be on the lookout! Could GM Don Sweeney trade for scoring talent, or is a coaching change imminent? via @MurphysLaw74https://t.co/Mo3CnjCpPd
If a transaction proves impossible in November, the idea of firing Jim Montgomery in the short term is also on the table, as a way of striking a blow. In the NHL, firing a coach is always a judgment call.
Even if the Bruins are in third place in their division, the guys aren’t playing up to par these days.
He also said that if Boston made a change, a Jim Montgomery would be a candidate elsewhere. He seems to be well regarded throughout the National Hockey League.
Friedman on 32TP says chatter has started around teams possibly looking at Joel Quenneville and Todd McLellan as candidates for a coaching change. EF on the Bruins: “I think even if Boston made a change, I think a guy like Jim Montgomery would be a candidate in some other places”
I’m not saying that he would accept an assistant position in Montreal while still being paid by the Bruins, and I’m not saying that Kent Hughes wants to change his head coach.
What I’m saying is that, even though it probably wouldn’t make any difference, Kent Hughes could still call Montgomery to see if there’s a fit. It doesn’t cost anything, a simple call…
Overtime
– Speaking of coaches in danger: Mike Sullivan.
Are we entering ‘Penguins coaching change’ territory?
Mike Sullivan will get scooped up somewhere fast, but something’s gotta give in Pittsburgh.
#Habs players who were on the 2021 squad that went to the Stanley Cup Final in Toronto last night to watch former captain Shea Weber get inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame
Nick Suzuki collected no less than four points, including two goals.
Cole Caufield scored twice, Kirby Dach had two assists and Juraj Slafkovsky had three assists.
The Slovakian is still just one goal short of the mark so far this season, but there’s no need to be alarmed.
Although many saw him scoring 25 goals this season, or even 30, his slow start to the season is perhaps the only negative point of his season, considering the Habs’ situation.
His 10 assists in 13 games prove that he’s an excellent provider for his teammates.
What’s more, he’s the only Habs player not to be in the negative for goal differential.
In fact, every other Habs player who has played at least one game is below 0.
Still, it’s surprising, considering the Habs have the worst goal differential in the entire NHL, as well as the most goals allowed, even after this afternoon’s game.
On the other hand, it’s not like it’s a glowing statistic.
And as we all know, the differential is a reflection of the team’s overall performance.
We can only conclude that Slaf is the least worst in this respect.
With the game against the Buffalo Sabres, the Slovak now has 11 points in 13 games.
Interestingly, his three points in the game surpass Shane Wright’s season-to-date point total of 15 games.
Juraj Slafkovsky has more points today (3) than Shane Wright does all season, in the same amount of games played.
Shea Weber was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, an honor fully deserved.
Many of his former Habs teammates made the trip to attend, and the former Habs captain took advantage of his speech to thank the organization.
At the same time, he took the liberty of making a jibe at former Predators general manager David Poile.
“I’d like to thank Marc Bergevin, Geoff Molson and the Canadiens de Montréal for giving me the opportunity to play in the most passionate hockey town I’ve ever seen. I think I should thank David Poile for that too.”
“Thank you very much”
– Shea Weber, to all the people who made his experience memorable in Montreal pic.twitter.com/H2EbffwjML
We’ll recall that according to Marc Dumont, a former Habs journalist, Weber felt betrayed when he was traded and wasn’t the happiest to come to Montreal in 2016.
8 years later, Weber can look back and say that the closest he ever came to lifting a Stanley Cup was with the Habs.
David Poile was also inducted into the Hall of Fame tonight, making the moment even more special for Weber.
The former Habs captain ended his speech with a “thank you very much”.
When they say you realize what you had once you don’t have it anymore, Weber is perfect proof. The Habs had in its ranks not only a player of great quality, but also a warrior and a leader.
He gave his all for the organization, and that’s what many were too quick to forget.
He didn’t talk much in the dressing room, but when he did, everyone listened. That’s the kind of presence the Habs need right now. I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t pass up the kind of performance the Habs have been putting in all season.
Let’s hope one of the team’s current defensemen one day approaches the type of player Shea Weber was, it’s so necessary to be successful for a long time.
Pavel Datsyuk shows the utmost respect for all the players he faced throughout his storied career during his HHOF induction speech! pic.twitter.com/dwarGtPwcw
The Montreal Canadiens finally ended their losing streak this afternoon.
The big guns finally woke up.
Lane Hutson came close again to scoring the first goal of his career, and Cole Caufield scored twice. And Nick Suzuki got on the score sheet for the first time in his last five games with four points in the game.
Offensively, it was madness. So much so, that both teams retired their starting goaltender.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen allowed four goals on 18 shots, while Cayden Primeau made only 9 saves on the 14 small shots he received during the game.
The young American goaltender is struggling this season, and it’s beginning to look like he might not be ready for the NHL just yet.
The statistics speak for themselves.
In seven games, Primeau has allowed an average of 4.67 goals.
What’s even worse are his stats in his last three games.
Today, Primeau allowed 5 goals in 43 minutes and 43 seconds of play, for a 60-minute average of 6.86 goals per game.
Against the Capitals on Halloween night, he gave up six goals in the entire game.
Finally, Primeau’s last appearance before the Caps was on the night of the famous thaw against the Seattle Kraken, when he allowed three goals in 37 minutes and 23 seconds of play.
In total, that’s 14 goals allowed in just over 140 minutes, or one goal every ten minutes.
As he points out, it would be very surprising for any team to claim him in the waivers right now.
His atrocious numbers this season should keep other clubs away, and the chances of losing him are extremely slim, if not nil.
He could therefore regain his confidence in the AHL and give the club a boost.
However, I think the Habs need to go out and find an auxiliary goalie, because things aren’t going well at all, and send Primeau to Laval via the waivers.
Let’s wait a little before we start Jakub Dobes with the big club.
– A very difficult choice. For me, it would be William Nylander as starter, Tage Thompson on the bench and Kyle Connor would unfortunately be cut, although I love the player.
MONTREAL, QC - JUNE 07: Look on Montreal Canadiens defenseman Shea Weber (6) during the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs second round game 4 between the Winnipeg Jets versus the Montreal Canadiens on June 07, 2021, at Bell Centre in Montreal, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire)
Before he was traded to Montreal, Shea Weber was the leader of his club in Nashville.
He had played every game of his career in a Predators uniform and was also the club captain.
Weber thus developed a sense of belonging to the Preds, which is normal.
That’s why, in the summer of 2016, when he was acquired by the Montreal Canadiens, Weber had a hard time swallowing the deal.
Marc Dumont met him that summer at the World Cup, before his official arrival in Montreal (the tournament had been played in the summer).
That said, this same Marc Dumont was on colleague JB Gagné’s podcast and told us that Weber wasn’t happy at the time:
He wasn’t happy to be in Montreal. He felt betrayed by David Poile. – Marc Dumont
Go listen to the podcast episode. It’s worth it:
Big thanks to @MarcPDumont for stopping by the Les Glorieux podcast!
Weber was appreciated in Nashville and he loved playing there.
Seeing your GM trade you elsewhere when you’re the captain and when you have such a big role, that’s got to hurt….
But Weber can take solace in the fact that he also had a superb career in a Canadiens uniform.
He wore the “C” on his jersey, he took the Canadiens all the way to the Stanley Cup Final… And he made some good friends.
Suzuki, Caufield, Evans, Gallagher, Anderson and Armia will all be there tonight for his official Hall of Fame induction:
According to Sportsnet’s Kyle Bukauskas, the six Habs players who played with Shea Weber will travel to Toronto after the game today to attend his Hockey Hall of Fame induction.
They include: Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Brendan Gallagher, Jake Evans, Josh Anderson & Joel Armia. pic.twitter.com/0uctWwzEL2
pic.twitter.com/xNHEdZGwHk
https://t.co/z7UOYrd1rE.
https://t.co/MRKQkMtzxq
: RDS 
courtesy: Angela Price/IG 
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Connor Hellebuyck