Author: Dose

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Alex Ovechkin remembers well his first time

Everyone knows: Alexander Ovechkin is a real scorer.

The great number eight got one more earlier in the day in a 7-3 Washington Capitals home win over the Edmonton Oilers, bringing his total to 29 goals in 41 games.

His three goals bring his total to 882 goals, just 13 nets away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894.

There are still 25 games left for the 39-year-old veteran to break the mark this year if he stays healthy.

Let’s recall that Ovy needed 42 goals this season to break the famous mark and few people thought he would reach such a total at his age.

Especially since a fracture forced him to miss 16 games in November and December 2024.

882 goals is a lot of goals, but that doesn’t mean Ovechkin has forgotten his first time. Or rather, his first two times.

On October 5, 2005, in his first NHL game, the Russian scored his first two career goals against Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Pascal Leclaire.

Meanwhile, we learn today in an article published on TVA Sports that Ovechkin gave one of his signed jerseys to the Quebec goalie with the mention: You were #1 🙂.

A nice gesture on his part and as it turns out, we always remember our first experience!

For Leclaire, who likes to joke that “it’s me who put Ovechkin on the map” and who can finally prove to his daughters that he faced Alexander the Great, this shows his generosity and the kind of person he is.

13 goals in 25 games at the pace of the attacker, it’s very possible by the end of the season.

And while Ovy chases records, the Caps are currently atop the league standings and are one of the teams favored to win the top honors this year.

Can the great number 8 break Gretzky’s record AND win the Stanley Cup in the same year? It would definitely be a great way to end an exceptional career for the great Russian player.

In a hurry

– Incredible!

– 83 points in just 10 games!

– A first start.

– Season over!

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P.K. Subban : “Crosby deserves better than that. It’s Kyle Dubas’ fault.”

P.K. Subban is not afraid to speak his mind. Just before the famous final between Canada and the United States at the 4 Nations Tournament, he published a tweet about a comment from Donald Trump that left much to be desired. Moreover, a former player, Akim Aliu, gave him a pretty intense blast. Not later than yesterday, Subban gave his thoughts on Kyle Dubas’ work as GM and president of operations for the Pittsburgh Penguins. During an intermission on ESPN, the former star defenseman criticized Dubas after the team’s collapse. The Penguins are currently ranked 27th in the NHL.

PK Subban just RIPPED Kyle Dubas on national television. “You’re getting paid 7 million dollars a year. Give Mike Sullivan better players, give Sidney Crosby a team to play with. If you’re going to rebuild, rebuild. Pick a lane. It’s on you.” Embarrassing times for the pens

« You are paid 7 million dollars a year. Give Mike Sullivan better players, give Sidney Crosby a team to play with. If you want to rebuild, rebuild. Choose a lane. It’s your fault. » – P.K. Subban

Let’s say the former Montreal Canadiens defenseman didn’t mince his words to get his message across. But that’s what makes Subban, Subban. However, there’s a nuance to be added to P.K.’s statement. He’s asking Dubas to choose a path, but clearly, he has. As Scott Wheeler mentions in this tweet, the Penguins seem clearly in rebuilding mode. After all, they’re the team with the most picks in the first three rounds of the next three drafts with 15. The Blackhawks and Canadiens have 14.

I’ve seen this tweet going around a lot. The Penguins have 15 picks in the first three rounds of the next three drafts — more than any other team in the league (Blackhawks and Canadiens have 14). Kyle has picked a lane.

Subban should start doing his homework before criticizing a general manager. Isn’t that logical?

Rapid Fire

– Jakub Dobes and Arber Xhekaj did a Q&A session with fans while playing NHL25.
Jakub Dobes and Arber Xhekaj are live NOW on Twitch and YouTube for a gaming session presented by Under Armour
– Three more goals for Ovechkin, who is only 13 goals away from surpassing Wayne Gretzky.
THERE IT IS!! OVECHKIN HATTY! We are witnessing history ladies and gentlemen
– With the goal in an empty net, that’s now 15 goals in 24 hours (approximately). The Capitals are not first in the NHL for nothing.
The Capitals have scored 14 goals in the past 24 hours (game started at 3:20 yesterday) with some time left today.
– It shows how Ovechkin is in a class of his own.
Highest goals/game pace in Ovechkin’s career: 0.79 — 2007/08 0.71 — 2008/09 0.71 — 2024/25 0.71 — 2019/20 0.67 — 2012/13 0.65 — 2013/14 Is this Ovechkin’s third prime?
– By the way, McMichael is the fourth Capitals player to reach the 20-goal plateau this season.
Connor McMichael reaches 20 goals in a season for the first time. He’s Capitals fourth player to reach 20 this season, joining Ovechkin (28), Wilson (26) and Protas (23)

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Mikko Rantanen: The Hurricanes made him a nine-figure offer

Mikko Rantanen played his seventh game in the Hurricanes uniform last night. He collected an assist in his club’s loss to the Leafs in Toronto. This now gives him a total of three points (only one goal) since his arrival in Carolina. Obviously, it’s not going super well for him right now. He is seen as one of the best attackers in the league, after all… But he doesn’t necessarily look like one of the best attackers in the league lately. However, even if things are going less well, the Hurricanes’ management is not worried about him. That’s at least what I tell myself… when we learn that the Canes made him an offer in the nine figures during the 4 Nations Confrontation. This information was shared by Elliotte Friedman on Sportsnet last night.

An offer in the nine figures (at least $100 million for the duration of the agreement)… That’s at least $12.5 million per season. We agree that it’s a lot, a lot of money. Rantanen has proven himself in the past: he has three seasons with more than 90 points (92, 105, and 104) one season with 55 goals, he helped his club win the Stanley Cup (21-22) by accumulating 25 points in 20 playoff games… And so, we know his qualities. He has a powerful (and precise) shot, his game vision is elite, he’s big on his skates… All this to say that Rantanen has what it takes to earn a salary like that. And at the same time, it’s logical to see the Hurricanes do everything to keep him in town since they sent Martin Necas to Colorado in the transaction. It remains to be seen if Rantanen will sign a new agreement with the Hurricanes or if his club will (again) trade him. Because this possibility is also on the table…

In a hurry

– The fans were spoiled for this skills competition.

– The Washington Capitals could finally count on Tom Wilson this afternoon, who left the last game. He even scored his 26th of the season, joining Ovechkin at the top of the club.

– The Oilers’ power play isn’t as dangerous as Canada’s, but it’s still scary.

– Some news from the Boston Bruins.

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Arber Xhekaj throws gloves during the shootout

Arber Xhekaj has more than one quality in his bag.

He’s big, he’s physical, he’s capable of fighting… But we mustn’t forget one aspect of his game.

Arber Xhekaj is also endowed with a good shot. And we saw it today!

He’s the one who notably won the most powerful shot event at the Canadiens’ skills competition today.

He won with a shot at 101.2 miles per hour!

Note that this is the second year in a row that we see the Sheriff flying in this event.

He’s keeping his title, then:

Arber really had fun today and he made sure to be funny to entertain the people on site as well.

During the shootout, we saw him throw his gloves (as a joke) to score his goal.

The Canadiens’ defenseman really seems to be in a good mood after the win against the Sens last night:

The Canadiens’ organization did things big today to allow the children present on site to experience a great moment.

Even Mike Matheson’s son stole the show during the fastest skater event!

In the shootout, we also saw Youppi! score. And the fans applauded the Canadiens’ mascot as they should:

We can feel that the atmosphere is good right now around the team and at this level, it’s sure that yesterday’s win did some good.

So much the better, honestly. Because it’s the fans who benefited from it today at the Centre Bell!

Overtime

Note that the shootout session also gave the right to a beautiful goal: that of Juraj Slafkovsky.

The Canadiens’ forward fooled the goalkeeper with a feint that we never see:

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Fastest Skater: Mike Matheson’s son steals the show

It’s the classic Canadian skills competition today.

Several families are gathered at the Bell Centre for the event, which is always very popular with fans.

And for good reason. It always makes for a good show and allows children to have fun watching their favorite players!

The first event – which was won by Alex Newhook – was the fastest skater.

Newhook won with a time of 13.573 seconds!

But that’s not what caught everyone’s attention. What got the crowd excited… was Mike Matheson’s son, who also participated in the event.

It led to a special moment:

Little Matheson skating around the rink, the fans applauding and cheering him on, Mike welcoming him with open arms to tell him how proud he is…

For Mike Matheson’s family, it must be really cool.

And for Hudson Matheson, I think he’ll remember this moment for a long time.

Who knows, maybe one day we’ll see Matheson’s son play for the Canadiens!

He’s already ahead of the game because he’s won the hearts of the fans. The fans are behind him today:

Bravo, honestly, to everyone who joined in the fun to cheer on Mike Matheson’s son.

It creates beautiful memories… for the fans, for the family, and for the Montreal Canadiens organization.

Overtime

Even though he’s injured, note that Kaiden Guhle made it a point to be present for the event.

He stayed on the bench while the other players had fun on the ice:

And I have to mention Lane Hutson’s (new?) style.

The Canadiens’ defenseman – trying to entertain the kids at the Bell Centre – wore special glasses during warm-ups.

He had a look, how can I say… quite quirky:

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Juraj Slafkovsky : “I have the impression that this season is a shame for me”

Last night, Juraj Slafkovsky had a big game.

He helped the Canadiens beat the Senators by playing well. Or by playing like Brady Tkachuk, if you prefer.

Whatever it was, Slaf played well… Because he put in the necessary effort to play well.

We know that it’s one of his “flaws”.

We know that Slaf has had trouble being consistent since the start of the season because his level of commitment is often different.

Yesterday, he wanted to prove that he can be a great player. It’s not been the case since the start of the season… And the person concerned knows it very well.

What he said to Arpon Basu (The Athletic) after the game is quite revealing:

I feel like this season is a shame for me. After the end of last year – 30 games, 30 points -, I come back here, I play like in junior hockey and I do nothing. – Juraj Slafkovsky

I like this side of Slaf.

He’s not afraid to look in the mirror when things are going less well and he’s not afraid to say it either.

For a 20-year-old guy, it’s a nice quality.

But we can really feel that yesterday’s game did him good. It’s like it gave him the chance to remember that he’s capable of the best… A bit like we saw in the second half of the second season.

I hope it will give him confidence, at least.

And I hope the coaches went to see him after the game to tell him:

Hey, kid! You see what happens when you decide to play like the Juraj Slafkovsky we wanted you to become when you were drafted?

Slaf is only 20 years old and many players of his age sometimes experience more difficult times in the NHL.

It’s part of reality.

But on the other hand, there’s a certain part of the blame that falls on him and knowing that he’s aware of it is one thing. Now, he has to put his words into action… And he has to continue to prove to Kent Hughes and the organization that he deserves the big contract he signed on July 1st (which will come into effect next season).

It’s up to you, Slaf!

In a nutshell

– A lot of action today in the big league.

– Tom Wilson is injured.

– Zachary Bolduc lost $100 after failing to score on Jordan Binnington.

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Jacob Fowler : a wave of Quebecers in Vermont last night

Canadian fans love their team and Montreal people love their hockey.

It can be felt in general. It was felt on the sidelines of the Four Nations Confrontation and recent games presented at the Bell Centre. But it was also felt yesterday, in Ottawa.

Many Canadian fans made the trip to Kanata to see Patrik Laine score and see Juraj Slafkovsky play a solid game against the Senators. #Passion

But in a rebuilding period, there are also hopes to watch. And last night, proof was made in this sense for all those who traveled to Vermont to watch NCAA hockey.

I imagine it was similar on Friday night, but last night, on the sidelines of Boston College’s visit to Burlington, Vermont, it’s crazy how much French was spoken in the stands. I was there with colleagues Marc-Olivier Cook and Michaël Petit.

A bit like when Lane Hutson was visiting the Catamounts last season, many Quebecers made the trip to see a good team prospect play.

And this time, it was for a … goalkeeper.

Upon entering the arena, almost as much French was spoken as English around us. Same thing when circulating in the arena: many Quebecers made sure we felt almost like we were in Quebec.

And that, even if everyone suspected that Jacob Fowler wouldn’t be the busiest man against the University that retired Martin St-Louis’ #8. Fowler received about thirty shots and gave up at the end of a 4-1 win, but the shots he faced weren’t dangerous.

Stéphane Leroux, who was also at the game, had the same observation after the match. On the radio (98.5 FM) with Louis Jean, the journalist also realized that a lot of French was spoken in the arena.

It’s a dedication that impressed many people in the arena. Seeing so many people make a two-hour drive to watch a goalkeeper and sit in stands that make the Percival-Molson Stadium’s stands look comfortable in comparison, it’s noticeable.

overtime

Let’s remember that it’s very possible that Fowler, who plays for a power in the NCAA, wins the university championship before making the jump to the pros. It wouldn’t be surprising if he got that far in his development.

Seeing him in Laval or Montreal will be easier in terms of travel.

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Matthew Tkachuk: we don’t know if he will be able to play again this season

A few years ago, the Panthers traded Jonathan Huberdeau in order to get Matthew Tkachuk.

Such a personnel move was made to change the dynamics of the Panthers. General Manager Bill Zito wanted to add some grit to his lineup to win the Stanley Cup.

It clearly worked in 2024.

Having a Tkachuk comes with its highs and lows. The highs are the impact he has on a team. It shows in the playoffs and everyone was able to see it during the Four Nations Tournament. #Battle

But it also comes with lows.

He is so intense and he wanted to win so much for his country that he played in the final even though he was injured. It was selfish since he took the place of a player who could have helped the American team more adequately.

But also, it did not help his physical health case.

Yesterday, Tkachuk was not playing for the Florida Panthers. And what we learn is that it’s possible he won’t be able to play at all this season due to his lower-body injury. #Leg

Renaud Lavoie, who discussed the subject yesterday during the Canadiens game on TVA Sports, said there was a chance that Matthew Tkachuk’s season could be over. The Florida team is waiting for medical results.

If Tkachuk can’t play anymore (we’ll see when the Panthers give an update on this) this season, it will be a huge loss for the Florida Panthers.

It could completely change the league’s landscape in the coming months.

extension

Several NHL executives must have had nightmares just thinking about such a scenario. Will it encourage some NHL teams to refuse to let their players participate in international events? Who knows.

Let’s recall that in 2014, the Islanders didn’t like seeing John Tavares get injured at the Olympics. There are often cases like that.

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Five years for Jake Evans: one wonders if Kent Hughes will give in

Jake Evans has been less talked about recently in Montreal. This is not unusual since the Four Nations Faceoff has taken all the attention due to the intensity of the games.

But now, the international games are behind us.

We will therefore bring back to the forefront an important question that was widely discussed: will Jake Evans sign a new contract before the trade deadline?

We will recall that the last time Jake Evans spoke to the media before the break, he did it by talking about the CH in the past. This made people talk.

Does this mean that his career in Montreal is definitely over? No, it doesn’t mean that… even if it was a good indication of how the player felt, in all this.

But where are we now?

Renaud Lavoie, who has always believed that a path to a contract was possible, addressed the subject last night on the TVA Sports airwaves. And listening to him, the path to a contract still exists. But this doesn’t mean it will be easy.

We suspect that money is a factor (I’ve always thought that $3.5 million per year was a fair contract) in the negotiations, but it’s mainly the number of years that’s being talked about.

And that, Renaud Lavoie didn’t hide.

No hiding, he wants five years. – Renaud Lavoie on Jake Evans

Does the Canadian want three years? If so, it’s easy to understand that to put water in his wine, the club will have to give one more year… and the player will have to ask for one less.

But is this going to happen?

What I’m most looking forward to seeing is how the file will be managed if we don’t reach an agreement before the deadline. Does Kent Hughes definitely want to sign him or trade him before March 7th?

I imagine that’s what he would prefer. But he could stay in Montreal without a long-term contract in his pocket. It’s not impossible in my eyes.

However, you can’t trade the guy just to not lose him. By acting in this way, the CH would demonstrate that anyone is available at any price with a little patience.

If Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton don’t have the second-round pick they want, Evans must stay – whether he has a contract or not. The real question is what they will do if they have their price, but a contract with the player is not signed…

In a nutshell

– To be continued.

– Interesting.

– I like it.

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Juraj Slafkovsky played like Brady Tkachuk

This was clearly not Canada vs the United States or simply Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon, but nonetheless, the Montreal Canadiens gave us a very good game last night.

In fact, the CH was ready for the return of the NHL, and they showed it last night with their beautiful 5-2 win over the Ottawa Senators.

The Tricolore played a very good game and showed character on the road, although one might have thought the game was at the Bell Centre given the number of Canadiens fans at the Canadian Tire Center.

Generally, I would say that Martin St-Louis’ entire lineup (except perhaps Mike Matheson) played good hockey last night, but there is one player who really stood out.

In fact, Juraj Slafkovsky probably played his best game in the NHL last night.

The 20-year-old Slovak was everywhere on the ice, and every time he was on the ice, he found a way to stand out and help his team.

Slafkovsky made excellent passes, he hit everything that moved (8 hits), he was intense and physical (a fight), he was confident with the puck (5 shots on goal), and on top of that, he managed to score a goal.

In short, Slaf played like Brady Tkachuk.

Brady Tkachuk may not have been in the game for the Senators, but there was a Brady Tkachuk on the Canadiens’ side.

And that’s exactly how Juraj Slafkovsky must play to be successful.

This is the kind of performance we should be able to see from the young Slovak every game, on a regular basis.

If Slafkovksy can finally understand that this is how he needs to play to perform in the NHL, considering his size, well, he will become a very important player in the Canadiens’ successes.

It’s just one game, of course, but seeing Slaf so happy after being rewarded for his efforts with a goal is encouraging for the kid’s confidence.

He played one of his best games, and he knows it, even if he also thinks he played like a junior.

In short, the break seems to have done everyone good, but especially Slafkovksy, who also stated that he had become hungry during the break.

Let’s remember that last season, it was in the second half of the season that the Slovak took off, when he transformed himself in the last 30-40 games, which earned him his long-term contract of 8 years at $7.6 million per year.

Will Slaf give us the same thing this season and finish the current campaign on fire?

This remains to be seen.

Now, what else do I take away from this first game of the Canadiens since their return from the break?

1. Emil Heineman’s return really helps the Canadiens.

Heineman proved last night how important he is to the Tricolore, given that he brings great stability to the lineup. No forward played more than 20 minutes or less than 12 minutes.

Brendan Gallagher had also praised Heineman’s work by explaining that he really balanced the Canadiens’ four lines.

Well, last night, even if Heineman didn’t get any points, he proved Gallagher’s point.

2. Jake Evans had a good game, hoping that the break allowed him to refocus on hockey rather than his contract situation.

We recall that before the break, Evans was talking like a guy who wouldn’t re-sign with the Tricolore.

In short, Heineman’s return seems to have done Evans some good, who had a good game.

3. Brendan Gallagher was excellent.

The Canadiens’ number 11 set the tone for the game by scoring the first goal of the night, and for the rest of the game, he allowed his line to be involved and stand out.

He even allowed Josh Anderson to score his ninth goal of the season.

Gallagher has four goals in his last five games, and he’s proving more and more that he’s found his role within the Canadiens and that he’ll be able to have some good seasons.

If Gally can score 20 goals, his $6.5 million per year contract won’t hurt as much.

4. Jayden Struble did well alongside Lane Hutson.

Surprisingly, it was Struble who ended up with Hutson last night, and let’s say he did well.

This is a difficult season for Struble, and therefore, performing with the Canadiens’ best defenseman like he did last night can only be beneficial for his situation.

In short, hats off to the Montreal Canadiens, who managed to give us a good game and thus spare us a small post-Tournoi des Quatre Nations depression.

Note that the Canadiens’ skills competition will take place today at the Bell Centre, starting at 10:00 AM.

In a Hurry

– Poor Jakub.

– The CF Montreal’s first game of the season unfortunately ends with a 3-2 loss in Atlanta.

– The Lions are in action today.