Author: Dose

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Ovi rated on a weekly basis: The record will be hard to break this season

Alex Ovechkin is chasing Wayne Gretzky’s record for most career goals in the National Hockey League.

He got one step closer to his goal last night, scoring twice against André Tourigny’s team… before injuring himself in the process.

Watching the footage, it was clear he was in pain as he struggled to get off the ice:

Of course, everyone thought the same thing.

I can’t believe this is happening at the worst possible time!

It’s true that the timing isn’t ideal and that’s why we were waiting to see what the Capitals would say about him.

Now we have more details, as the team announced on Twitter that #8 has a leg injury and will meet with team doctors tomorrow for further tests.

In the tweet, the Capitals announce that their captain will be evaluated on a weekly basis :

You’d think he’d have avoided the worst because he’s injured his leg, not his knee.

Usually, a knee injury can take much longer to heal.

But you still have to wonder if Ovechkin’s record-breaking run is in jeopardy… At least for this year.

We all want to see him break Wayne Gretzky’s mark (even the players want to see Ovi achieve the feat , according to a poll by The Athletic), but he won’t be able to do it if he’s injured.

And if he misses too many games, the record will be hard (if not impossible) to come by this season.

He’s still 27 goals away from beating Gretzky…

It’s a shame, because since the start of the season, Ovechkin has been scoring at an insane rate (15 goals in 18 games).

If he’d kept up the momentum, he might have broken Gretzky’s record… Even if he played fewer games than La Merveille:

Let’s hope his injury isn’t too serious and that he’ll be able to return to action quickly.

Because to see him score goals at an insane rate and to see him celebrate each one with enthusiasm, knowing that he’s closing in on the ultimate record, is unique… And we may never see that again in NHL history.

Overtime

– He looks happy to be back.

– Good question.

– Classic.

– Mathieu Joseph will be left out tonight.

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Expansion: only one city ahead of Quebec City in the eyes of players

NHL players chatted (anonymously) to The Athletic about expansion and other topics.

175 of them had their say, and while many of them voted for more than one city, the fact remains that the popular vote made Quebec City look good.

In fact, the city of the former Nordiques received 47 endorsements.

The only city to get more votes from the players? Houston. At 54 votes, the players seem to want to play in one of the biggest cities in the United States.

They should.

What we find is that while everyone likes to play in Arizona, which has everything on paper to appeal to players (in a world where the owner looks good), Quebec City is twice as popular with the players surveyed.

We’re talking about 24 votes for Arizona.

The problem? It’s not the players who decide this… and that’s what allows them to make up their minds more freely, without taking into account the monetary factors of the situation.

But even so, they know it’s unlikely.

I’d like to see Quebec City because, as a Francophone, the battle between Quebec City and Montreal is too good. But from a business point of view, I don’t know if it’s the right decision. – Anonymous Player 1

You can’t go to Quebec City: the exchange rate is crap. – Anonymous Player 2

The majority of players agree with an expansion process to bring it to 34 clubs. However, even if some players want to see Quebec City, Toronto, Saskatoon or Halifax get a club, it certainly won’t be in Canada.

Houston and Atlanta are my bets right now.

Overtime

– Read more.

– Of note.

– He’s still in town.

– To be continued.

– What do you think?

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“From what I hear, David Savard will probably be traded.”

NEWARK, NJ - NOVEMBER 07: David Savard #58 of the Montreal Canadiens skates during the game against the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center on November 7, 2024 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Rich Graessle/NHLI via Getty Images)

The Canadiens are not, contrary to what I’m reading, #InTheMix right now: they’re last in the East.

Yes, there are only three points separating them from the playoffs, but it’s going to take more than two good games together to convince me that Martin St-Louis’ club can fight for the playoffs.

And it’s not as if the teams ahead of the Habs will all start losing just yet.

So, in a few weeks’ time, we’ll be wondering whether the Habs have what it takes to do what wasn’t necessarily planned a few weeks ago: trade rental players.

David Savard’s name is bound to come up.

The right-handed defenseman is good for the playoffs because he can take a precise chair, as Martin St-Louis would surely say. And opposing teams know it.

On this subject, Marco D’Amico (Responsible Gambler) has done his homework and talked to some people in the business who are of the following opinion: the market will force Kent Hughes to part with Savard.

NHL insiders believe that the very limited number of right-handed defensemen will result in a lot of demand for Savard, who is possibly the most attractive candidate.

Will the Oilers be among them? Surely, yes. After all, as I wrote last night, the club wants a defenseman in its mold.

It’s safe to assume that a good old-fashioned overbid could net the Canadiens a first-round pick, although it’s still early to get into the details of what a deal would look like.

Will the fact that he’s relatively unique on the market for rental right-handed defensemen of this calibre mean that he’ll be at the heart of discussions that will take place sooner? Perhaps it will.

Look at Sean Monahan last year…

If the market forces the Canadiens to trade him (it’s easier this year, as a rental player), the end of the season will be even tougher in Montreal. Is that really what the club wants? That’s part of the equation too.

Overtime

– Of note.

– Makes sense.

– Still with the Rocket.

– He’s been the talk of the town.

– A real one.

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Rafaël Harvey-Pinard to play with the Laval Rocket

We suspected it was coming, but it’s done.

The Canadiens have traded Rafaël Harvey-Pinard to the Laval Rocket for conditioning purposes. He’ll play a few games down there before returning to the NHL.

That’s what the club has just announced.

He’ll have a chance to find his rhythm at the lower level, as is often the case in baseball. And after a few games, he’ll inevitably be recalled by the Canadiens.

The Québécois missed the first few weeks of the season with a broken leg. He underwent surgery before the club’s practice camp.

Details to follow…

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Cole Caufield denigrated in favor of Connor McDavid: he responds on Instagram

Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images

Connor McDavid didn’t look too good against the Canadiens last night. At least, he didn’t when his club was cleared… and, by necessity, he was too.

But there were moments when he was true to form, making plays that only he knows the secret of.

Over the course of the game, McDavid made the rounds of the offensive zone. And even if there was some frustration at the end of the sequence, he still did something that many people can’t do with the puck.

As you can see, the nhl.discussion account posted the video mentioning that McDavid DANCED on Monday night. The account suggested people go listen to the game on Prime, while adding that it bypassed Caufield.

Why was the #13 of the Habs isolated like that? That’s a good question. After all, two other players failed to slow him down, including defenseman Lane Hutson.

But clearly, on a night when McDavid did nothing in terms of points, Caufield didn’t take kindly to being isolated like that. So he responded to the video a few hours later (after the game, of course) with a peace emoji .

It says what it’s supposed to say.

(Credit: Instagram)

Although McJesus has more points than Caufield this season (21 vs. 16), the fact remains that with just seven goals, the Oilers captain has five fewer than Cole’s 12.

That’s a big difference. And maybe that’s why the Canadiens player didn’t take to seeing the comment directed at him on his Instagram page, after his game.

I really get the impression that on IG, the account manager decided to promote the NHL by showing that McDavid is capable of getting around a star. It’s the right thing to do.

But it’s also okay to retaliate.

Overtime

– Good listening.

– Pierre Dorion reflects on the 1998 draft. [BPM Sports]

– Um…

– To be continued.

– Ouch.

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Don’t forget to take advantage of Crazy Friday to buy your chair for the parade!

Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images

From the way the Habs have been playing over the past two games, it’s clear that something is going right with the Canadiens.

After a 5-1 win over the Blue Jackets on Saturday, the Habs followed up yesterday with a 3-0 shutout of the Oilers at the Bell Centre. The club is on an interesting roll.

Those talking about coming back #InTheMix because of a few wins will have to wait a while, because the Habs are still last in the East as we speak.

You’ll have to wait before thinking about buying yourself a proverbial folding chair for the Stanley Cup parade…. and that’s even if the crazy Friday discounts are coming soon. And that’s even if I said otherwise in my headline.

As you can see, nobody does worse than the Habs’ .421 in the East.

(Credit: NHL.com)

But the fact remains that the Canadiens are looking good these days. They’ve given up just one goal in their last two games, and yesterday they silenced the Oilers’ big guns.

The people who came out to watch hockey at the Bell Centre were treated to a good show. And they were also treated to a pre-game tribute to Pierre Houde.

Yesterday, the club’s defensive game was on point and the effort was there. In what promises to be a difficult year, that’s what you need to see from the Habs if you want to talk about progress in rebuilding.

And if, on top of that, the Habs win once in a while (three wins in four games since last Monday’s game in Buffalo), maybe that’ll help the collective morale of Habs fans… if not the lottery.

(Credit: NHL.com)

The guys won’t be able to build on this performance until next Saturday, but in the dressing room after the game, they were happy to have won against a big club like Edmonton.

And they had plenty of reason to be.

1. Mike Matheson, who was without Kaiden Guhle for several minutes in the first period, was excellent at countering the opposition’s best players. Yesterday, Connor McDavid and his gang were shut out.

Matheson played over 24 minutes. With an assist and a +3 rating, he did what’s expected of him.

2. Samuel Montembeault has given up just one goal in his last two games. He’s given up just three goals in 10 periods since coming on in relief of Cayden Primeau last Monday.

Reminder: yesterday, Kyle Dubas (Team Canada) was on hand at the Bell Centre.

(Credit: ESPN)

3. Defensively, everyone seemed to be playing to their strengths. Lane Hutson was stunning… Arber Xhekaj (who was very good) made his presence felt physically… Mike Matheson was the leader the club needed… Kaiden Guhle scored…

So much the better.

4. I don’t know what Brendan Gallagher has been putting into his Rice Krispies since the start of the year, but clearly, the recipe is working. He’s as committed as ever, but it’s paying off this year.

With his eight goals, he’s second on the team behind Cole Caufield’s 12. That’s quite something.

5. Nick Suzuki got an assist on Jake Evans’ goal (in an empty net). That gives him 19 points in 19 games. He’s on the best pace of his career.

No other Habs player is at a point per game right now.

6. Hats off to Mike Matheson (and the whole club) for clearing Connor McDavid, but that’s not a first. In reality, #97 really doesn’t have the habs number at the Bell Centre.

In 14 games, he has been blanked seven times in his career.

7. No goals were scored on special units, which helps the cause of the powerplay this season (81.8%, 10th in the league), but not the powerplay (21.5%, 12th in the league) for Martin St-Louis’ team.

Yesterday, on special units, the Oilers were 0-in-3. The Habs? 0-in-2.

Overtime

Today, the Habs players will enjoy a day of rest. They’ll be back in practice on Wednesday, in Brossard, in preparation for the game on… Saturday.

Will the group’s momentum carry through? That remains to be seen.

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Top-5: Two more Alexander Ovechkin goals, but an injury

Last night, there were six games in the NHL.

The Canadiens blanked the Oilers.

Here are the results and highlights of the other five games:

1. Two more Alex Ovechkin goals, but an injury

As of November 19, 2024, Alex Ovechkin is the NHL’s leading scorer.

Yesterday, he scored several more goals in one game (2). That makes five in two days, after his hat trick on Sunday.

He is now the NHL’s top scorer with 15 goals.

He’s getting dangerously close to Wayne Gretzky and honestly, it wouldn’t surprise me if he broke his record this season.

However, his solid performance ended with an injury. He collided with Jack McBain and left the game.

Tom Wilson came to avenge his captain by throwing down the gloves, but the damage was done.

At least the Caps won the game 6-2.

Ovi is considered day-to-day.

2. Bruins booed at home

It’s not been too glorious a season for the Boston Bruins, who, with yesterday’s loss, have a record below the .500 mark.

They were facing the Columbus Blue Jackets, whom the Habs had beaten 5-1 on Saturday.

Columbus pulled off the same trick against Boston, winning by the same score. It was a tough game for the home side, who were even booed by their own fans.

Some even think Jim Montgomery piloted his last game at the Bruins’ helm….

It’s that bad.

In the Jackets’ victory, Québécois Mathieu Olivier distinguished himself with a fight and a beautiful goal.

3. Official leaves Flyers-Avalanche game on stretcher

Before the Flyers-Avalanche game, Erik Johnson was honored for playing 1,000 NHL games.

Even Gabriel Landeskog joined the party.

That’s not what this game is about.

An official collided with Josh Manson of the Avalanche and collapsed.

He was unable to get up and had to be stretchered off.

As for the match, the Avalanche won by a score of 3-2. Colorado led 3-0 and Philadelphia was just one goal away from a comeback.

Cale Makar scored his team’s first two goals.

4. Macklin Celebrini scores first goal in overtime

In the final game of the evening, the Sharks hosted the Red Wings.

It was a very offensive game, which finally ended 5-4 in overtime.

It was Macklin Celebrini who sealed the game’s outcome.

Detroit had tied the score in the dying moments of the game.

Alex DeBrincat sent everyone into overtime.

Despite allowing four goals, Mackenzie Blackwood still made sure to leave his mark on the game.

What a save at Andrew Copp’s expense!

5. What a goal from Matt Duchene!

In Texas, the Cowboys faced the Texans in the NFL, but the Stars were also in action.

They were hosting the Ducks in their orange colors.

The Ducks may have won 4-2, but it was Matt Duchene who stole the show with a beautiful goal.

For his part, Brett Leason had another strong game: a goal and two assists.

And rookie Cutter Gauthier had a powerplay goal and an assist.

Extension

– Wilson’s revenge.

– Ovi has one goal against 178 goalies.

– Leason leads the charge.

(Credit: NHL.com)

– Seven games on the bill tonight.

(Credit: Google )

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Rumor: David Savard in Edmonton

American Thanksgiving isn’t here yet, but we can already conclude that the Canadiens won’t be making the playoffs.

From there, you have to wonder what Kent Hughes will do. Clearly, he won’t be looking for short-term solutions to “fix” the club this season. But are long-term additions on the table?

It depends on the price.

But above all, we’ll have to ask ourselves whether the GM will want to liquidate any players to make the end of the season even more painful. And if so, which players could leave Montreal?

One name that’s sure to come up is David Savard. The defenseman stabilizes the Habs’ defense, and without him, it’s clear that a lot of guys would be pulling even harder in their zone.

But at the same time, if he’s a good value on the market, we agree that Hughes could be tempted to take a player whose days are numbered in Montreal anyway.

And on this subject, David Pagnotta mentions that the Edmonton Oilers are the kind of club that could be interested in Savard.

The problem with all this is that the season has only just begun. The “logical” time for teams to make trades hasn’t really started yet.

Apart from Lars Eller recently, it’s been quiet on the market.

The Oilers will have their sights set on a defenseman in the Savard mold. But the price will have to be right. The Québécois will have to be healthy. He’ll have to fit under Edmonton’s payroll. He’ll have to have a good season. The Oilers will have to want him at the expense of other players.

I have a feeling that Kent Hughes’ phone won’t just be ringing off the hook in Alberta for Savard, if all goes well. And let’s not forget that if the Habs play their cards right, the gang at The Fourth Period believes in a first-round pick in return for Savard.

Extension

– The fact that Savard is healthy enough to play tonight against the Oilers can’t hurt Kent Hughes if he really wants to trade his veteran to Western Canada. The Habs blanked the Oilers 3-0.

– Savard is at the end of his contract. He has a salary impact of $3.5 million.

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Kyle Dubas (Penguins GM) attends the Canadiens’ game against the Oilers

Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

In a few days’ time, the four countries in the Tournament of Nations will have to send in their official line-ups.

In the meantime, we can expect several executives to be present at games in which their NHL team is not playing.

Such is the case with Kyle Dubas (Penguins), one of Team Canada’s executives, who is at the Habs game.

According to Renaud Lavoie, he’s here for Team Canada, obviously. The Penguins aren’t playing tonight.

So Dubas is recruiting, and he’ll need to know if Connor McDavid really deserves to be on Team Canada. No kidding, he’s probably at the Bell Centre to see Samuel Montembeault in action. After all, despite a roller-coaster season, the Québécois is certainly in the conversation to be one of Canada’s goalies.

Aside from Montembeault with the Canadiens, Nick Suzuki is the other Canadian who could be in line for a starting spot.

With the Oilers, McDavid already has a spot, but the same cannot be said for Zach Hyman, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Evan Bouchard.

Stuart Skinner, a goaltender who has often been linked with the Canadiens, is another Dubas would surely have liked to see in action. Unfortunately, he’s watching from the bench, as he’ll be Calvin Pickard’s assistant tonight.

Overtime

– “If David Pastrnak was able to warm the bench for a period in Boston, don’t tell me Kirby Dach can’t watch a game from the bridge on any given night.”

– Deserved.

– Another battle for Mathieu Olivier.

– Very funny.

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Molson unveils a beer bearing the effigy of Pierre Houde

Shea Weber was recently inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

In addition to the former defenseman, another very familiar name was inducted. It’s the excellent play-by-play man Pierre Houde.

For the occasion, the Canadiens paid tribute to Houde in their own way.

In fact, some Molson beers feature Pierre’s face and a congratulatory message.

Nice bottles, all in all!

On X (formerly Twitter), Geoff Molson republished the 5 à 7 post and congratulated Pierre Houde himself on his work. And of course, he didn’t miss the opportunity to praise one of his companies…

All over the media, the team’s commentator was praised for his work and photos of the beautiful bottle were published.

Even Renaud Lavoie (TVA Sports), who is a direct competitor of Houde (RDS).

In Quebec, there’s no one who doesn’t love Pierre Houde.

In fact, he will be honoured before tonight’s game against the Oilers for his induction into the Hall of Fame and for his Foster Hewitt Award, a distinction given to a member of the radio and television industry who has distinguished himself through his contribution to the hockey community.

Overtime

– Long absence ahead for him.

– An excellent future support plumber.

– Should the Canadiens pick him up?

– Martin St-Louis doesn’t manage all his players in the same way.

– That pretty much sums up the Cowboys season.

– The question arises.

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