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Suzuki and Caufield were still separated at today’s practice

The Canadiens had a practice session this afternoon after last night’s embarrassing loss in Toronto.

And right off the bat, we noticed one thing in particular.

Suzuki and Caufield weren’t playing on the same line.

Martin St-Louis stirred his soup yesterday in the third period and kept his trios intact today.

That’s not a bad thing, because there’s been nothing working offensively for the Habs for several games.

The Dach – Slaf combination is interesting because at practice in 2023, they were excellent together. It remains to be seen whether it will carry over to this season… With Dach playing on the wing (and not at center).

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Caufield – Evans – Newhook, that’s a fast line… But it’s also a very small line.

Against the Sabres tomorrow, it could be OK. On the other hand, the Canadiens can’t have a second line like that against big teams…

There are guys in that lineup who don’t even deserve to play, and everyone knows it.

But at the same time, Martin St-Louis is making do with what he has on hand at the moment. Would inserting a Michael Pezzetta into the line-up change everything? Maybe not… But the way things have been going lately, he deserves at least the chance to shine, because we know he’s going to show up. It’s part of his nature.

Let’s wait until tomorrow to see if there will be any changes in the coach’s line-up. But knowing that the trios looked like that today, I have a feeling that’s the formation we’ll see tomorrow against the Sabres.

Extension

Today’s practice took place in Toronto.

The players will then travel to Buffalo for tomorrow’s game.

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Ivan Demidov: his coach says he would be less well looked after in Montreal

With the Canadiens’ current miserable season, excitement and prospects are already turning to the arrival of Ivan Demidov next season.

There’s nothing exciting about the Habs after 15 games, apart from Lane Hutson, so fans are already talking about next season with Ivan Demidov in mind.

The young Russian is the light at the end of the tunnel right now, and fans are eagerly awaiting his arrival in Montreal.

Of course, Demidov is unlikely to join the Habs this season.

However, that hasn’t stopped some fans from dreaming of seeing the Russian prospect arrive this year and play alongside Nick Suzuki and/or Cole Caufield, and even more importantly, Lane Hutson.

In fact, Ivan Demidov himself recently stated in an interview with Rumble Gambling(which you can find in full here) that he likes Lane Hutson a lot, and that he follows his performances closely in Canadiens games.

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In short, Demidov would be well looked after in Montreal, where he’d clearly get more playing time and play with better players than at SKA St. Petersburg.

At least, that’s what they think in Montreal.

But on the St. Petersburg side, well, they don’t think so at all.

Indeed, SKA coach Roman Rotenberg stated in an interview included in the Responsible Gaming article that, in his humble opinion, Demidov wouldn’t have partners on the level of those he currently has in the KHL.

“I’m going to tell you honestly that there are no partners in Montreal comparable to those Ivan (Demidov) currently has with the SKA. There are no center players or wingers like here in Montreal.” – Roman Rotenberg

Really?

If Rotenberg had spoken of a more beneficial atmosphere and mood with the SKA given that the team is winning compared to Montreal, I would have understood his point of view more, even if Demidov seems unhappy in spite of everything.

But to say that SKA has better players to surround Demidov, that one I understand less.

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In terms of experience, maybe it helps Demidov to play with veterans like Evgeny Kuznetsov, but the fact remains that in terms of talent, Suzuki, Caufield and company would surround Demidov much better.

Kuznetsov is a veteran who has played in the NHL, which certainly helps, but let’s just say that the former Washington Capitals player isn’t necessarily the best off-ice influence when you remember all his stories…

In short, we don’t know if Rotenberg was comparing the SKA and Montreal players in terms of talent or experience, but in any case, the St. Petersburg head coach says that Demidov is developing much more and much better as a player AND as a person with them.

That’s a big statement on Rotenberg’s part, and let’s just say it adds fuel to the fire that already exists between Montreal and the SKA head coach.

Overtime

– Yes, it does. This is serious.

– Whew. That says a lot about how important it was.

– It’s clear, but he clearly has a share of the blame to take.

– Wow.

– Incredible.

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The Habs find themselves in last place in the NHL

Honestly, even if the Canadiens are still rebuilding, and we have to think about the positive things to come in the future, the CH’s current start to the season is really depressing.

Indeed, the defeats aren’t even/no longer somewhat exciting to watch for the individual performances of the club’s young players, because nobody is performing consistently.

Seriously, aside from Lane Hutson, I can’t think of any other reason to watch the Habs games.

This may well be another season of the famous rebuild for Martin St-Louis’ troupe, but we should still be seeing progress, or at least seeing the young players improve and become more consistent.

Unfortunately, that hasn’t been the case so far, with 15 games played.

The Habs aren’t progressing compared to last season, and even seem to be regressing, which is painful every game for Martin St-Louis’s men.

Some saw the Canadiens as being in the mix or at least in “No Man’s Land” this season, but in the end, after 15 games, the Canadiens aren’t even close to such expectations, as they find themselves in last place in the NHL.

(Credit: NHL.com)

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The Habs are currently tied for last place with the vaunted San Jose Sharks, which is clearly not ideal, even if you look at it with the draft in mind.

At a certain point, yes, it’s nice to have excellent draft picks, but the Habs need to progress and improve, because right now, it really seems like the players seem to accept defeat and live with it as if it were something normal.

Of course, at the moment, apart from the Nashville Predators and Philadelphia Flyers, the NHL’s bottom-7 includes the five teams that drafted in the top-5 last season.

No team has really progressed, which may seem like a relief for the Habs, but all the same, in the end, I think seeing the team be worse than last season is a bad thing.

Not convinced that the Habs are worse than last season?

Well, to give you an idea, with yesterday’s 4-1 loss to the Maple Leafs (who were playing their second game in two nights without Auston Matthews in the line-up), the Habs have now lost six in a row, a sequence Martin St-Louis’ team never suffered last season.

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In short, there’s clearly something wrong with the Habs right now, especially over the past six games.

Cole Caufield (despite a good start to the season), Nick Suzuki, Juraj Slafkovsky and Kirby Dach all seem to be in neutral every time they appear, and we don’t see them involved.

Only Lane Hutson and Brendan Gallagher have been positive and exciting for the Habs in recent games.

Gallagher is on a 38-goal streak, with seven goals in 15 games. Last season, he reached the seven-goal plateau after 41 games.

Overtime

– With good reason.

– Of note.

– It would be phenomenal if he broke Gretzky’s record while scoring 50 goals this season.

– Incroyable.

– Indeed.

– Wow. Very cool.

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0 in 4: a Saturday to forget for Montreal’s sports teams

Yesterday was a very big day for Montreal sports fans.

Indeed, four Montreal sports teams (yes, I’m including the Laval Rocket) were in action on this big Saturday for sports in Quebec.

There were two hockey games and two football games.

Here are yesterday’s match-ups:

  • CFL – Eastern Association Semi-Final: Montreal Alouettes VS Toronto Argonauts
  • University football – Dunsmore Cup: Université de Montréal Carabins VS Université Laval Rouge et Or
  • NHL – Game #15: Montreal Canadiens VS Toronto Maple Leafs
  • AHL – Game #11 of the regular schedule: Laval Rocket VS Belleville Senators

Honestly, aside from the Canadiens, all four of these games could have gone either way.

But unfortunately, none of these four confrontations saw the Montreal team emerge victorious, as we were treated to four defeats out of four games.

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Montreal Alouettes lose 30-28 to Toronto Argonauts

After 10 wins in their first 11 games of the 2024-2025 season, everything seemed to be pointing to a second consecutive Gray Cup for the Montreal Alouettes.

But in the end, a poor end to the season with four losses and a draw in seven games sowed doubt in the minds of fans, analysts and quite possibly the team.

This doubt was confirmed yesterday with the defeat in the Association Finals.

The Alouettes were mediocre last night, when they really beat themselves.

They had their chances to score, but they committed a ton of turnovers and failed to score at crucial moments.

In short, despite an end to the game that had given prospects hope, the Alouettes’ season ended yesterday on a very bad note.

It’s a shame, especially in front of Montreal fans at Percival-Molson Stadium, but c’est la vie, the Alouettes didn’t deserve it last night.

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Université de Montréal Carabins lose 22-17 to Université de Laval Rouge et Or

It was classic Québécois university football last night, as the Carabins and Rouge et Or faced off in the Dunsmore Cup final for the 11ᵉ time in a row.

And unfortunately, it was the Quebec team that prevailed.

The Carabins held a 10-5 lead at half-time, but the Rouge et Or came back strong in the second half, and turned the tide.

It’s a game that hurts losers every year, and this time the disappointment was on the Montreal side.

The Rouge et Or will meet the Regina Rams for the Mitchell Cup.

Montreal Canadiens lose 4-1 to Toronto Maple Leafs

This was probably the only defeat we really expected, and really saw coming.

It was surely the only game in which the odds were stacked in favor of an opponent’s victory.

The Canadiens lost their sixth game in a row, which is starting to take its toll on everyone.

I’ll have more to say about this game later.

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Laval Rocket lose 3-2 to Belleville Senators

All good things must come to an end, as the Rocket’s winning streak came to an end at eight last night, when the Senators rallied with three unanswered goals to win 3-2.

The Rocket’s second loss of the season could have come at any time, but it did yesterday.

The Rocket didn’t play badly, and in the end, we can take some positives from the fact that Owen Beck scored a fine goal, and Adam Engstrom picked up two assists in this game.

Beck now has 10 points in 11 games, which is excellent for a guy in his rookie season.

Engstrom, meanwhile, has five points in 11 games, which is also solid, especially for a rookie defenseman.

In short, four losses out of four games hurts, especially when two of those losses come against Toronto, and two teams saw their seasons end with those losses.

But that’s life, and Montreal teams will have a chance to bounce back one day.

Overtime

– He’s getting closer and closer to the record!

– Ovi is in very good shape.

– Read more.

– Interesting.

– Ottawa once again has to deal with a goalie who’s got it going on.

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Top-5: Winnipeg Jets set NHL record with 14-1 record

Like every Saturday, it was a busy day in the National Hockey League.

24 teams were in action across 12 games, which obviously generated a number of highlights.

Here’s what to take away from Saturday’s hockey action.

1. Winnipeg Jets set NHL record with 14 wins in first 15 games

If there’s one team in the NHL whose fans have nothing but positive things to remember about their team’s performance, it’s the Winnipeg Jets.

The Jets have simply been unstoppable since the start of the season, and they’re really establishing themselves as the biggest force in the entire NHL right now.

With another victory yesterday, this time by a 4-1 score over the Dallas Stars, the Jets now have a 14-1-0 record, which represents an all-time NHL record after the first 15 games.

It’s been a remarkable start to the season for the Jets, while everything is going swimmingly for the Manitoba outfit.

In fact, they have the best rolling powerplay at 41.9%.

In short, the Jets are truly impressive, which makes their fans very confident and drooling, while yesterday they took the time to taunt Dallas Stars goalie Jake Oettinger that he would be Connor Hellebuyck’s backup goalie at the Four Nations Tournament.

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2. Alex Ovechkin already reaches the 10-goal plateau this season

The Washington Capitals’ number 8 is enjoying an excellent start to the season.

In fact, last night he already reached the 10-goal plateau this season after just 14 games, which is impressive for the 39-year-old forward.

He scored twice in an 8-1 Caps thaw over the St. Louis Blues, making it 10 goals and 18 points in 14 games.

Ovi can thank Dylan Strome, who has an assist on every one of the Caps’ No. 8’s 10 goals so far this season.

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3. Masterful save by Jordan Binnington

In the same game, even though the Blues got completely destroyed, they generated some highlights.

Despite a tough night at the office, Jordan Binnington made a masterful save after making a mistake with the puck on the way out of his net.

Also of note, in the heartbreaking 8-1 loss, Blues defenseman Scott Perunovich scored his first NHL goal in his 79ᵉ career game.

St. Louis’ Victor Mete.

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4. Four goals in less than five minutes for the Oilers

It’s been a tough season for the Edmonton Oilers, who are struggling to maintain a .500 record.

At least yesterday they had a good outing against a good team, winning 7-3 over the Vancouver Canucks.

The Oilers ran away with the win thanks to four goals in less than five minutes in the third period, completely sinking the Canucks.

The win moves the Oilers up the playoff table to the 8ᵉ and final spot giving access to the spring tournament.

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5. Anthony Richard scores his first with the Flyers

While Matvei Michkov was left out for a second straight game by John Tortorella, it was Anthony Richard who made the most of it, as the former Montreal Canadiens man scored his first goal with the Philadelphia Flyers last night.

Richard has been inserted into the lineup for the last two games at Michkov’s expense, and let’s just say he’s managing to leave his mark and keep his place in the lineup.

Well done by the Québécois.

Overtime

– Here are all yesterday’s results.

– Here are yesterday’s top scorers.

(Credit: )

– Today’s program: three games.

(Credit: Google/NHL)

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Trevor Zegras prefers to play center because he hates playing wing

Trevor Zegras is the talk of the town for all sorts of reasons.

As much for his undeniable raw talent and nimble hands as for his inconsistent performances and the trade rumours surrounding him.

One thing’s for sure: Zegras knows how to entertain a crowd.

This season, it’s not looking good for the American, who has just three points in 13 games.

The natural center has been used on the wing on a few occasions this season, but Zegras says he hates playing on the wing.

That’s what Alyson Lozoff, a reporter covering the Anaheim Ducks, said just before last night’s game against the Minnesota Wild.

With the Ducks regressing year after year, trade rumors are stronger than ever.

I truly believe the Ducks MUST trade Zegras before they can only receive “peanuts” in return.

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Understandably, the Nashville Predators seem a logical destination for the talented forward.

With a disastrous start to the season, it would make sense for the Preds to try and stir the pot.

On the other hand, Barry Trotz recently mentioned that if the team doesn’t get its act together quickly, he wouldn’t hesitate to enter the rebuilding process.

As we know, Montreal has often been linked to Cole Caufield’s good friend in the past.

Could it be time for the Habs to make a move for the Ducks’ young forward?

Personally, I think so. Imagine a Zegras-Caufield duo, alongside a Kirby Dach or a Juraj Slafkovsky.

Adding raw talent to the top-6, coupled with the imminent return of Patrik Laine, can only be beneficial.

Plus, the Ducks have a lot of centers in Mason McTavish, Cutter Gauthier and Leo Carlsson.

On the other hand, seeing how the Habs’ season has started so far, it wouldn’t be the best time for the Habs to make this addition.

Let’s see what happens with Zegras and whether he’ll be too irritated to continue playing center.

Overtime

– Nice move by Caufield.

– Michael Hage continues to make his mark. It took just 41 seconds to score the game’s first goal.

– Homecoming.

– Four-game suspension for that Ben Harpur brain cramp.

– Indeed, there’s only one.

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Connor Hughes: the star behind the Rocket’s incredible start to the season

The Laval Rocket are off to an incredible start to their AHL season.

Pascal Vincent’s troupe has a 9-1-0 record after ten games, and is first in its division, and also first in the entire AHL in terms of point percentage (.900).

It’s been an impressive start to the season for the Habs’ club team, which is at least a small consolation to Habs fans fed up with the Montreal Canadiens’ losing ways.

Behind the Rocket’s excellent start to the season, well, there are several key players, including head coach Pascal Vincent, of course, but also several first-rate players.

Alex Barré-Boulet (11 points in six games), Joshua Roy (12 points in ten games) and Logan Mailloux (10 points in five games, leading all AHL defensemen) have taken matters into their own hands, and are at the heart of the team’s current success.

However, we mustn’t forget the other key players behind this incredible start to the season, such as Owen Beck and Connor Hughes.

In the case of Hughes, in all seriousness, he’s a real surprise, while behind the scenes, he’s helping the Rocket string together wins with solid performances in front of the net.

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Indeed, he took on the role of number one goalkeeper due to Jakub Dobes’ minor injury, and let’s just say he delivered the goods in fine style.

Hughes, 28, is currently carrying the team on his shoulders, having played in the team’s last three games and won them all.

For a rather mundane signing this summer, let’s just say that Hughes makes Kent Hughes and the Habs staff look like geniuses.

The Rocket goalie currently has a record of five wins and one loss, with a goals-against average of 1.99 and a save percentage of .931.

In short, it’s a Habs signing who’s really paying off for the club-school, which can count on two VERY solid goaltenders.

And let’s not forget that Hughes is very well able to speak French.

If Cayden Primeau in Montreal ever becomes a problem, Hughes could very well come up and hold down the fort, allowing Dobes to continue to develop quietly in Laval.

Stay tuned.

Overtime

– Watch and re-watch Logan Mailloux’s goal in the shootout.

– Watch for it tonight.

– Two former Habs defensemen are still injured with the Islanders.

– Indeed.

– Of note.

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Patrik Laine: a return in November?

A few hours ago, Patrik Laine was spotted skating. It was the first time he had been seen on skates since injuring himself during the preparatory schedule.

Of course, the question is: when will he be back in action?

According to what Renaud Lavoie said this evening, if all continues to go well, it’s not impossible that Laine could be back in action by the end of November.

Because Laine hasn’t had surgery, the timetable for his return is different. After all, he began to heal more quickly, which explains his return to the ice a few weeks after his injury.

The Habs will rely on the player’s progress because there’s no hurry. It’s too lateto save the Habs’ season.

It’s also important to remember that when Laine returns, he won’t have played for nearly a year. He won’t be as dominant as he was when he was scoring 40 goals a year in Winnipeg.

He’ll need time. You can’t dominate in 2024 when, on November 9, you look like this.

But even if he won’t be perfect when he returns, his return will make his teammates more confident and he could be a (small) lifeline. He’ll put pressure on everyone to be in their seats and fight for playing time.

To be continued.

Extension

– If Patrik Laine returns in November, he could be an option for the Four Nations confrontation. Not necessarily as early as December 2, but as a replacement later on, perhaps?

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Friedman: Slafkovsky could score 30 goals this season

Juraj Slafkovsky had a great first full season last year.

He racked up 20 goals and 30 assists, and a lot was expected of him this year.

Without saying he’s not producing up to expectations, as he does have 8 points in 11 games this season, his one little goal raises a few questions.

Definitely, he’s not scoring enough for the fans, a bit like Cole Caufield last season.

But that doesn’t mean he’s having a bad season.

We know that Slafkovsky finished the season on fire and we expect him to score at a more frantic pace between now and April.

That’s what Elliotte Friedman thinks, after mentioning the young Slovak in his latest 32 Thoughts.

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The Insider recently caught up with Slafkovsky, and point #15 of his article relates to the Montreal Canadiens forward.

He asked him if he had a goal in mind for 2024-25.

To this, he replied that he always does. Friedman then asked if it was above or below 35 goals.

Slaf replied with a smile, “It’s around that.”

Mentioning that he’s only one goal away at the moment, Friedman predicts that he’ll “warm up” and could score 30 goals.

It’ll be tough for the Slovak, but we know he has the skills to do it.

In the first 11 games, it just wasn’t working out for Slafkovsky, but that can all change.

The Habs could very well benefit from a return to form for #20 if he starts scoring goals at a higher rate.

Let’s hope the Slovak can rediscover the form he showed at the end of last season.

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Matvei Michkov will be sidelined (again) tonight

In his team’s last game, Matvei Michkov was left out by his head coach.

John Tortorella said he made the decision to “help” his youngster.

The Flyers won… And good old Torts chose to keep the same line-up for the club’s game tonight against the Florida Panthers.

This means, therefore, that Michkov will be left out for a second game in a row.

The decision is causing quite a stir, especially among Philadelphia fans.

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It’s all the talk in Philly, because since the start of the season, Michkov has been playing relatively well.

He’s had a quieter streak, being blanked in four consecutive games… But still.

Still, Mishkov is his club’s second-highest scorer and one of the few who can create things offensively for the Flyers.

It’s as if Martin St-Louis decided to leave Lane Hutson out for two consecutive games.

Do you realize how catastrophic that would be in Montreal?

That said, John Tortorella has the reputation we all know, and it looks like it’s going to get even worse, given that the decision comes from him.

It makes sense…

Overtime

In 13 games this season, Michkov has scored a total of four goals and six assists.

He has ten points on the scoreboard… And he’s the second-highest scorer among rookies this season.

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