Author: Dose

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The Blackhawks stop the CH’s winning streak at three.

After the victory in Vegas, the CH was back in action tonight in Chicago.

They were looking to extend their winning streak to four.

Here are the lineups:

From the beginning of the game, Montreal showed signs of indiscipline.

Arber Xhekaj and Jayden Struble, who took David Savard’s place, received minor penalties on the same play.

The Blackhawks obviously took advantage of this great opportunity to score. Tyler Bertuzzi opened the scoring.

After the goal, Xhekaj avenged his penalty by dropping the gloves against Patrick Maroon.

He took him down rather easily.

At the end of the period, the visitors equalized through Cole Caufield.

He was left alone in front of the net. He became the first player on the team since Max Pacioretty to score 20 goals in four consecutive seasons.

In the middle of the second period, as both teams exchanged chances, the Hawks took the lead again.

Nick Foligno was credited with the goal.

At the beginning of the third period, Maroon dealt a blow to the CH.

He doubled his team’s lead.

But Emil Heineman scored a beautiful goal on the power play a few moments later.

His 10th of the season.

However, it was not enough, as Montreal not only failed to score another goal, but Foligno netted his second goal of the game.

Final score: 4-2 Chicago. Montreal still directed 40 shots on goal.

Martin St-Louis’ crew will be in action again tomorrow in Colorado.

Overtime

– Nice photo.

– They must be laughing about Canada.

– Captain Crunch.

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First challenge successfully completed for Cayden Primeau in Laval

The Canadiens were in action, but their farm team was as well.

In front of three executives, the Rocket faced the Canucks and aimed to end a two-game losing streak.

This was Cayden Primeau’s first game in Laval this season, and he performed well. He made 26 saves on 27 shots.

It was after 19 shots that the American allowed his first goal.

He didn’t look good, let’s be honest.

For the rest of the game, he was on fire, stopping breakaways, two-on-ones, and several good chances from the opponents.

I’m happy with this game, and I hope he is too. He needs to regain his confidence.

Laval ultimately won in overtime thanks to a goal from Laurent Dauphin.

Pascal Vincent’s team will be back in action tomorrow as they face the same Canucks. Connor Hughes should be in net.

Don’t expect to see as many executives in Laval: there are World Junior Championship games on the schedule.

In brief

– At least Michael Hage shone.

– Victory for the Lions.

– Two assists for Bryan Rust.

– He protects his teammate.

– He has many lives.

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Patrik Laine and David Savard will miss tonight’s game.

This morning, it was announced that a decision regarding David Savard’s participation for tonight’s game would be made just moments before the match.

It is now confirmed: the Quebecer will not be part of the game.

The same goes for Patrik Laine (flu). Michael Pezzetta will rejoin the lineup, therefore.

Pez will therefore play his first game since October 27.

He should be happy to take part in a game, himself.

As for Laine and Savard, we should not expect a long absence. After all, the flu doesn’t take too long to heal, and even if he is injured in the upper body, Savard is a tough guy, and there were still hopes that he would participate in tonight’s game against the Blackhawks.

Tomorrow, the Canadiens will be in Colorado to face the Avalanche. Will the two absentees from tonight be in uniform?

Stay tuned.

Overtime

Besides Pezzetta, Jayden Struble will be in the lineup, replacing Savard.

And in goal, there are no changes: Samuel Montembeault will get a third consecutive start. We expect to see Jakub Dobes tomorrow against Nathan MacKinnon and his crew.

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Advanced statistics favored Canada, according to Dave Cameron.

Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images

The big topic in Canadian sports news today is undoubtedly the collapse of Hockey Canada at the World Junior Championship.

For the second consecutive year, the Canadians bowed out in the semi-finals against the Czech Republic, a mirror image of the elimination in 2024… literally.

The Czech Republic led by two goals, Canada equalized, and the Czech Republic scored in the dying moments. In short, two heartbreaking defeats for our favorites, and it’s going to take a change. After all, we need talent, not just role players.

Ah, but I have the perfect excuse: advanced statistics LIED.

According to Dave Cameron, who I dare hope won’t be there next year, the statistics showed that his team did enough to win every game.

Yeah, but unfortunately, advanced statistics don’t play on the ice. They can say anything, but if you lose the game, you lose the game. You absolutely cannot rely on advanced statistics in a one-and-a-half-week tournament.

C’mon.

Today, all the podcasts in Quebec talked about this tournament. Many said it wasn’t the players’ fault, but rather the leadership. After all, they are the ones who put this team together and ignored the likes of Beckett Sennecke, Zayne Parekh, Michael Misa, and Carter Yakemchuk.

I must say I have nothing against Cole Beaudoin, Easton Cowan, and company, but they really had a terrible tournament. It was tough for them, and they were not at the level needed.

The team construction really needs to be reviewed, and as Grant McCagg pointed out well on the podcast The Sick Podcast – Draftcast, no other team would have left so much talent on the table. He compared the Canadian team to one of the American teams from recent years. He asked us to imagine that American team without Matthew Boldy, Cam York, Trevor Zegras, and Cole Caufield. That’s pretty much Canada this year.

At least, the person responsible for this monumental failure didn’t hide. No, he’s not called “the post that injured Matthew Schaefer,” he’s not called “advanced statistics,” he’s called Scott Salmond.

In brief

– Speaking of Team Canada’s excuses.

– He must be relieved.

– Well done.

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Three general managers at the Rocket game

LAVAL, QC - OCTOBER 18: Look at Laval Rocket left wing Joshua Roy (10) during the game between the Rochester Americans and the Laval Rocket on October 18, 2023, at Place Bell in Laval, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The Canadiens will be in action tonight. For the occasion, Samuel Montembeault and the team will face the Chicago Blackhawks.

The Rocket is also in action. Earlier this evening, they will play against the Abbotsford Canucks.

And why are we going to follow this game with much attention? Because three NHL general managers will be present. Kyle Dubas (Penguins), Bill Armstrong (Utah), and Don Sweeney (Bruins) will be at Place Bell to watch the players from the Rocket’s affiliate and the Canucks.

Well, it’s easy to make connections with Laval. Perhaps players will be traded when Kent Hughes clears his roster to win a Stanley Cup in 2025 (not).

More seriously, Cayden Primeau will be in net and even though he wasn’t claimed off waivers a few days ago, some teams might want to see him in action. After all, if he regains his confidence, he could help teams in the NHL.

We’ve seen some flashes from him in the big league…

Do the Penguins, Bruins, and Utah club need reinforcements in net? But if they were really interested, I don’t think claiming the American for $890,000 would have been a big risk.

It’s worth noting that the visitors are also interesting to watch. Increasingly, Canucks players are being linked with trade rumors, and some general managers would certainly like to see the affiliate players to propose a little package to Patrick Allvin.

There are several reasons for the presence of NHL GMs at Place Bell for a AHL game. The most plausible: they were all in Ottawa for the World Championship and since Laval is 2.5 hours from Canadian Tire Centre and no U20 games are on the schedule tonight, they might have decided to continue their hockey trip in Quebec…

In Brief

– An away goal for Michael Hage.

– Great.

– Oliver Kapanen has been playing well since returning to Sweden. [TVAS]

– Well done.

– Finally.

– Really.

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Jake Evans signs or not: Kirby Dach’s end of season will be a determining factor.

Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images

Should they sign Jake Evans long-term (and at a high price) or not?

That’s the million-dollar question that Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton will need to answer in the coming months. This season, Evans has reached another level, scoring 10 goals and 23 points in 37 games while becoming an essential piece in the team’s success, particularly on the penalty kill.

The question is whether Evans has really become that player or if he’s playing above his capabilities at the moment. On this, your opinion is as good as mine.

In short, while everyone has their opinion on the million-dollar question, Brian Wilde took the opportunity during his appearance on Tony Marinaro’s Sick Podcast to discuss the topic a bit… and he made a very interesting point: we greatly underestimate the impact of Kirby Dach’s late-season performance on the decision.

Because in fact, Dach’s performance going forward this season changes a lot.

Essentially, Wilde explains that if Dach demonstrates by the end of the year that he can become the second center that the team hoped for, it would then make more sense to sign Evans. Indeed, the question of the second center would then be resolved, allowing the team to invest resources in the third center position.

And, to complete their center line, promote Owen Beck to the fourth line.

That said, if Dach continues to struggle until the end of the year, the team will need to invest resources to fill the second center role. In that scenario, Dach would move to the third center position… and with Beck pushing, signing Evans at a high price wouldn’t make sense.

I’m among those who don’t really see the point of trading Evans at the deadline, even at a high price. Unless the team completely falls apart before the deadline and Evans’ salary demands are outrageous (like $5 million per year, for instance), the team is no longer at the stage where it needs to sell all its players for draft picks.

There are already so many prospects within the organization and the team still has a ton of picks in the coming years. Drafting another Filip Mesar or another Alex Newhook (via trade) isn’t as important as keeping the guys who provide good hockey.

In a world where Dach plays great hockey until the end of the year and shows that he is still the potential future second center of the team, I would have no problem seeing the team give Evans a big contract. He is a true asset on the penalty kill, he’s well-liked in the locker room, and he is currently showing offensive potential.

I’m not saying he’s the new Artturi Lehkonen… but does the team really want to take that risk for another Justin Barron?

In brief

– Speaking of the wolf.

– Ivan Demidov has a good preparation, says his coach.

– Interesting.

– Nice pickup for the Dodgers.

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Matvei Michkov: “John Tortorella is the coach, he knows what’s best.”

Photo by Richard T Gagnon/Getty Images

The rookie season of Matvei Michkov in Philadelphia is going quite well overall. The forward has collected 29 points in 37 games so far, and despite a more challenging stretch recently (he has only two points in his last 10 games), his talent remains undeniable.

He has, by himself, energized the Flyers’ offense for much of the season. For a rookie, that’s impressive.

That said, there are still a few aspects that have been more difficult. His relationship with John Tortorella, for example, has sparked conversation… and it feels as though it’s not always on solid ground.

In an interview with Daria Tuboltseva (Responsible Gambler), Michkov talked a bit about a game where Tortorella benched him for the third period… and it sounded like someone who was just there to avoid punishment:

[John Tortorella] is the coach, he knows what’s best. – Matvei Michkov

He then added that Tortorella gave him advice afterwards and that he appreciates his coach’s honesty, an important quality for him.

That said, even if Michkov insists that there is no problem between him and his coach, it still feels as if Tortorella is trying to break down something in his player. It is evident that there are habits of Michkov on the ice that Tortorella wants to change:

He gives me advice on how to play and what not to do. – Matvei Michkov

Of course, the young Russian did not elaborate on that subject, but it clearly shows that Tortorella is challenging him on certain things. Will this ongoing challenge further strain the relationship between the two?

We may see it unfold in the coming weeks or months.

Quick Hits

– Michael Hage in action today.

– Scott Wedgewood will be evaluated on a weekly basis.

– Minor transaction in the NHL.

– Interesting.

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ÉCJ: Don Cherry asks people to “not be too hard on the youth”

Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images

Last night, Canada’s defeat at the World Juniors really made waves. The country, which is supposed to be a hockey powerhouse, was eliminated in the quarter-finals and ended the tournament with a record of 2-3.

To put it politely, it’s a disaster.

Since that moment, everyone is getting scrutinized. The leaders and coaches (especially Dave Cameron) are taking the brunt of the heat, but the players are also being thrown under the bus.

But seeing the players targeted doesn’t please everyone. Don Cherry, for instance, is among those who doesn’t like to see the kids singled out this way… and he issued a little heartfelt plea on X:

Don’t be too hard on the kids. They tried their best. – Don Cherry

Cherry’s message suggests that the blame should mainly be directed at Hockey Canada, which does not provide stability for the youth on the international scene. He would like to see the organization hire full-time coaches for the World Juniors, but also for the U18 and U17 teams to provide some consistency.

And in fact, it’s not crazy: if the U17 coaches are on the same page as those at the World Juniors, it means that the group of young players, who will grow together, will already know what to expect from one year to the next.

Were the players perfect during the tournament? Absolutely not. That said, Cherry does have a good point: with everything being said about Dave Cameron at the moment, one can wonder if the coaching group gave these young players any chance at all.

And regardless of the answer to this question, going to comment a flood of insults in the comments of young players is unacceptable. There are other ways to express frustration… and a constructive comment like the one Don Cherry made is a good example.

In Brief

– Speaking of the World Juniors.

– Four time zones in a week, it is true that it’s a lot.

– A new acquisition for CF Montréal.

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David Savard: a decision will be made at the last minute for tonight’s game.

NEWARK, NJ - NOVEMBER 07: David Savard #58 of the Montreal Canadiens skates during the game against the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center on November 7, 2024 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Rich Graessle/NHLI via Getty Images)

Yesterday, at practice, David Savard left for the locker room before the end of the session. We weren’t sure what was going on, so we kept an eye on the news of the day.

The team did not practice, but the extras skated… and the CH took the opportunity to provide an update.

In Savard’s case, his participation in tonight’s game will be decided just before the match. He will try, but if he cannot play, Jayden Struble will replace him.

Obviously, the team hopes that the veteran will be able to play. He is a significant part of the team’s defense, and he eats up big minutes on their blue line.

Moreover, he is, alongside Alexandre Carrier, one of only two right-shot defensemen in town. Mike Matheson also plays right, but he is a lefty.

So that means in a world where Savard has to be absent, the CH would be relying on five lefties in their defense. Luckily, their only righty is Carrier, who is capable of playing big minutes, not Justin Barron, who is not exactly as reliable.

More details to come…

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Jonathan Toews: the Maple Leafs among three teams to watch

CHICAGO, IL - APRIL 13: Chicago Blackhawks center Jonathan Toews (19) thanks the crowd after a game between the Philadelphia Flyers and the Chicago Blackhawks on April 13, 2023 at the United Center in Chicago, IL. (Photo by Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

For a year and a half, Jonathan Toews has said he is not giving up on his NHL career.

To regain his health, Toews even traveled around the world to find different remedies. And finally, he seems to be doing well as he is increasingly seriously considering a return to play.

And no, it surely won’t be with the Canadiens.

On this topic, Frank Seravalli provided an update on his situation. In his update, he discusses that a return to play this season is likely, given how things are unfolding. Toews is back to a hockey player’s weight and he is skating.

Is this definitely going to happen? Not definitely, no. But there are chances.

Chicago was not mentioned by Seravalli among the teams that have a chance to sign him. This is not exactly a surprise in my eyes, as he surely wants to come back to win. Let’s also remember that the Hawks said goodbye to him in 2023 and not the other way around.

According to Seravalli, three Cup-contending teams to watch are: the Avalanche, the Jets, and the Maple Leafs.

The Colorado case doesn’t surprise me at all since it’s been a long time since this possibility has been discussed. As depth at center, it could work out if he’s healthy.

The Jets? They are a big club, and he’s from the area. That would be very Bobby Hull, wouldn’t it? #Chicago #Winnipeg

And in Toronto, the allure of bringing in Toews comes from the fact that he has played in an Original Six market and would bring depth at center on a third line. And clearly, he knows how to win the Stanley Cup.

Note that he must sign before the trade deadline on March 7 to avoid waiting until next season to win the Stanley Cup for the fourth time. His return could wait until this summer, but if he feels good, a return to play right now could really be a possibility.

In Brief

– What a bad signing.

– He is in Toronto to stay.

– Rafaël Harvey-Pinard is not discouraged. [LP]

– Christian Dvorak will have cost the Canadiens dearly. [HF]

– Brendan Gallagher with Uber Eats.

 

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