Author: Dose

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Jacob Fowler is back in good health (and he is heading to the Beanpot final)

Because the Montreal Canadiens have several prospects playing in Boston for a few years now, the Beanpot tournament is becoming increasingly well-known in Quebec.

For those who do not know what the Beanpot is, it is a small express tournament (during the season) between the four NCAA hockey teams in the Boston area.

There are two matchups, and the winner of each matchup goes to the finals. Therefore, it takes two victories to win the Beanpot, an important tournament (held at the Bruins’ home) for the people of Boston.

Yesterday, Jacob Fowler’s team played a match against Northeastern, with a spot in the tournament finals at stake. And Fowler (who is back healthy after missing Friday’s game) was excellent.

In an 8-2 win, he stopped 26 of the 28 shots directed at him.

Yes, the goaltender plays for a powerhouse, but there is a reason why Boston College has such a good team. Fowler is a top-tier goalie who performs to expectations.

And that’s a good thing.

Let’s also note that other Canadiens prospects were to watch yesterday. We are talking about Logan Mailloux and Owen Beck, who were at the American Hockey League All-Star Game.

And let’s just say Beck stole the show.

In three matches of about ten minutes each (the four divisions formed a team, and each division faced off before the finals), Beck did not manage to take his team to the finals, but he scored three times.

He notably scored two goals in the first match, where his team lost 4-2.

On his side, Logan Mailloux did not score in three matches. However, he found a way to earn an assist on Beck’s very first goal, against the Pacific division.

The two guys should be back in the CH environment in California soon.

In brief

– Interesting.

– Russia will not be able to play hockey in international competitions in 2025-2026.

– Oh really?

– Travis Kelce: retirement can wait. [RDS]

– What do you think?

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The Canadian national anthem was booed in Nashville

Last night, there was only one game in the NHL. It pitted the Ottawa Senators against the Nashville Predators. Ottawa won 5-2.

During the match, once again, there was a national anthem that was jeered – as has been the case for a few days. But this time, the difference is that the game took place in the United States.

Nashville fans, seeing that Canadian sports fans have been booing the American national anthem for a few days, decided to express their discontent during the Canadian national anthem.

Whether you are for or against seeing Canadians boo the American anthem, you understand the reasons behind the gesture.

But seeing Americans boo the Canadian national anthem is another story. After all, it’s not Justin Trudeau who decided, out of nowhere, to change the customs tariffs.

Clearly, Americans booed the Canadian national anthem – it’s their right to do so – mainly because Canadians began booing their anthem. Eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth like children?

This is going to be fun at the Four Nations Confrontation… both during the games in Montreal and in Boston.

But as for the game itself, it is noted that the Senators have won a fifth game in a row. The club is in third place in its division, two points behind the Maple Leafs.

Has the Ottawa team finally turned the corner in its rebuilding?

The Sens will be worth watching until the end of the season. The cake seems to be rising and clearly, Travis Green’s men have the playoffs in sight. A series against Toronto (which would be the case if the season ended today), wouldn’t be too bad. Right?

To be continued, then.

Overtime

– Five players had at least two points yesterday in the NHL.

(Credit: NHL.com)

– Here is the current standings in the East.

(Credit: Sportsnet)

– Big night in the NHL tonight.

(Credit: Sportsnet)
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Ryan Hartman is suspended for 10 games for his hit on Tim Stützle

As if Kirill Kaprizov’s injury wasn’t enough, the Minnesota Wild will now have to manage without the services of Ryan Hartman for the next 10 games.

The NHL Player Safety Department announced Monday night that the Wild forward has been suspended for 10 games due to his hit on Tim Stützle.

He was met in person following the incident, allowing the NHL to impose a suspension of more than five games.

Hartman was ejected from Saturday’s game against the Senators for a “reckless injury attempt.” During a face-off, he fell onto Tim Stützle, pressing his head with his glove.

Stützle lost his helmet and even needed attention from trainers due to a cut near his eye.

Here’s the sequence in question:

According to the NHL Player Safety Department, Hartman attempted to defend his actions, explaining that it was an accident and that he was off balance, thus leaning on Stützle to avoid falling.

The 10-game suspension is also due to the fact that Hartman has already been suspended four times during his career. His last suspension was on April 1, 2024.

This is the largest suspension in the NHL since Tom Wilson’s in 2018. He was initially suspended for 20 games but managed to reduce it to 14.

Hartman has 48 hours to decide if he wants to appeal the decision. The initial appeal will be evaluated by Gary Bettman. If Bettman refuses to change the suspension, Hartman will have the right to appeal to an independent arbitrator.

Due to the suspension, Hartman will lose $487,804.88 in salary.

In Brief

– Wow!

– That’s a good plan.

– The Canadiens struggle when Kaiden Guhle or Alexandre Carrier is absent [Toutsurlehockey]

– He is excellent offensively.

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Georges Laraque wants the Canadiens to sign Sam Bennett for 7 years / $49M

The season for Kirby Dach is not going at all as planned. He’s struggling and doesn’t seem to have the right attitude during games. It’s not uncommon to see him dragging his feet.

Georges Laraque has had enough. He wants to move on to other options in the search for a second center.

During his show on BPM Sports on Monday, Laraque suggested filling the second center position for the coming years. He wants to sign Sam Bennett.

On paper, it seems like a good idea. The only problem is that Laraque would give him a seven-year contract with an average annual value of $7 million!

Sam Bennett would be excellent as the second center for the Canadiens. He is a player who plays with grit and can add his touch to the physical game, while also being capable of scoring when necessary.

However, giving a seven-year contract to a fragile player like Bennett is completely crazy! He will be 29 during the summer, which means he would finish this supposed contract at the age of 35.

Some players are capable of maintaining a good level of play until they are 35, but Bennett hasn’t played a full season in seven years!

He is already labeled as an injury-prone player.

The salary cap is going to increase, but that’s not a reason to throw money out the window. It will be nice when the contracts of Brendan Gallagher and Josh Anderson expire. It would be good not to add another one like those!

The worst part is that if Bennett decides to test the free-agent market, he could very well get that kind of contract. The bidding on July 1st often forces teams to give out too big contracts to persuade players.

Georges Laraque’s idea is still good. It’s true that, for now, Kirby Dach doesn’t have the makings of a second center and that it could hinder the development of Ivan Demidov upon his arrival in the NHL.

However, we should consider a more realistic solution to address the issue. I would be willing to offer a $7 million per season contract to Bennett, but the number of seasons should be greatly reduced.

In Brief

– Happy Birthday!

– What a feat!

– The Raptors are still rebuilding.

– It gives us some very nice goals.

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Marc-Édouard Vlasic admits that the Sharks are really not good

When certain teams go through difficult times, their players find excuses to explain the level of play of the team. It’s rare to see players being transparent in defeat.

However, that is exactly what happened with Marc-Édouard Vlasic on Monday evening.

During an appearance on TVA Sports’ JiC show, Vlasic simply stated that the Sharks are really not good.

“Maybe that will change. We are really not good.” – Marc-Édouard Vlasic

This is a pretty direct message, but the good news is that Vlasic said this with a laugh. He seems to accept the fact that the Sharks are in a rebuilding phase and that losing is not the end of the world.

Vlasic is absolutely right. The Sharks have only won four of their last 22 games. They sit at the bottom of the NHL standings with just 36 points from 54 games.

The Canadiens will visit the Sharks on Tuesday, and listening to Vlasic, Montreal might take the opportunity to break its five-game losing streak.

Montreal hasn’t won a game in San Jose from 1999 to 2021, but since that victory away on October 28, 2021, the CH has yet to lose on the road against the Sharks.

This would be a good time to continue that winning streak in San Jose.

Returning to Vlasic, he is aware of the Sharks’ situation, but he hasn’t hidden the fact that he would like to see his team become competitive sooner than expected.

His contract expires at the end of the 2025-26 season, and let’s just say that with his recent performances and at 37 years old, it would be surprising to see him sign a new deal in San Jose.

However, even when he is no longer there, Vlasic is not worried about his team. He sees a bright future for his young teammate Macklin Celebrini. He even guaranteed that Celebrini will become a captain or an alternate in the coming seasons.

In Brief

– Happy All-Star Game to the two Rocket players!

– It would concern the defensive lineman Joshua Archibald.

– Cooper Kupp is going to change addresses.

– We can’t wait to see him in action.

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The potential logos for the Utah HC look like NHL game logos

The Utah HC didn’t have much time to plan its very first season in the NHL. The team’s identity was not a priority, which is why we currently have a team named Hockey Club in the NHL.

The idea of waiting to make the best choice was a good one, but it also means that expectations will be higher regarding the quality of the new identity.

On Monday, the three potential logos for the Utah team leaked on X, and Frank Seravalli from Daily Faceoff confirmed that these were indeed the three options presented to Utah HC fans.

Here they are:

We already knew the potential names (Mammoth, Outlaws, and Hockey Club), but these logos surprised more than a few people. Let’s just say they lack originality.

The logos for the names Mammoth and Outlaws are bland. They look like logos that could be modified while creating a team in the EA Sports NHL game.

Check out the game logos. The style is clearly similar.

I would even go so far as to say that some of the NHL game logos are even prettier than those of the Mammoth or the Outlaws.

For the Outlaws logo, a Reddit user even noted that it strangely resembles a logo that could be selected in the EA Sports Madden game.

(Credit: SportsLogos.net)

The funniest part is that even the official NHL game account reacted, saying that these logos looked “familiar.”

The only logo among the three that has potential is the one that comes with the name Hockey Club. It’s a yeti with a mountain-shaped head. It’s quite clear that the team probably focused more on the logo for the potential name Yeti, before losing the rights to use it due to copyright issues.

It’s a shame because most people seemed to like the name Yeti and the potential it could offer for a quality logo.

One can only hope that the Utah HC leaders change their minds about these logos. Their new fans deserve something more interesting.

In Brief

– A nice reunion.

– It’s part of the game.

– We wouldn’t have been surprised to hear the opposite.

– He should change address.

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Patrik Laine: “My confidence, obviously, is not very high.”

Patrik Laine is at the center of several criticisms right now.

And it’s not just the fact that he hasn’t scored in his last six games that is concerning. It’s more about the way he behaves on the ice.

It seems that sometimes he is simply not interested in the idea of putting in the effort…

Everyone knew that this was part of his identity, but Martin St-Louis had enough last night: the coach benched his player during the third period and his decision caught attention.

What does Laine think about it?

After the team’s practice today, the forward told reporters on site that he knows his level of effort needs to be better.

He knows he has to find a way to help the team on the ice even if he is not producing. But he finds it difficult at the moment… Because he doesn’t feel confident:

My confidence, obviously, is not very high. Other than that, I feel good. It’s tough when the body is fine and the confidence isn’t. – Patrik Laine

TVA Sports shared a piece on the subject:

The player in question has returned to the game after missing nearly a year, and he is clearly still looking for his bearings on the ice.

Confidence will come with time… But time is starting to run out because he needs to help on the ice if the Canadiens want to make the playoffs.

Let’s remember that Laine scored 12 goals in his first 18 games of the season, and since January 19 (his last goal), it’s been radio silence.

This is what a streaky scorer is: a player can be on fire for 10 games in a row, but can also be invisible in the next 15.

However, we didn’t know Laine would be so ineffective when he isn’t producing… And even though we knew he wasn’t the most involved player on the ice, we didn’t think it would be this difficult.

The good news in all of this? He can only improve by the end of the season…

In brief

– Good point.

– Things are looking better for the Wings!

– Darn.

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No points in five games: Lane Hutson has lost his magic

Nothing is going well for the Canadiens.

The team has lost its last five games and the timing couldn’t be worse as the club is fighting for a playoff spot.

But still. It’s hard to believe in victories when you see the club slipping back into its bad habits…

Nick Suzuki (four points), Cole Caufield (three points), and Juraj Slafkovsky (three points) are the top scorers for the Canadiens over the last five games.

The first line is doing what it has to do… Even if it’s not always perfect, especially in Slaf’s case.

That said, it’s moments like these that you want to see more from your good players.

Laine has just one assist in five games, and the same goes for Alex Newhook and Mike Matheson…

Dach has one goal and one assist in his last five games…

And then there’s Lane Hutson, who has been really struggling lately as well. The small defenseman has gone blank in his last five games and has lost his magical touch.

His minus-6 rating isn’t looking great either:

(Credit: NHL.com)

Should we hit the panic button for Lane Hutson?

No. Absolutely not.

The sample size is small after all, and we’ve seen him be really excellent 90% of the time since the start of the season. He’s just going through a tougher patch… which can happen to any other player in the National Hockey League.

But in fact, I find that he doesn’t look like the Lane Hutson we know since Martin St-Louis moved him to the right side. Hutson looks a bit confused sometimes, and in the offensive zone, his potential is more limited because he has less space to maneuver at the blue line on the right side.

When he plays on the left, it’s easier for him to open up the play by coming back toward the middle in the opposing zone:

Amid all this, there’s also the element of fatigue that comes into play.

Lane Hutson isn’t used to traveling and playing this much since he’s never done it before arriving in the NHL (NCAA seasons are really much shorter), and let’s not forget that he’s the second most-used player by Martin St-Louis this season.

Only Mike Matheson plays more on average per game:

(Credit: NHL.com)

It’s been tougher for Hutson over the last five games, and that’s showing in the team’s results on the ice.

He helps the Canadiens win… But it’s harder for the Habs to succeed when their best offensive defenseman is off his game.

In a nutshell

– Attention to those interested:

– Minor transaction between the Wild and the Utah team.

– I wish him well.

– He’s having a great season.

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David Reinbacher practiced… on the Canadiens’ second line

The Canadiens practiced today in San Jose in preparation for tomorrow’s game against the Sharks.

Josh Anderson was unable to participate in practice as he received another day of treatments.

However, there are also two aspects in particular that caught attention during the Canadiens’ practice…

Before continuing, I will share the lines that were announced by the Canadiens, and you can tell me what seems off.

It looks like this:

  • Slafkovsky – Suzuki – Caufield
  • Newhook – Dach – Reinbacher
  • Laine – Evans – Armia
  • Pezz – Dvorak – Gallagher

Obviously, it is easy to notice that David Reinbacher practiced… But on the Canadiens’ second line.

They were lacking forwards with Anderson’s absence: let’s remember that Owen Beck was reassigned to the American League so he could participate in the AHL All-Star Game tonight.

That’s why Reinbacher practiced as a forward. Because no: the organization’s plan was not to avoid Matvei Michkov in the draft to convert Reinbacher into a winger who can play in the top-6. In fact, I hope that’s not the case… Hehe.

Joking aside, it should also be noted that it was Patrik Laine (and not Reinbacher) who took Josh Anderson’s spot in the lineup.

Does that mean Martin St-Louis wants to shake things up in preparation for tomorrow’s game?

It would make sense to see Laine get benched.

The forward only sat out once last night in the third period because Martin St-Louis didn’t like his game.

Laine needs to give more… And last night, he looked like a passenger on the ice.

That’s a risky play for St-Louis, but the head coach of the Canadiens wanted to send a message to his player.

On the other hand, even though Anderson seems to be bothered by an injury, he deserves to take Laine’s place on the second line because he shows up for every game.

You can see the Josh Anderson from the 2021 playoffs and if St-Louis wants to reward him, that idea wouldn’t be so crazy.

To be continued, then. It will be interesting to see what the lineup looks like tomorrow against the Sharks!

Overtime

Note that Samuel Montembeault will get the start tomorrow night.

He will try to find a way to bounce back after a more difficult January.

Monty has only three wins in his last nine games.

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Another day of treatments for Josh Anderson

During yesterday’s game, we saw that Josh Anderson was not at the top of his game.

He retreated to the bench at one point after receiving a check and he looked uncomfortable.

The veteran is clearly bothered by a minor physical issue.

I say this because today, Anderson will be absent from practice.

He is getting a treatment day… As has been the case several times in the last two weeks:

  • January 22
  • January 27
  • January 29

At this time of year, it is normal to see that some guys are banged up. Travel and fatigue set in and it’s harder to stay healthy during these moments because the body struggles to keep up.

We can only hope that it’s not too serious for #17…

Ultimately, Josh Anderson must be looking forward to February 9.

It will be the last game for the Canadiens before the long break until February 22… And it will allow him to recover a bit.

This timeframe will be important for most of the guys as they will be able to rest in view of the end of the schedule.

Samuel Montembeault, Joel Armia, and Patrik Laine won’t get that chance because of the Four Nations Tournament… But well.

It is what it is, as we say in good Quebecois!

Let’s also remember that yesterday, Nick Suzuki also got hurt blocking a shot at the end of the second period. However, he is able to practice today.

That said, I have the impression that Josh Anderson is not the only one dealing with minor injuries at the moment…

In a nutshell

– Wow. Tough blow for the Islanders.

– The informant said the same thing last Friday.

– Yikes!

 

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– Well done.