Author: Dose

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Top 5: Auston Matthews attempts the Michigan move

Nine games were showcased this Monday night of hockey.

Several direct rivals of the Canadiens were in action.

Here are the results and highlights:

1. Auston Matthews tries the Michigan

In Toronto, the Lightning, the next opponent of the Canadiens, was in town.

And before playing in Montreal, Tampa Bay lost 5-3 against the Leafs. It’s good for the standings, but what stands out to me from this game is Auston Matthews.

He scored another goal, bringing his total to seven in his last seven games.

The American is so confident that he dared to attempt a Michigan.

On this play, he missed, but it was close.

Mitch Marner also had a strong game.

He collected one goal and two assists.

2. The Canadiens will have nothing easy

The Canadiens may have been winning for several weeks, but their rivals are winning games too.

Yesterday afternoon, the Bruins hosted the San Jose Sharks and won 6-3. They thus surpassed Montreal and Columbus and are now in a playoff position.

Boston won despite Yaroslav Askarov’s brilliance on several occasions.

After 40 minutes of play, San Jose actually had a one-goal lead, but in the third period, Boston woke up.

The club scored four consecutive goals, including two in under six minutes by Charlie Coyle.

Joonas Korpisalo was not a stranger to the Bruins’ victory either.

Check out this sequence:

3. The Blue Jackets miss out in New York

Another rival of the Canadiens for the playoff picture was in action, and unlike the Bruins, they lost.

The Blue Jackets fell to the New York Islanders by a score of 3-1.

Bo Horvat scored two goals, including his second in the middle of the second period.

He did not manage to net a hat trick.

The Islanders’ arena staff had their say in this match.

They placed a blue line outside the Jackets’ zone, and Zach Werenski tripped over it.

New York took advantage to score the winning goal.

4. The Kings return home

For the first time since the fires in California, the Kings were back with their fans.

For the occasion, the logo at center ice changed.

However, the Penguins played the party poopers by winning 5-1.

In the victory, Sidney Crosby recorded a goal and an assist, reaching the 50-point mark for the 18th season of his career.

On the Kings’ side, the only goal was scored by Adrian Kempe.

He was close on several occasions before finally finding the back of the net.

5. Jack Eichel misses an open net in overtime; the Golden Knights lose in a shootout

We witnessed quite a game between the Blues and the Golden Knights.

In overtime, Jack Eichel had the chance to send everybody home, but he missed an open net. He was upset with himself.

The American made up for it in the shootout, but it was too little, too late: the Blues won the game 5-4.

Vegas was down by two goals with just over three minutes left in the third period.

First, Eichel scored.

Then, Pavel Dorofeyev scored to give both teams a point.

Overtime

– A 500th game for Alex Tuch.

– Frederik Andersen also reaches this milestone.

– Win for the Hurricanes in overtime.

– The top scorers from last night.

(Credit: NHL.com )

– Eight games featured tonight.

(Credit: Google )

 

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Paul Wilson and Réjean Tremblay defending Marc Bergevin’s legacy

Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

With the Canadiens doing very well these days, we warmly applaud the work of the current management of the team. After all, seeing guys like Lane Hutson, Patrik Laine, and Alexandre Carrier being important pieces of this comeback means that those who brought them to town are recognized.

And those people are Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton.

That said, when we look at the team as a whole, there is still a noticeable fact: many of the players who are regulars were acquired during the Marc Bergevin era. Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Kaiden Guhle, Samuel Montembeault, Jake Evans, and others: these are all important pieces of this team.

This means that we must highlight the contribution of the former GM to this current edition… and Réjean Tremblay has just done so in an article for Punching Grace.

What’s interesting is to see that Paul Wilson, who was Bergevin’s trusted man, shared that text today.

We know that occasionally, Wilson comments on what’s happening with the Canadiens… and often it is when the news in question is related to personnel moves that took place during the Bergevin era (and, in doing so, when he was also in town). Last October, we notably saw him highlight Logan Mailloux’s first goal in the NHL.

However, one fact remains: even if Bergevin didn’t only hit home runs (especially towards the end), he still left a rather solid foundation for Gorton and Hughes to continue their work.

The two managements have, in their own way, played a role in the current edition of the team. Jakub Dobes was drafted by Bergevin, but Hughes and Gorton had the flair to call him up at the right moment to instill a dose of confidence in the group.

In the coming years, some of the pieces acquired by Bergevin (Christian Dvorak, for example) will give way to pieces acquired by Hughes and Gorton (Ivan Demidov, for example). That said, there are certain legacies from the Bergevin era that are not about to leave (Suzuki, Caufield, Guhle, etc.).

It must be noted… and it’s interesting to see that Paul Wilson, who is no longer involved in the hockey world, felt compelled to defend the work of his former boss. The two are clearly still very close.

In a nutshell

– Nice try.

– No team has spent more time short-handed than the CH this season. [NHL.com]

– Bogdan Konyushkov, the first to play 30 minutes on ice in a single game this season in the KHL.

– Shea Theodore is having a great season.

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Patrik Laine is already much more productive than he was last year.

Photo by Ben Jackson/Getty Images

The acquisition of Patrik Laine by the Canadiens last summer was a big move for the club. It sent a clear message to the rest of the group that the management believed in the core of the team and that they were ready to give them another significant piece.

This also allowed them to obtain a second choice to send Jordan Harris, who was surplus to requirements, to another destination. The trade was a success right at that moment.

Seeing him get injured during a preseason game was a cold shower… but ultimately, he returned in December. And since his return, everything has changed in the city.

Laine has injected new energy into the group, and above all, he didn’t waste time in starting to produce. In fact, in 18 games since his return, Laine has already scored 12 goals and recorded 15 points.

And when we look back to last season, when he also played 18 games, he had only scored six goals and nine points. He is therefore (much) more productive than he was last year.

What is particularly interesting about all this is that the 2024-25 season was supposed to be a more difficult year for him given that he was returning from a long absence, and even before he got injured against the Maple Leafs.

If a “rusty” Patrik Laine scores 12 goals and 15 points in 18 games, what can a Laine who, let’s hope, has shaken off all the rust do next season?

However, it should be emphasized that at this moment, Laine’s shooting percentage is ridiculously high. The Finn has hit the target on 24.5% of his shots this season, which is really higher than his career shooting percentage (15%).

So we can expect some regression sooner or later… but the effects of this regression could be mitigated if, over time, he continues to shake off the rust.

When Laine arrived in town last summer, we often heard that he was at his best in markets where fans are crazy about hockey. And judging by his numbers from the last two seasons, that does seem to be the case.

In a nutshell

– Seven goals in seven games: Auston Matthews is on fire.

– Let’s not forget him.

– Indeed.

– I’m going with the Chiefs. And you?

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Season of 100 passes for Lane Hutson: Grant McCagg opens the door

This morning, colleague Charles-Alexis Brisebois discussed Lane Hutson’s case, stating that the young player’s offensive production allows us to overlook his differential.

This is a somewhat synthesized summary of his argument, but nonetheless, he made a good point.

For every game like the one on Saturday night, Hutson almost single-handedly helps the Canadiens win 3-4 games. His vision and passing skills are already elite caliber.

Today, Grant McCagg also talked about the defender, noting that he is currently on track to collect 63 assists this season. This would be a record in NHL history for a rookie defenseman.

He then continued a bit…until he opened the door to a world in which Hutson could eventually get 100 assists in a season.

It should be noted that McCagg spoke of 100 assists and not 100 points. 100 points for a defenseman has been seen several times in league history (Erik Karlsson did it in his last year in San Jose)… but 100 assists is a different story.

In fact, in league history, it has been done… once. Bobby Orr collected 102 in 1970-71, but otherwise, no defenseman in league history has amassed more than 90 assists in a season.

Obviously, this is not the standard that should be expected from the defender. No matter how good he is, those are unrealistic expectations… but if he is on track to gather 63 assists as a rookie, seeing him step up to another level and reach higher numbers (70-80, for example) doesn’t seem completely unrealistic either.

And maybe if the stars align for a season (and he develops incredible chemistry with Ivan Demidov on the power play), there is a world in which McCagg may end up being right. But clearly, it shows that the young man’s potential is very, very high.

In Brief

– He’s managing it better this year, too.

– An interesting exercise.

– Phew.

– Attention to those interested.

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Cayden Primeau: “It’s hard not to notice what Jakub Dobes is doing.”

By swapping Cayden Primeau for Jakub Dobes in the #2 goalie position, the Canadiens resolved what had been a huge issue for them since the start of the season. Martin St-Louis had lost confidence in Primeau, to the extent that Samuel Montembeault had to play all of the club’s games.

This put immense pressure on the team’s #1 goalie… but today, the story is quite different.

In fact, Montembeault may still feel a bit of pressure… but this time, it’s because his backup is playing some really great hockey. Dobes has won his first five career games, and he has only allowed eight goals during those matches.

Meanwhile, things are going well for Primeau in Laval… but he is well aware of what is happening with the big club, as Dave Lévesque (TVA Sports) reports:

It’s hard not to notice what [Dobes] is doing. – Cayden Primeau

Obviously, one may wonder how Primeau, who was indeed in that position earlier this season, feels when he sees rookie Dobes performing like this with the big club. After all, it’s a level of performance he has not been able to reach in the NHL… and one might wonder if he regrets letting his chance slip away.

Because when you watch Dobes play right now, you can truly think that he won’t let someone (Primeau, for example) take his net away anytime soon.

That said, in front of the media, Primeau simply gives love to the one who took his chair. He claims he hopes to see Dobes continue to succeed like this in the NHL and says he is happy for the young goalie.

Pascal Vincent, who coached Dobes in Laval before Christmas, is also happy for his former protégé… but we agree that in his case, it’s easier to give love to Dobes since he is not in direct competition with him.

We will see if Primeau, who has only allowed six goals in four games since his return to Laval, can rebuild his confidence to eventually establish himself in the NHL for good. That said, even if that happens, seeing Dobes perform like this with Montembeault in town for the long haul and Jacob Fowler on the way… it makes one wonder if Primeau has played his last game in the Canadiens uniform.

In brief

– Speaking of Dobes.

– David Pastrnak “feels great”.

– Great read on Owen Beck.

– It’s heavy in Vancouver.

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Connor McDavid suspended for three games

On Saturday night, Connor McDavid completely lost his composure. In a frenzied end to the game between the Canucks and the Oilers, McDavid lost his cool and delivered a violent cross-check to Conor Garland’s face.

He was ejected from the game immediately.

We wondered if the league would impose further penalties, and he finally had a hearing…

And his punishment has been announced: he received a three-game suspension.

The league just made the announcement.

In the sequence, Garland was really looking for trouble… but this is obviously not an excuse for McDavid.

Here is his action, for those who missed the moment:

It should be noted that due to his suspension, McDavid will lose nearly $200,000 in salary. Of course, he’s not exactly feeling sorry for himself… but it’s still a significant amount.

Additionally, in the same game, Tyler Myers was also seen making a pretty questionable move against Evan Bouchard…

And he received the same penalty as McDavid: a three-game suspension.

You can feel that the league wanted to send a clear message to tighten up on actions that have no place… and suspending the face of the league for three games is a good way to convey that message.

No one is above the rules, after all.

Extension

Let’s remember that this is not McDavid’s first suspension in his career. The Oilers forward received a two-game suspension in 2019 for an illegal headshot.

He is not known as a dirty player… but against the Canucks on Saturday night, he really lost his cool.

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Four to six weeks of absence for Joshua Roy

Bad news for Joshua Roy.

The Rocket has just announced that he will be out for a duration of four to six weeks.

It’s said to be an upper-body injury:

Roy got injured on Friday in Utica.

The forward fell in the offensive zone and his body hit the boards directly.

It seems to be the shoulder that took the hard hit:

It’s a shame.

Roy – who claims a total of 27 points in 33 games in Laval this season – is one of the important pieces in the Rocket’s lineup.

Pascal Vincent will have to find a way to shuffle his cards well with the loss of his club’s offensive engine…

The important thing is that Roy will be able to return to play before the end of the season.

If he misses up to six weeks of action, he will at least be able to return to the Rocket’s lineup in March, and at that time, the Canadiens’ AHL affiliate will be in a full race for the playoffs.

This isn’t necessarily ideal because he needs to keep playing to progress, but well. It’s part of the game…

Extension

Let’s remember that Joshua Roy was supposed to participate in the American Hockey League All-Star Game, like his teammate Logan Mailloux.

The league will need to find him a replacement, then.

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“There was a month ago, it was pretty sure that David Savard was going to be traded.”

Even if he’s slowing down, David Savard still has his importance in Montreal.

He is one of the few veterans on the team, and he enjoys playing the role of big brother to the younger players.

Let’s add to that the fact that he never hesitates to jump on the ice to block a shot, making him an interesting player – again, even though he is no longer the David Savard of his glory days.

Last year, he was spoken of as a player likely to leave before the trade deadline due to his qualities, and this is even more true this year.

Why? Because his contract will expire this summer. He could prove to be a good rental player for a team looking to push for the playoffs because he also has experience.

Let’s remember that Savard won the Stanley Cup with the Lightning in 2021.

But while there were good chances of seeing him leave before March 7th a month ago, things are different today.

Pierre LeBrun discussed this in the recent episode of his podcast (Radar):

Now, it’s more complicated because the Canadiens are in the race. – Pierre LeBrun

Things have changed because since December 17, the Canadiens have been the best team in the National Hockey League.

The CH has a record of 12-3-1 in the last month, which means that today, the team is fighting for a spot in the playoff race.

Ultimately, one must recall one thing in all of this.

The CH – by keeping Savard in Montreal – would be taking the risk of losing the defender for nothing next summer. The Quebecer will be a free agent starting July 1, and there is a chance he could leave.

If he wants to win another Stanley Cup before retiring, perhaps he might be interested in the idea of signing elsewhere.

At the same time, we know how much he loves playing in Montreal…

It’s something to think about, because Savard has his usefulness with the Canadiens in the role he currently occupies. That said, with the arrival of Alexandre Carrier (who is also a right-shot defenseman with experience), it might be easier to let him go compared to last year…

In Brief

– Happy reading.

– Phew. I’ll pass!

– Good! That’s better.

– He wanted to give himself the best chances to win.

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Another honor for Fowler: it’s well-deserved after his (almost) perfect weekend.

Photo by Richard T Gagnon/Getty Images

The Canadiens may have found their future number one goalie in Jacob Fowler.

The American – who dominated in his first season in the NCAA – continues to make headlines for all the right reasons.

He has (again) been named goalie of the week in his conference:

Fowler fully deserves this honor because he was almost unbeatable over the weekend.

His two games over the weekend were excellent:

  • 24 saves on 24 shots on Friday against Providence (shutout)
  • 29 saves on 29 shots on Saturday against Providence

I’ll take it a step further.

In his last four starts, the CH prospect has given up only three goals on 96 shots.

And he won all his games:

(Credit: CollegeHockeyInc)

It’s understandable that it’s hard to ask for more!

Jacob Fowler – barring any turn of events – should make the jump to the pros at the end of the season.

And the reason is simple: he has nothing left to learn in the NCAA.

He has dominated the collegiate circuit for a year and a half and he needs to face better competition if he wants to continue progressing. His case is different from Michael Hage’s…

That said, the situation in net is becoming interesting in Montreal right now because Jakub Dobes is on fire.

Will Fowler’s arrival complicate things? Perhaps… Especially if Dobes continues to perform as he has for the past three weeks.

Even though he was drafted in the 3rd round (2023), Fowler is one of the most exciting prospects in the Canadiens organization right now.

It’s clear that his performance in the NCAA is earning him points:

  • Record of 47-9-2 (!)
  • Average of 1.99
  • Save percentage of .928
  • Eight shutouts

It’s always said to be cautious with a goalie’s statistics in the NCAA (hello, Cayden Primeau), but Fowler’s excellence still deserves to be recognized.

He will need time in the American League like any other goalie his age, but it is reasonable to believe that he has a bright future when we see him being so dominant at Boston College.

In Brief

– The chain really landed.

– I agree.

– I love it.

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The Canucks rejected a big offer from the Rangers for Miller’s services.

J.T. Miller and the Canucks, it’s not working.

In fact, it’s not working anymore.

And now, it seems to be a question of time before we see him leave Vancouver…

The Rangers are one of the clubs interested in the forward’s services, and they even made an offer to the Canucks this season to bring him back to New York.

Chris Drury offered Mika Zibanejad to Patrik Allvin (one-for-one trade)… And he refused. It makes sense.

But now we learn that the Blue Shirts made a big push to convince the Canucks to let Miller go.

According to information from The Athletic, this trade almost succeeded:

  • J.T. Miller to New York
  • Filip Chytil, Ryan Lindgren, and some future assets (including a first-round pick) to Vancouver

According to The Athletic, the transaction ultimately did not go through because the Canucks were not satisfied with the protection structure of the first-round pick offered by the Rangers:

Chytil, Lindgren, and a first-round pick for Miller is still a significant offer.

When we look at it closely, Chytil is a guy who can play in the top-6, Lindgren has been on the first pair in New York for a while, and a first-round pick holds the value that we know.

I really wonder if Patrik Allvin will be able to get a better offer for his forward…

That being said, the Canucks’ GM is greedy right now, and the reasons to explain that are valid.

Even if it’s no longer working for Miller in Vancouver, we’re still talking about a player who collected 99 and 102 points in 21-22 and 23-24 (in that order), and players of that caliber are not common in the NHL.

Patrik Allvin is waiting for the right offer, and when it comes, the chances of seeing Miller leave will be more than good.

In Brief

– It doesn’t get more classic than this. Hehe.

– Well done.

– That would be interesting!

– Huge loss for the Lions.