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Top-4: Martin Necas scores once again the winning goal for the Avalanche

There were five games last night in the National Hockey League, with ten teams in action.

And let’s just say that this Friday night brought us a lot of goals.

Here’s a recap of the evening.

1. Necas gives the Avalanche victory over the Oilers

It was truly quite a game last night, as the Colorado Avalanche visited the Edmonton Oilers.

And let’s just say we were treated to a lot of goals in the Avalanche’s 5-4 victory.

The two top scorers in the NHL were facing off in this match, and both made their mark, as Nathan MacKinnon recorded four points, including one goal, and Leon Draisaitl scored two goals.

But in the end, what stands out the most is that the winning goal for the Avalanche was scored by newcomer Martin Necas.

This is Necas’s second game-winning goal and ninth point in eight games since he arrived in Colorado.

Meanwhile, Mikko Rantanen has only two points in six games with the Carolina Hurricanes.

2. Connor Bedard and the Blackhawks get fired up

It’s another tough season for the Chicago Blackhawks this year, but that doesn’t mean they lack talent.

Indeed, from time to time, the talent of this team shines through, resulting in games like last night, where the Blackhawks won 6-2 against the Nashville Predators.

Connor Bedard even scored a beautiful goal, which turned out to be the game-winner.

Bedard now has 48 points, including 16 goals, in 54 games this season.

It’s also worth noting that Frank Nazar, the prospect drafted by the Blackhawks with the trade pick for Kirby Dach, scored a goal in this game, marking his fourth of the season.

3. The Jets and Penguins come to rain on the parade

As you know, there’s a very tight race for the playoffs in the Eastern Conference, with almost all teams involved.

Every point is therefore very important and can really change the dynamics.

And last night, both New York teams, the Islanders and the Rangers, who desperately need points, lost in regulation.

First, the Rangers lost 3-2 to the Pittsburgh Penguins. It was Philip Tomasino who scored the winning goal, as he has five game-winners among his seven goals this season.

And now, on the Islanders’ side, they also lost by just one goal, as the Winnipeg Jets won 4-3.

It was the Jets’ first line that shone again, as Gabriel Vilardi scored two goals with assists from Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor.

24 goals is a personal best for Vilardi in his career.

4. Anze Kopitar finally scores his first goal of 2025

Since the beginning of the new year 2025, the captain of the Los Angeles Kings, Anze Kopitar, had not scored a single goal.

Well, this ordeal is now a thing of the past for the Slovenian player, as he scored a goal last night in the Kings’ 5-4 shootout victory over the Dallas Stars.

This is a goal that will do him a world of good, as he had not found the back of the net for 15 games.

Overtime

– Here are all the results from the previous night.

– Here are the top scorers from last night.

(Credit: NHL.com)

– Coming up today: 14 games.

(Credit: Google/NHL)
(Credit: Google/NHL)
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Sean Farrell’s hat trick, sixth consecutive victory for the Rocket

Sean Farrell is a prospect for the Canadiens who has quickly fallen out of favor with fans. With the imminent arrival of Ivan Demidov, Michael Hage, and Jacob Fowler, many have forgotten the buzz that surrounded Farrell when he first donned the Canadiens jersey in 2023.

This is understandable because he had an up-and-down season in the American Hockey League last year with only 28 points in 47 games. This year has started poorly for him as well, but he has recently begun to find his stride.

On Friday night, he scored a hat trick in a crucial victory for the Rocket against a division rival. Without saying he will become an NHL player, he does seem to be settling in well at the professional level, and that’s already something.

He has always had good individual skills, but he has struggled a lot to translate his game over 200 feet at the professional level.

If he continues to progress well, he could eventually become a call-up option for the Canadiens if the goal is to have a bit more offense towards the end of the season.

By the way, the Rocket has won their sixth straight game, and Cayden Primeau has won his tenth game in as many outings in front of the Laval net. Some are even calling for Primeau’s return to the NHL.

He has certainly regained his confidence, but we shouldn’t rush things either. Dobes is performing well in the NHL, and Primeau is benefiting from his experience in the AHL.

In Brief

– What a pass!

– Quite the dilemma for Kent Hughes.

– Another win for Jacob Fowler.

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No, the Canadiens do not need to pick up Anthony Richard off waivers

Unless there’s a huge surprise, the Canadiens will continue to sink by the end of the season. The playoffs are increasingly out of reach and with the trade deadline approaching, Kent Hughes will likely be more of a seller than a buyer.

Joel Armia, Jake Evans, Christian Dvorak, and David Savard may no longer be members of the Canadiens by the end of the season, and replacements will need to be found to finish the season.

In this light, acquiring a player like Anthony Richard off waivers would be a good idea for the Canadiens.

The Quebec native was placed on waivers by the Flyers earlier today to make room for their two new acquisitions: Jacob Pelletier and Andrei Kuzmenko.

Richard is in the first year of a 2-year contract worth $775,000 annually. He has two goals and four assists in 15 games and could be a nice insurance policy for a fourth line if Armia were to leave, for example.

I think it’s still early for Kent Hughes to make such a move. The message sent to the team would be too negative too quickly, while the players still believe in the playoffs.

I would wait for a trade to happen first or for the Canadiens to sink further before moving in that way. I don’t think it’s urgent to bring a player like Richard with the team either.

The Canadiens first need to find internal solutions. It hasn’t been easy for the past seven games, but the team is not as bad as its performance during this ugly streak.

Yes, the Canadiens lost Kaiden Guhle, yes the Canadiens are a young team, but that doesn’t explain everything.

In Brief

– It’s up to them to prove otherwise.

– Michael Hage in action tonight.

– That’s a good idea!

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Carey Price irritated by negative comments about Team Canada goalies

Believe it or not, the Four Nations Cup starts next week. While the teams have been built for a little while, Canada’s squad looks excellent on paper, except perhaps in net.

Adin Hill, Jordan Binnington, and Samuel Montembeault will have the heavy task of stopping the best American, Swedish, and Finnish players.

On average, the three goalies have a goals-against average of 2.82 and a save percentage of 0.899, which raises a lot of questions.

Which one of the three will rise to the occasion? Carey Price doesn’t seem worried, quite the opposite.

The former CH goalie is even bothered by all the people doubting the trio.

“They will do the job. Everyone is already criticizing them and I don’t like that. They are three good goalies.” – Carey Price

Price added that they have won 2 cups together and that after facing them all, he has a lot of respect for them.

He is not concerned about Canada’s performance in net, and neither am I.

Montembeault has already won a world championship with Canada with sparkling statistics behind a very good defense. He posted a goals-against average of 1.42 and a save percentage of 0.939 in that 2023 tournament.

When given good circumstances, regular season statistics are not really important.

In such a short tournament, however, the margin for error is slim. The biggest decision Jon Cooper will have to make is the identity of the starting goalie for the first game. The rest will be in the hands of the chosen one.

The rest should be available. Offensively, the maple leaf should have no trouble generating goals and scoring opportunities.

Quick Hits

– He’s back.

– What a shot!

– Definitely a story to follow.

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Replace Jakub Dobes with Cayden Primeau: José Théodore would do it

Tonight, the Laval Rocket is in Toronto for a game against the Marlies. We will obviously be monitoring Joshua Roy’s return to play, but we will also keep an eye on another player from the CH’s farm team who will be in action.

And that player is Cayden Primeau, who will be trying to improve his record to 10-0-0 since returning to the AHL.

The one who was named goalie of the month in the AHL for his performances in January is currently a true wall. His statistics (goals-against average of 1.96 and save percentage of 0.923) are very solid, and he seems to have regained his confidence.

And that’s good news for him because he needed it.

However, what’s interesting is that all of this is happening at a time when Jakub Dobes is starting to struggle in the NHL… and that raises questions.

José Théodore discussed all of this on the airwaves of 98.5 FM last night… and according to him, it wouldn’t be a bad thing for the CH to replace Dobes with Primeau. Essentially, do the opposite of what was done upon returning from Christmas.

In fact, Théodore explains his point this way: we need to reward the most deserving, and right now, the most deserving is Primeau. He excels in the AHL while Dobes is coming back down to Earth after a dominant start in the NHL.

And it’s normal for Dobes to come back down to Earth: one should have expected teams to adjust, and now that it’s done, it’s up to Dobes to respond. The young goalie has a nice challenge ahead of him now… and he shouldn’t burn out either.

So right now, it is true that the idea of bringing back Primeau isn’t crazy… but the CH needs to consider where it’s better for Dobes to play for his development.

After all, in the NHL, he has the opportunity to be really tested and to understand what it means to be an NHL goalie… but if he ends up losing all his confidence by struggling, that won’t be better either.

The other big question is whether Primeau, who has always been an excellent goalie in Laval but an average goalie in Montreal, would be able to translate his good performances to the big club this time. Right now, Primeau’s confidence (which was seriously shaken in December) is back… and we have to ask whether this is an opportunity to give him one last chance.

If it doesn’t work out after he has rebuilt his confidence like this in Laval, it will never work out.

So we will see if the CH will make a change at that level… but we might wonder if Sunday’s game will be the last chance match for Dobes. If he has another tough outing, maybe suddenly, the Canadiens will reevaluate their situation in net ahead of the return from the 4 Nations break.

In brief

– Lane Hutson has a black eye. However, that shouldn’t prevent him from playing this weekend.

– The playoffs this season: Martin St-Louis wants to see his team fight.

– The CH’s play “has regressed at all levels,” says the coach.

– Very cool!

– NHL transaction.

– Good news.

– A reminder for those interested.

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Logan Mailloux: Martin St-Louis sees him as a future top-4 defenseman

On Wednesday night, we saw Logan Mailloux “back” in the NHL. The defenseman, who played the last game of the season last year and has played five earlier this season in the NHL, is not exactly a regular in the Bettman circuit… but he was enjoying a third opportunity with the big club.

And overall, what we take away from his game on Wednesday… is that he has a major league shot.

But Mailloux’s offensive play isn’t the big question with him. We know he is capable of creating offensively and being a physical player… but we don’t know if he will be able to play well defensively in the NHL.

During his first five-game stint with the Habs this season, it was quite horrible on that front.

That said, in a press conference today, Martin St-Louis chatted a bit about Mailloux’s case… and he made a rather interesting statement: the coach believes that in the long term, Mailloux has everything to be a member of the top-4 on the Canadiens’ blue line.

He reminded the media that 21 years old is young… and that Mailloux has interesting tools, both offensively and defensively.

Obviously, the Habs would love for Mailloux to be a piece of their top-4 long term. The club is quite thin in terms of right-handed defensemen, and seeing Justin Barron’s experience fail means that guys like Mailloux and David Reinbacher are under a bit more pressure.

Alexandre Carrier and David Savard can hold the fort in the short term… but sooner or later, they will need long-term solutions in terms of right-handed defensemen. And no, playing Kaiden Guhle or Lane Hutson on the right shouldn’t be the plan.

That said, it becomes interesting when we look a bit at the team’s blue line picture. We suspect that Savard won’t be around in a few years, but if Reinbacher reaches his full potential and Carrier spends a few more years in town, we might wonder if Mailloux is destined for a role on a third pair.

That will create internal competition… but the young players will need to play if they want to develop.

Obviously, the Canadiens would prefer to manage the nice problem of having three top-4 caliber right-handed defensemen. Of the three, Mailloux seems to be the one who seems least assured of reaching that caliber… but his coach in Montreal believes in him.

And this is even though Mailloux acknowledges himself that he is having a tough season. He has to adapt to a new role (more focused on defensive play) in Laval… and he is experiencing difficulties related to all of that.

If Mailloux wants to become a top-4 caliber right-handed defenseman as St-Louis believes he can, he will need to learn from these difficulties to become a player capable of holding his own defensively on a top-4 in the NHL.

It has often been mentioned that Lane Hutson and David Reinbacher seem made to play together, but if Mailloux can become the ideal partner for Kaiden Guhle, the Canadiens won’t complain. However, he will need to push Alexandre Carrier out of that seat in a few years… and that won’t happen anytime soon.

In Brief

– Speaking of Mailloux.

– The return to Laval seems to have helped him on that front, at least.

– The guys are having fun.

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Jake Evans and Joel Armia: trade them both for a very big return?

Should the Canadiens trade their rental players?

In my opinion, David Savard and Jake Evans (unless Evans asks for the moon) should stay, and guys like Christian Dvorak and Joel Armia can be more easily traded.

The Snake, that said, would trade Evans quite easily. #ByeBye

But because the Canadiens won’t trade Evans unless the return is excellent, teams that would like to have him need to ask themselves: what do I need to do to convince Kent Hughes to make a move?

The answer is to offer more.

And if, while offering more for Evans, a team decided to ask for Armia ALONG with the center? This way, a playoff contending team could form an ideal fourth line for the playoffs.

Note: I’m not saying that the Habs should do it. But increasingly, the idea is circulating: pairing the two players could help maximize the return. Arpon Basu (The Athletic) just talked about it in a recent article.

We’ll agree that a team that were to grab both would have a solid fourth line. But more importantly, they are two of the best penalty killers in the league. Many teams would need them, between you and me.

Of course, Hughes should think about the impact such an idea would have in the locker room since the removal of two players in this way would have a demoralizing effect on the group.

But if the return is worth it in a year where the Stanley Cup won’t be won by the Canadiens…

Let’s note that Evans earns $1.7 million and Armia is at $3.4 million. The GM can retain salary on Armia’s contract, or he can take on a contract to equalize the salary cap a bit.

If the team wants to evaluate Owen Beck or other prospects by the end of the season, that would free up space. And if NHL teams don’t want this to happen, they will need to win games before March 7.

As long as we don’t know what would be on the Habs’ table for these guys, it’s hard to comment… but it would take a lot for me to agree to let Evans go. Especially if he is ready to sign a reasonable contract by March 7.

In Brief

– To read.

– Ivan Demidov at the KHL All-Star festivities.

– Sick.

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Rumor: Erik Karlsson in Ottawa

With the salary cap rising, it means that several players who were deemed “untouchable” might ultimately become options for certain teams.

Among them? Erik Karlsson.

I never thought the Sharks would manage to trade him in time, but the Penguins had other plans. And now, with the upcoming years looking difficult in Pennsylvania, trading him again could be a great option.

On this subject, Nick Kypreos (Sportsnet) wrote an article in which he asks us to keep an eye on the Ottawa Senators regarding the Penguins’ offensive defenseman.

No less than that.

The Penguins, considering the situation they have put themselves in (they are losing and have no big prospects) in recent years, are clearly candidates to make a move.

And Karlsson back to Ottawa would be…

The Sens, of course, are the team where he began his career and the team with which he had the most success. It would really be a very special story.

The new owner and the rise of the Sens in the standings are factors that could mean that if the Penguins want to retain salary (he counts for $10 million on the Penguins’ cap), it could be possible.

I would be surprised if the Senators didn’t want to bring him back. It would help especially with ticket sales… even if he is no longer the defenseman he once was in the past.

I don’t necessarily expect this to happen within a month. But this summer, it’s a storyline I want to keep an eye on since it would be a great story in Ontario.

in a nutshell

– News from CF Montreal.

– Logical.

– Where will he go?

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American national anthem booed: Cole Caufield finds it disrespectful

For about a week now, one of the biggest topics in the news has had repercussions on hockey in the National Hockey League.

Indeed, the announcement by Donald Trump, the President of the United States, regarding a potential 25% increase in tariffs on Canadian products has caused a significant reaction across North America.

This announcement has really frustrated Canadians, who have decided to express their anger in various ways, including during hockey games.

In fact, in recent games, we have heard the American national anthem being booed by Canadian fans in Ottawa and Calgary, among others.

Fans have shown no embarrassment at all, which even prompted a response from Americans, who booed the Canadian national anthem during the Ottawa Senators’ visit to Nashville to face the Predators.

In short, there are tensions between Canada and the United States right now, and this even extends into the world of hockey, which displeases Cole Caufield.

Indeed, the American forward for the Montreal Canadiens stated today in front of the media that he found it disrespectful to hear the American national anthem being booed.

This is what the number 13 of the CH declared earlier today after the team’s practice when he was questioned about this issue.

“Respectfully, I find it disrespectful. It bothers me a bit, yes.” – Cole Caufield

Obviously, it was clear that Caufield did not appreciate the questions on this subject, but he nonetheless responded somewhat by explaining that national anthems represent something special for hockey players.

It is part of the routine and history of the sport for the sniper of the Tricolore.

So it’s simple: for Caufield, there is no reason to boo national anthems.

So, no matter what, let’s just be respectful. Come to the game to cheer for your team and let the anthems play. – Cole Caufield

In short, it will be interesting to see what happens tomorrow at the Bell Centre, as the CH plays its first home game since Trump’s announcement, considering they were on a trip abroad on the west coast.

Let’s recall that Jean-Marc Léger is among those who want to hear the American national anthem being booed at the Bell Centre.

We will also need to monitor if there will be boos at the Bell Centre during the Four Nations Tournament, especially during the match between Canada and the United States at 8 PM on February 15.

In Brief

– The former CH player is on waivers.

– It’s a shame they don’t learn from their lessons.

– To be continued.

– To listen.

@thesheethockey Why did the Flyers and Flames have their players in games when a trade was in progress? Daniel Briere joined the show and provided some insight as to why the deal took place when it did and what the nerves were like waiting for the final buzzer👀 #Calgary #Philadelphia #Flames #Flyers ♬ original sound – thesheethockey

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Logan Mailloux will play tomorrow

Good news for Logan Mailloux.

The Canadiens announced that the club’s prospect, who has been with the team for a few days, will not return to Laval right away. He will get another game – at least.

Samuel Montembeault will also play tomorrow, by the way.

Details to come…

in a nutshell

– Stay tuned.

– Well done.

– I love it.