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Top-5: The Oilers were humiliated in Columbus, and lost the services of McDavid.

Photo by Jason Mowry/Getty Images

The Canadiens didn’t play last night.

However, eight other games were presented elsewhere in the NHL.

Let’s see what happened:

1: A night to forget for the Oilers

The Edmonton Oilers aren’t off to a great start to the season.

They had won just four of their first nine games of the campaign prior to yesterday’s game, and the opportunity was there to remedy the situation, as the team was visiting Columbus to take on the Blue Jackets.

But the evening turned out to be a nightmare.

Early in the game, the club lost the services of its captain, who suffered a lower-body injury after a freak fall:

To add insult to injury…

In the game, the Oilers were completely humiliated by the Blue Jackets.

The Edmonton team lost the game 6-1, and on the Jackets’ side, Sean Monahan stood out with a two-goal performance.

Here’s his second:

The Oilers flew to Nashville after the game for tomorrow night’s game against the Predators.

But Connor McDavid didn’t follow the group: instead, he returned to Edmonton to undergo extensive testing for his injury.

Let’s hope it’s not too serious:

2: An emotional evening in Tampa Bay

It was Steven Stamkos’ return to Amalie Arena, where he scored 555 goals in a Lightning uniform.

Naturally, the fans and the organization gave him a warm welcome back.

It was emotional:

After the celebrations, everyone came to their senses… Especially Brayden Point.

He scored a goal of beauty:

Steven Stamkos didn’t want to come back to Tampa Bay as a tourist, and he made his presence felt in the game.

He’s known for his scoring ability, but he picked up two assists on his team’s only two goals of the game:

Stammer ‘s comeback was spoiled by his former team, who won 3-2 in overtime.

But all in all, it was still a fine evening for the former Lightning captain.

3: A first defeat for the Jets

The Jets were hosting the Leafs and trying to maintain their perfect record since the start of the season.

But it didn’t go as planned.

Despite a Kyle Connor hat-trick in the game, the Jets ultimately lost 6-4, losing their very first game of the campaign.

For the Leafs, John Tavares stood out… with a hat trick of his own:

The Leafs’ big guns showed up in the game.

An assist for Marner, an assist for Matthews, three points for Nylander (one goal), hat trick for Tavares, three assists for Pacioretty…

It helps when the best players perform at the level of their talent!

4: Barkov’s pass of the year?

We all know: Aleksander Barkov is quite a hockey player.

However, we haven’t been able to see him play much this season because he was injured in his team’s second game.

He hadn’t played since October 10, but he was back in action last night… And let’s just say he didn’t wait too long to make his mark.

The Panthers captain served a perfect pass without even looking to Sam Reinhart, who then threaded the needle:

Seeing his captain get fancy on the ice, Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky decided to do the same.

He made a spectacular save during the game, when he lost his stick :

Barkov and Bobrovsky’s efforts were enough to give the Panthers a 5-2 win over the Sabres.

Barkov, Sam Bennett and Sam Reinhart all collected a goal and an assist in the win.

5: A Sharks comeback

It’s late in the game.

With just under five minutes left in the game, the San Jose Sharks are losing by a score of 4-1.

But… not so fast.

The Sharks scored not one, not two… but three goals in the final minutes of the game to force overtime.

And as fate would have it, Alexander Wennberg scored to complete the Sharks’ spectacular comeback.

It was party time in San Jose:

It was a party in San Jose, because in winning the game, the Sharks picked up their very first victory of the season (1-7-2 record).

I imagine that Utah’s André Tourigny must have been pretty pissed off after the game… Because you can’t give away three goals and then lose in overtime to the worst team in the league.

It doesn’t look good, at least.

Overtime

– I love these uniforms.

– A first goal for Dahlin since wearing the “C” on his jersey.

– Nice deflection!

– A beautiful moment.

– Wow.

– Great MacKinnon.

– Top scorers of the night :

(Credit: NHL.com screenshot)

– Seven games tonight in the NHL, including the Canadiens :

(Credit: Google screenshot)

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Renaud Lavoie: “Lane Hutson is officially the Canadiens’ best player”.

Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

Lane Hutson is off to an incredible start as an NHL rookie. He already has five points in nine games, but he’s not just an offensive player.

And that’s what makes Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports so happy. During his daily column on BPM Sports’ Club du matin , Lavoie offered a bold opinion.

“Lane Hutson is officially the best player on the Montreal Canadiens.” – Renaud Lavoie

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He was then asked if that was for all positions combined, and his answer remained the same.

Lavoie thinks Hutson is better than Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Mike Matheson. That’s a lot for a defenseman still taking his first steps in the NHL!

What Lavoie is asking is that fans only watch Hutson when he’s on the ice. His play is almost always impeccable and he has a major impact on the Habs’ success.

Let’s not forget that he’s also the Canadiens’ most-used player. He’s used for everything.

Hutson can be seen on the powerplay, shorthanded and five-on-five. And he’s also on the ice when Martin St-Louis pulls his goalie.

Funnily enough, with Hutson on the short-handed, the Canadiens now rank third in one-man efficiency. The Habs have allowed just three shorthanded goals so far this campaign.

And on the powerplay, even if he doesn’t always get points, he’s able to turn the puck around and draw players to him to free up his teammates.

Renaud Lavoie loves all these aspects of Hutson’s game. His only complaint is the power of his shot. Let’s just say it’s the kind of thing that can easily be improved.

Still, it’s funny to see Lavoie adore Hutson like that. Before the start of the season, he explained on TVA Sports that he thought sending Hutson to Laval might be a good idea.

I have a feeling that if he could go back in time, he’d change his mind!

Overtime

– Oilers hold their breath.

– We’ll have to reopen the debate.

– Everything seems to be going well with the Islanders.

– It’s an idea.

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Mike Matheson is producing at the best rate of his career

MONTREAL, CANADA - FEBRUARY 17: Mike Matheson #8 of the Montreal Canadiens looks on during the warm-up of the NHL regular season game between the Montreal Canadiens and the Washington Capitals at the Bell Centre on February 17, 2024 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Vitor Munhoz/NHLI via Getty Images)

Mike Matheson is off to a strange start this season. His offensive production is superb, while many fans are disappointed with his defensive performance.

Despite all the hype about Matheson, the 30-year-old defenseman is currently excelling in the points department.

In fact, he’s currently producing at the best rate of his career. With eight points in nine games, he’s on track to finish the season with around 72 points (72.88 to be exact). He collected 62 points last season, which was his best NHL campaign in terms of points.

Don’t get too excited. That’s if he keeps up his points-per-game pace and plays every game for the Canadiens this season.

You never know, it could happen, but we all agree that he could be in for some tougher times that will slow him down.

The same goes for Cole Caufield. With his eight goals in nine games, he should theoretically finish the season with 72 goals! We all know that’s extremely unlikely.

On the other hand, we have to admit that Matheson’s performances have been excellent. With Guhle away, he and Hutson have had to spend a lot of time on the ice, which becomes very exhausting, especially when they’re playing two games in two nights.

Matheson is off to such a good start that he ranks fifth in the entire NHL for points among defensemen. He’s tied with Victor Hedman, Shea Theodore, Adam Fox and Josh Morrissey. Not bad!

On a slightly less glorious note, Matheson leads the NHL… in penalty minutes.

His 23 penalty minutes put him ahead of Brenden Dillon, who has played three more games than him!

There’s only one thing left for him to do to complete his excellent start to the season. He needs to find the back of the net for the first time!

Overtime

– I think he’s already getting his fair share of criticism.

– JiC is optimistic again!

– A well-deserved welcome.

– Martin St-Louis is tied for sixth.

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Brent Burns bought 100 cheeseburgers for his teammates

When you’re hungry late at night, McDonald’s is often an easy option. What if I told you that’s exactly what the Carolina Hurricanes did on Saturday?

That’s what Brent Burns told Sportsnet’s Dan Murphy.

The problem is, hockey players need to eat something a little healthier than hamburgers. Brent Burns and his crew were “forced” to eat at McDonald’s when their plane broke down in Seattle on Saturday.

Normally, players eat a post-game meal on the plane. This option was no longer available, as the team was now forced to travel by bus from Seattle to Vancouver.

That’s when Burns came up with the idea of buying a hundred McDonald’s cheeseburgers online.

That would solve the problem, except that when the Hurricanes arrived at the restaurant, only the drive-thru was open and the team bus was too big to fit in the aisle.

The solution was to ask another customer to help them pick up their order.

As Murphy mentioned, it must be scary to be approached by someone who looks like Brent Burns late at night.

Against all odds, the person agreed to help and the Hurricanes were able to eat after their game against the Kraken.

Overtime

– This will be an emotional moment for him.

– It’s going very badly for the Oilers.

– Very inspiring!

– There will be an LPHF game in Quebec City.

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4 Nations Tournament : Finland officials eye Joel Armia (according to Pierre LeBrun)

Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images

Will any of the Canadiens’ players be taking part in the 4 Nations Tournament next February?

The question is pertinent, because there could be a few “logical” candidates.

Obviously, Cole Caufield (USA), Mike Matheson (Canada), Samuel Montembeault (Canada), Nick Suzuki (Canada) come to mind… But in this group, we could also add the name of Joel Armia (Finland).

Basically, it’s easy to forget Armia in all this, because we’re not talking about an NHL star.

But as Pierre LeBrun pointed out in a recent article, Finnish officials are watching him to see if he can help the team at the tournament.

He’s good at puck protection and can be useful on the ice:

Last July, the NHL published a list of players who could be part of the Finnish team.

Forwards include Sebastian Aho, Aleksander Barkov, Mikael Granlund, Erik Haula, Roope Hintz, Artturi Lehkonen, Anton Lundell, Eetu Luostarinen, Matias Maccelli, Mikko Rantanen, Teuvo Terevainen and Eeli Tolvanen.

But you also have to think about players like Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Kaapo Kakko, Patrik Laine…

There are some guys who already have a secure place on the team, but the others will have to fight to make a place for themselves.

And that’s where Armia could come in, even if he’s not off to the greatest start of his career.

And what about Caufield?

Since the start of the campaign, Cole Caufield has been scoring goals at an impressive rate.

He’s hit the back of the net eight times in just nine games, and he’s catching the eye of Team USA management.

But his place in the line-up is far from guaranteed, according to Elliotte Friedman in the latest episode of his podcast.

And the reason is simple: the Americans have talent, talent… and more talent.

Does he have what it takes to dethrone one of these players?

  • Kyle Connor
  • Jack Eichel
  • Jake Guentzel
  • Jack Hughes
  • Clayton Keller
  • Dylan Larkin
  • Auston Matthews
  • J.T. Miller
  • Jason Robertson
  • Brady Tkachuk
  • Matthew Tkachuk
  • Vincent Trocheck
  • Trevor Zegras
  • Alex DeBrincat
  • Troy Terry
  • Patrick Kane
  • Matty Beniers
  • Brock Boeser

You’ll notice that the list is long, and we’re only talking about players who play in the forward position.

To put it another way, Caufield is going to have to score more goals if he really wants to earn his place in the American line-up.

In closing…

The more things go on, the more I get the impression that Nick Suzuki and Samuel Montembeault have a chance of playing in the tournament for Team Canada.

The captain’s stats are off to a good start, and Monty is one of Canada’s most outstanding goalkeepers so far this season.

All this remains to be seen, in the end. But it’s worth mentioning because the countries have until early December (just over a month away) to send in their official line-ups for the event.

Overtime

– Alexander Romanov sends love to Habs fans.

– Nice gesture.

– Wow!

See this post on Instagram

A post shared by B/R Open Ice (@br_openice)

– Nice.

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Juraj Slafkovsky… at center?

Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images

In the weeks leading up to his 2022 draft, Juraj Slafkovsky was asked by a few teams if he thought he could play center in the NHL.

You can bet $20 that members of the Habs management team were among those who broached the subject with him, as they eventually drafted him first overall.

Of course, it was out of the question for him to start his NHL career at 18 with a tryout at center, when in fact he had played very little at that position in the two or three years preceding his selection by the Habs.

But after a very conclusive second season in which he showed us that he could play with his head up, quickly spot his teammates, score his share of goals and play well defensively, trying him out at center might not be a bad idea.

If Slaf ‘s shoulder holds up and there’s nothing too serious with it, I’ll be giving it a try soon this season.

There’s no rush!

The first obvious reason could be this: the organization’s left-handed centers are very thin!

If we assume that D-Vo ‘s days in Montreal are coming to an end, that Newhook can’t hold that role for long in a top-6, and that Alex Barré-Boulet isn’t really a solution, then there are no other options for a left-handed center at the top of the lineup right now.

And even the most optimistic fans of Kapanen, Beck and Hage won’t be able to get them to switch sides: they’ll always be right-handed! At some point, it’s handy to have a (big) left-handed center capable of playing on your top-6!

Well, looking ahead, Demidov might be a candidate. Demidov has already played in this position in Russia and shows obvious qualities for playing center, but he’s not playing in this position again this year and I highly doubt he’ll start his career in Montreal as a pivot next year.

Who would have thought – except Grant McCagg! – that Oliver Kapanen would be piloting a second NHL line before the end of the decade?

And who would have thought that Lane Hutson would be tried out on the power play three weeks ago? And yet, the gifted Hutson immediately struck us as a highly effective defender in this situation: he’s got the brains for it!

Slaf, another gifted player in his own right, has shown us time and time again over the last 60 games that he almost always knows what he’s going to do with the puck before he even receives it. That makes him the fastest passer on the Canadiens, with an abnormally high number of touch passes, both five-on-five and on the powerplay.

There’s no doubt in my mind that Slaf, an excellent student and a player who wants to make a difference, has the sense of play and vision to play center.

A big left-handed center is worth its weight in gold!

We dreamed of this famous big left-handed center with Galchenyuk and Kotkaniemi, didn’t we? But they were lighter models and far less gifted. So why not at least give Slaf a try?

In Slafkovsky, the Habs could be looking at a prototype more akin to the Kopitars, Barkovs and Hintzs of this world; physically very heavy and capable of playing against anyone in the NHL.

The 190-pound-and-under guys who play or have played center in all kinds of leagues will recognize what I’m talking about. Talent has a lot to do with it too, but winning a face-off against monsters of this calibre is almost a feat. They’re so heavy on their sticks that sometimes you feel it’s not even worth trying if you’re lighter and weaker than they are!

Not for nothing that on the 30 face-offs Slaf has been able to take so far in his young career, he shows a success percentage of 50%!

IMAGINE if he practiced with them!

It’s the same thing when these behemoths go to help their defenders behind or in front of the net in the defensive zone – it’s not restful! And it’s something Slafkovsky does VERY often anyway, as he’s regularly the first to help his defenders and the last to leave his territory on his line.

What, you’re “afraid it’ll mix it up”?

But the Habs don’t have the luxury of not trying everything.

They don’t have the luxury of not exploiting the full talent of a top-ranked player like Slafkovsky.

They don’t have the luxury OF NOT KNOWING that they may already have a 6’4, 230-pound left-handed center in their lineup!

It’s up to the Habs to try him out for a few games after his return to action.

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Deadline: Forget the idea of veterans being traded if the Habs are still in the mix

MONTREAL, QC - JULY 07: Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes addresses the crowd during the first round of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft on July 07, 2022 at Bell Centre in Montreal, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire)

We don’t know if the Canadiens will sell any players at the next trade deadline.

You’ll tell me that it all depends on the club’s performance between now and then… And I’ll answer you by saying that you’re right.

After all, if the Habs are still in the mix, it would be surprising to see Kent Hughes make a fire sale, because his goal is to be in the mix as long as possible, until the end of the season.

But if the Canadiens find themselves in the bottom half of the standings in March, maybe we could see Kent Hughes make a move. Pierre LeBrun talked about all this on the radio (BPM Sports) and gave clear indications when discussing the matter.

It’s not complicated: if the Habs are still in the race and aren’t “really behind” the other clubs, Kent Hughes won’t trade his veterans unless there’s a surprise.

Still, there’s a chance… But the chances are very slim, according to the informer:

Among the Habs, there are a few players whose contracts will expire at the end of this season and who could help another club in the playoffs.

We’re talking about :

  • Christian Dvorak
  • Jake Evans
  • Joel Armia
  • David Savard

The contracts of Jayden Struble, Michael Pezzetta, Emil Heineman and Rafaël Harvey-Pinard will also expire at the end of the season… But logically, these players won’t necessarily be in demand in March 2025.

It’s different for the first four guys I named, because they have more experience in the National League and have all tasted the playoffs at least once.

Savard even won the Stanley Cup.

That said, if Dvorak, Evans, Armia and Savard finish the season in a Canadiens uniform, we’ll still have to wonder whether they’ll be back in Montreal for next season.

I’d like to see Evans and Savard back because they’re crucial to the team.

As for Dvorak, I don’t think he’s much use most of the time (especially when he hasn’t even won a face-off since the start of the season)… And although Armia has an interesting profile, I tend to think he’s not that hard to replace in the line-up.

So it remains to be seen. But one thing’s for sure: the Habs’ performance will affect Kent Hughes’ decisions between now and the next trade deadline.

Overtime

– A good game, too.

– Your prediction?

– It’s going to be beautiful at the Bell Centre.

– Great quote.

– Ah, yes.

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A 6th straight game with at least one point for Demidov (thanks to a magical pass)

Ivan Demidov has been on fire lately.

Prior to today’s game, he had picked up at least one point in his last five outings, and the Habs prospect is clearly still hungry.

He was on the score sheet again today.

The first period was quieter, but Demidov came into his own in the second.

He found himself on a breakaway, beat the goalie with a beautiful feint… But the puck wouldn’t cooperate.

The disc hit both posts:

After the second period, the score was tied (1-1).

But it was really in the final twenty minutes that things started to happen.

SKA scored four times and Demidov was an accomplice on a goal scored by good old Evgeny Kuznetsov.

Demidov’s pass was masterful, by the way.

He found Kuznetsov and served him a pass without even looking at him, which made for a superb sequence :

SKA St. Petersburg finally won their match 6-3 against Sibir Novosibirsk.

Once again, the Canadiens’ prospect was used to his full potential: he spent a total of 16:26 on the ice.

It’s also worth noting that, with today’s win, SKA now have a seven-game winning streak.

Everything’s going like clockwork… Especially now that Demidov’s not playing anymore. It’s hard to believe that this is just a coincidence!

Extension

Earlier today, we learned thatIvan Demidov was named KHL Player of the Week.

With a point in today’s game, Demidov now has five goals and 12 assists in 21 games this season.

Good for him!

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Players who have yet to score for the Canadiens this season

Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images

Jasons de la Flanelle.

Now that just over 10% of the hockey season is behind us, we’re going to ask ourselves a question we couldn’t necessarily do before the weekend games.

Who hasn’t scored yet?

Since the start of the season, 13 players have found the back of the net. 12 of them have between one and three goals… and then there’s Cole Caufield. His eight goals place him among the NHL’s elite.

Here are the 13 guys in question. In addition to Caufield, Brendan Gallagher and Nick Suzuki scored three goals.

(Credit: Hockey DB)

But among the others? There are 11 players who played at least one game for the Canadiens and didn’t find the back of the net. And of the lot, there are nine skaters and two goalies.

I’m not worried about Michael Pezzetta and Jayden Struble: they haven’t played much, and that’s not their mandate. I’m not going to criticize Arber Xhekaj and David Savard on this one either… nor Alex Barré-Boulet.

(Credit: Hockey DB)

So that brings us to the four players who could have scored at this point, but didn’t: Oliver Kapanen, Christian Dvorak, Lane Hutson and Mike Matheson.

The first is a rookie player and was not placed in obvious positions. The second has really been limited to defensive duties since the start of practice camp.

But the other two, though defensemen, are theoretically the offensive engines of the Flanelle blue line. So it’s more surprising that they haven’t yet found the back of the net.

That said, Matheson still has eight points and helps keep the powerplay rolling. As for Hutson, he generates something on the ice when he touches the puck.

Hutson will have to improve his shot, but his first career goal will come.

In my eyes, the player who needs to get off the list as quickly as possible is Matheson. But at the same time, it’s not a matter of life and death either, you know.

Overtime

– Good question.

– To keep him off the free agent market, he had to have a HUGE offer on the table.

– He should be playing in Pittsburgh, right? Shouldn’t he?

– The Panthers player is back in the game.

– Interesting.

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Canadiens among the NHL’s elite on special units

This summer, Martin St-Louis took advantage of Alex Burrows’ departure to take control of the powerplay.

Over the past nine regular-season games, the Canadiens have scored on the powerplay in virtually every game.

That’s something really noteworthy.

  • October 9, Maple Leafs: 1/5, Cole Caufield
  • October 10, Bruins: 1/6, Brendan Gallagher
  • October 12, Senators: 1/4, Emil Heineman
  • October 14, Penguins: 1/2, Juraj Slafkovsky
  • October 17, Kings: 0/5
  • October 19, Islanders: 1/1, Cole Caufield
  • October 22, Rangers: 1/3, Nick Suzuki
  • October 26, Blues: 1/3, Alex Newhook
  • October 27, Flyers: 1/2, Cole Caufield
  • Total: 8/31

With a success rate of 25.8%, the Canadiens are in an excellent position. We’re talking about eighth in the league as of this morning, which is no mean feat. It’s really good to see that the club has scored in eight of its nine games on the powerplay.

Six different scorers have found the back of the net, including some guys from the second wave. But of course, the king remains Cole Caufield, who has three powerplay goals.

And the PK? Here again, the Canadiens have been dominant since the start of the season. Only the Rangers, Islanders and Bruins have scored a goal this season against the Canadiens’ power play. The Habs gave nothing away this weekend.

At 90.3%, the Habs rank third in the league. Only the Stars and Predators are doing better. #JakeEvansEffect

We know that teams like to add up the percentage of the two special units and have a result of at least 100 to tell themselves that their special units are good. I know it’s funny to add up percentages like that, but we understand what we’re trying to do.

The Habs’ figure is 116. That’s excellent.

Even though the club hasn’t had a good start to the season (although it hasn’t been as bad over the last few days, of course), the special units really haven’t been a problem over the last nine games.

Overtime

– That’s a good one.