Author: Dose

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Points per game: Mitch Marner performs better without Auston Matthews in the lineup.

TORONTO, ON - DECEMBER 15: Auston Matthews #34 and Mitchell Marner #16 of the Toronto Maple Leafs skate against the Buffalo Sabres during the third period at the Scotiabank Arena on December 15, 2024 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Mark Blinch/NHLI via Getty Images)

Once again this season, true to their habits, the Toronto Maple Leafs are having an excellent regular season.

They are currently in first place in the Atlantic Division ahead of the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Florida Panthers, and in 6th place overall in the NHL.

In short, things are going very well in Toronto, even though Auston Matthews has been injured quite often this season, missing 12 games.

Everything is going smoothly for the Maple Leafs even without Auston Matthews, who will miss a few more games in the coming days.

In fact, he will not play tonight, but he skated for a few minutes during the optional practice this morning.

In short, even though Matthews is not healthy this season, the Leafs are performing, and in fact, they perform even better than usual when number 34 is not in the lineup.

Just ask Mitch Marner, who is having the best season of his career right now, with Matthews out of the lineup quite often.

Marner actually produces more when Matthews is not in the lineup.

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Indeed, it really seems that Marner steps out of his shell even more when he becomes the best player on the team, while Matthews is on the bench.

Marner is currently playing the best hockey of his career, as he is THE star of the Maple Leafs when Matthews is absent.

With his 49 points, including 13 goals, in 36 games, the number 16 of the Leafs is on pace for 111 points, which would be his best season ever, and his first with 100 points or more.

And when we analyze it further, we see that this season, 10 of Marner’s 13 goals were scored while Matthews was not in the lineup.

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Additionally, in 8 of the 12 games without Matthews, Marner has scored more than one point.

In short, Marner really seems to be at his best when Matthews is not around, which clearly increases the market value of number 16 of the Leafs.

Let’s remember that Marner still does not have a contract for the next season, so it’s a situation to keep a close eye on.

The Leafs forward is currently making about $10.9 million per season, and if he continues like this, he will certainly be entitled to ask for a raise.

In short, when Matthews the sniper is not there, Marner seems to play with much more freedom and ease, without the pressure to make number 34 produce.

Marner thinks more about scoring than finding Matthews, which really seems to help his production.

In Brief

– Very bad news for Canada.

– Noteworthy with the Leafs. Auston Matthews was wearing a gray jersey.

– For those interested.

– Here is new information about the CF Montréal’s recent acquisition.

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“I don’t give a damn what Cutter Gauthier says” – John Tortorella

In recent years, and especially in the last few months, we have seen several hopefuls from the American circuit, whether from the NCAA,ask their NHL club to be traded.

Indeed, several young players have changed addresses after requesting a trade from the team that drafted them.

I’m thinking here in particular of Adam Fox, Rutger McGroarty, and of course Cutter Gauthier.

The last name is the one that has garnered the most attention and has generated the most ink, given that Gauthier was a 5th overall pick in 2022.

Gauthier had requested to be traded to the Philadelphia Flyers, and he eventually changed addresses to end up today with the Anaheim Ducks.

And so, logically, the first matchup between the two teams since the trade, which will take place today starting at 4 PM, is one that we have been anticipating.

Gauthier himself stated that he had circled the date on his calendar and was looking forward to this game.

And when this comment from Gauthier was explained to John Tortorella, the Flyers’ head coach, well, let’s just say that he had a typical Tortorella reaction.

He stated that he didn’t give a damn about what Gauthier said.

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Indeed, Tortorella explained that he wouldn’t answer any questions regarding Cutter Gauthier, and that he didn’t wish anything bad on the young man.

The Flyers’ head coach quickly closed the case without commenting on the fact that the Flyers were going to face Gauthier for the first time since the trade.

We recall that at the time of the trade, Tortorella had also gotten angry when he received questions about Gauthier.

In short, this will be a match to follow closely, as Gauthier will certainly want to perform well and score some points against the team that drafted him.

He has 14 points, including four goals, in 33 games this season, and it is clear that he will want to add more against the Flyers.

It is worth noting that Jamie Drysdale, obtained by the Flyers in return for Gauthier, will be back in Anaheim, making it an important game for him as well.

In a Nutshell

– To read.

– What do you think?

– Obviously.

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Defeat of ECJ against Latvia: a well-deserved wake-up call

Last night, we witnessed one of the biggest and most beautiful surprises in sports history, and more specifically, especially in international hockey history.

Indeed, watching Latvia defeat Canada in such an important and widely viewed official tournament as the World Junior Championship was clearly not on your bingo card.

At most, we could have predicted a close game or a disappointing match from Canada, but never a defeat.

Canada was destined for an easy stroll in the park and a more than easy victory, but in the end, Latvia held its ground and managed to win 3 to 2 in a shootout.

For Latvia, it is simply a magnificent and impressive achievement that will certainly mark the history of the country.

But for Canada, it is truly a shame, but above all a deserved wake-up call.

Under no circumstances should a team composed of TEN first-round picks and 19 players in total drafted in the NHL even come close to losing to a team with only TWO NHL draft picks.

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So what happened for Canada to completely drop the ball?

Obviously, we must first give a lot of credit to Linards Feldbergs, the Latvian goaltender, who was simply sensational, stopping 53 of the 55 shots directed at him and not allowing any goals on eight shootout attempts.

He will certainly have a very nice resume for the upcoming NHL draft.

But beyond this stellar performance by the Latvian goaltender, there are several factors that caused this shameful defeat for the young Canadian players.

Even though the team faced a goaltender in great form, there is no way this match should end in a loss.

The problem is that the team was far too confident and much too above its station, and that really showed in the game.

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Even the night before against Finland, we saw some players far too confident and cocky as if they had already won the tournament.

Of course, on paper, Canada is the clear favorite, but it is on the ice that the tournament is won.

And last night was truly a well-deserved wake-up call.

There was far too much individualism in this game, as if all the players wanted to be the hero or simply to get points, while the game wasn’t even out of reach for the opponent.

In short, fortunately, this is just a group match, and Canada is still very well positioned to win its group, because if this match had been a single-elimination match, it would have been complete chaos.

Let’s hope this match will serve as a lesson and awakening for the whole team, and that they will be ready for their next game against Germany, another opponent that could pose a problem in the same way as Latvia.

In Brief

– To be continued today.

– With Michkov significantly slowing down, Hutson and Celebrini are just one point behind him.

– We are eagerly awaiting the next Florida battle.

– Bill Guerin is very pleased with the performances of Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy. [Responsible Gambler]

– What do you think?

–

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Top-5: Artturi Lehkonen scores his first career hat trick

The action was back yesterday in the National Hockey League, as we were treated to the first eight games after the Christmas break.

Half of the league was in action, offering us an exciting spectacle, unlike Team Canada Junior.

Here’s what caught our attention yesterday in the NHL.

1. A career first hat trick for Artturi Lehkonen

If there’s one player that the Montreal Canadiens have greatly missed since he was traded, it’s Artturi Lehkonen.

The hardworking Finn brought a lot of energy to the team, and his presence is missed even more now that Justin Barron (acquired in return for Lehkonen at the time) has been sent to Nashville in exchange for Alexandre Carrier.

The Barron project therefore did not work out, and in the meantime, Lehkonen is thriving with the Colorado Avalanche, where he is clearly one of the pillars of the team.

In fact, last night, as the Avalanche won 4 to 1 against the Utah Hockey Club, Lehkonen scored three goals, completing his first career hat trick.

This brings him to 13 goals and 19 points in 25 games. Even though he missed 12 games early in the season, Lehkonen would be the 5th leading scorer for the Canadiens and the 2nd leading scorer with this tally.

It’s worth noting that in this victory, MacKinnon recorded three assists, reaching the 60-point mark. He is the first to reach it this season, while his closest pursuer is now his teammate, Mikko Rantanen (53 points).

MacKinnon didn’t just make assists; he also fought Barrett Hayton.

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2. John Tavares makes an simply masterful pass

Last night, the Toronto Maple Leafs had fun against the struggling Detroit Red Wings.

They won 5 to 2 quite effortlessly, having taken a 5 to 0 lead in the match.

Mitch Marner scored a hat trick, and on his first goal of the game, John Tavares made a stunning pass.

He delivered the puck to Marner with a pass between his legs without looking.

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3. Alex Tuch and the Sabres take down the Connor Bedard’s Blackhawks

After suffering a 13-game losing streak, the Buffalo Sabres have woken up recently, and after destroying the New York Islanders, they had fun last night against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Indeed, the Sabres won 6 to 2 thanks in part to a hat trick from Alex Tuch.

With this defeat, the Blackhawks find themselves at the bottom of the NHL standings, which seems to genuinely frustrate Connor Bedard, who has been seen several times slamming his stick against the boards.

He’s starting to get really fed up.

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4. Brock Faber gives the Wild the win with a superb overtime goal

In a big division duel between the Dallas Stars and the Minnesota Wild, there were very important points at stake.

The Stars took a 2 to 0 lead in this game, but the Wild managed to come back with two goals in less than a minute in the third period to force overtime.

And in extra time, we were treated to a Brock Faber show, who scored the winning goal for the Wild.

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5. The Bruins feel the wrath of the Blue Jackets’ top line

Do you remember what happened in the last game of the Montreal Canadiens?

Well, the Canadiens were defeated by essentially just one line, which is the best of the Columbus Blue Jackets made up of Sean Monahan, Dmitri Voronkov, and Kirill Marchenko.

The three forwards were dominant against the Tricolore, and they did the same thing last night to the Boston Bruins.

The Blue Jackets won 6 to 2, with five of the six goals scored by the members of that line.

  • Monahan: Two goals
  • Voronkov: Two goals and one assist
  • Marchenko: One goal and two assists

Overall, this line is really dominant, and they demonstrated it again last night.

Overtime

– The 22-year-old Sharks defenseman, Shakir Mukhamadullin, scored his first in the NHL last night.

– Cam Fowler scored his first goal in a Blues uniform.

– Here are all the results from the previous day.

– Here are the top scorers from the previous day.

(Credit: NHL.com)

– On the agenda today in the NHL: 11 games.

(Credit: Google/NHL)
(Credit: Google/NHL)
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Incredible, Latvia beats Canada

Canada played its second preliminary round match at the World Junior Hockey Championship tonight and one thing is certain, it’s a game that raised more questions than answers for the coaches and fans.

While preparing for a blowout by Canada against Latvia, Canada lost in a shootout.

This tough match started with the loss of Matthew Schaeffer. The 17-year-old star defenseman slammed into the post while cutting towards the net.

After 20 minutes, it was still 0-0. Canada was not playing convincingly, both at 5-on-5 and especially on the power play. The team lacked coordination and conviction.

Troubles continued in the second period as Canada struggled to assert itself. It took a shorthanded goal from Jett Luchanko to get Canada on the board.

That was all Latvia would give Canada in the second period as they closed off the zone. The Maple Leaf did not pay enough of the price to win the battles in front of the net.

In the third, Latvia leveled the score with a power-play goal, incredible but true.

Calum Ritchie delivered for Canada by finally scoring on the power play. He beat the Latvian goalie with a good shot on reception.

Latvia equalized again late in the 3rd period to force overtime.

It was settled in a shootout and Canada lost after 8 shots from each side.

Overtime

After two days at the WJC, here is the standings for both groups:

Group A W OTW OTL L Diff
1. Canada 1 0 1 0 +4
2. United States 1 0 0 0 +6
3. Finland 1 0 0 1 -2
4. Latvia 0 1 0 0 +1
5. Germany 0 0 0 2 -8

 

Group B W OTW OTL L Diff
1. Sweden 2 0 0 0 +10
2. Czech Republic 1 0 0 0 +4
3. Slovakia 1 0 0 1 -2
4. Kazakhstan 0 0 0 1 -7
5. Switzerland 0 0 0 2 -5

* OTW (overtime wins) OTL (overtime losses) Diff (Differential)

Two matches will be on the schedule tomorrow:

1 PM – Kazakhstan vs. Czech Republic

3:30 PM – Latvia vs. United States

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The head coach of Ivan Demidov refuses to compliment him.

Ivan Demidov is doing everything he can to impress his head coach with SKA Saint Petersburg, Roman Rotenberg, but to no avail.

After spending the beginning of the season in the depths of the lineup with around 10 minutes of playing time per game, Demidov finally got his chance on the top line on Friday.

He seized this opportunity in fine fashion with an impressive haul of three points.

Even after scoring a goal in his fourth consecutive game, Demidov could not garner praise from his coach. Rotenberg simply refused to praise his young player in an interview with the Russian media outlet Match TV.

In fact, Rotenberg does not want to compliment Demidov because he believes that if he does, the young forward will “wear the crown.” In summary, Rotenberg thinks that Demidov will get a swelled head if he receives compliments.

This is somewhat absurd, as thousands of Canadiens fans praise him every day on social media.

The craziest part is that Rotenberg claimed Demidov can play better. It is always possible to play better, but after a three-point performance, a minimum amount of credit should be given to the player.

It is normal to see a player become overconfident when they are told they are amazing, but in this situation, Rotenberg rarely has good words for Demidov.

A little recognition once in a while wouldn’t hurt.

The good news in this story is that Rotenberg did acknowledge that Demidov works hard and that he is impressed by his work ethic. He is happy to see that Demidov listens to him and does everything he asks him to do.

It’s not such a big deal if Rotenberg doesn’t want to laud Demidov because he at least gave him playing time on the top line on Friday. Let’s hope he stays there for the upcoming games.

Demidov was even the most utilized player on the power play on Friday. He recorded an assist with the man advantage.

In Brief

– Lane Hutson saw his brother dominate with Team USA.

– The Dodgers are having a wild winter.

– He has good players on hand to do it.

– An easy match for Arsenal.

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Kings: David Savard must be a target for the team

PITTSBURGH, PA - FEBRUARY 22: David Savard #58 talks with Jordan Harris #54 of the Montreal Canadiens during the game against the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG PAINTS Arena on February 22, 2024 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images)

With the arrival of Alexandre Carrier in Montreal, the departure of David Savard seems inevitable.

Many expect to see him traded by the deadline, and Kent Hughes will need to find a team that would be willing to offer his player’s services.

No rumors currently link Savard to any specific team, but one could say that the Kings have the ideal profile to welcome him.

This was actually a topic of discussion during the latest episode of The Eye Test on the Sick Podcast.

During this episode, Pierre McGuire explained that the Kings could be the type of team to welcome Savard because they have a great need for right-handed defensemen in their lineup.

Los Angeles is currently playing with four left-handed defensemen in its starting lineup. The only two right-handed options are Brandt Clarke and Jordan Spence, who are very young to endure the work on that side.

One should not forget that Drew Doughty is expected to return by the end of the season, as he is injured, but Savard could help this team find some stability on the right with his experience.

Savard would also bring a more physical side to the Kings’ defense. Jordan Spence is only 5’11” and plays on a third pair that should bring a bit more physical play.

We should not forget Marc Bergevin in the equation, as he is the assistant general manager of the Kings. He was the one who signed Savard during the summer of 2021.

Los Angeles also likes big defensemen like Savard. Joel Edmundsson is the best example, as he is the tallest defenseman on the team at 6’5″.

Should a trade occur between the two teams, the Canadiens would certainly retain part of Savard’s salary, which is $3.5 million against the salary cap. There is only one salary retention slot left for the Canadiens, who are likely to take advantage of it.

The Kings still have all their picks in 2025, except for their second-round pick. They are capable of offering something interesting to convince Kent Hughes.

In Brief

– A great relief for the Browns.

– The bad luck that prevented Aatos Koivu from participating in the World Junior Championship. [RDS]

– A great man in the sports world.

– Impressive.

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Cayden Primeau: a team could make him their Samuel Montembeault

Photo by Rich Gagnon/Getty Images

One cannot expect to see a goaltender become a star player in their first few seasons in the NHL. The development of goalies takes time.

However, the Canadiens could no longer afford to trust Cayden Primeau, who will be placed on waivers Saturday.

This doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s the end of the road for Primeau in the Canadiens organization, but it remains a possibility.

Eric Engels from Sportsnet drew a parallel between Primeau’s current situation and that of Samuel Montembeault when the Canadiens claimed him off waivers in 2021.

Two things stand out.

Montembeault was 28 days away from celebrating his 25th birthday when he was claimed by Montreal, while Primeau is already 25. We are also talking about two young goalies who had shown promise during their development, but struggled in their early days.

However, Montembeault’s sample size in the NHL was very small when he was placed on waivers. He had played only 25 games in the NHL, but had an efficiency rate of less than .900.

Primeau has more experience in the NHL, having made 55 appearances in net for the Canadiens in his career. His statistics are also very poor, with an efficiency rate of .886 and a goals against average of 3.69.

In the case of the Panthers, placing Montembeault on waivers was a way to make room for their prospect Spencer Knight. This is somewhat similar to what the Canadiens are doing now with Jakub Dobes, who is excelling with the Rocket this season.

We know the outcome for Montembeault. After a bit of patience, he eventually secured his spot as the number one goalie for the Canadiens, but he still needs to find consistency.

It is possible that Primeau will not be claimed off waivers. His statistics are not attractive at all for a team looking for a second goalie this season.

A brief return to Laval might help him regain his confidence.

It feels strange to see that the Canadiens struggled with a three-way goaltending situation for most of the 2023-24 season, before trading Jake Allen and finally placing Primeau on waivers a few months later.

In brief

– The Alouettes extend Evans’ contract.

– Bergevin didn’t only make bad moves in Montreal.

– Heavy loss for Ottawa.

– Coaching change in Sacramento.

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Islanders: Patrick Roy apologizes to the fans present at the training session.

In Quebec, Patrick Roy is well-known for his frankness. He is not afraid to say things as they are, and that is part of what makes him so popular in the province.

His career as a player and his reputation as a winner are two other factors that clearly do not hurt either.

That said, this season is not going well for the Islanders, the team Roy coaches. The record of 13-15-7 is not exactly impressive, and especially, the team seems lethargic.

The Roy effect from last season seems to be fading.

However, that does not change the fact that Roy remains a guy who is capable of telling it like it is… and this morning, while the Islanders were practicing in front of their fans, Roy took a microphone to say a few words to the supporters present:

We are not proud of how we are playing in front of you, but we will continue to work extremely hard to improve. – Patrick Roy

It is worth noting that in the video clip above, the fans are not visible because the seats are only on one side of the ice. According to journalists on-site, there were quite a few people… and they seemed to appreciate Roy’s remarks.

We know that since the beginning of the season, Roy has been at odds with the team’s GM, Lou Lamoriello. That said, he knows that his job is to get the best out of his group, and that is what he wishes to do.

Because right now, it’s quite laborious. The team has only 33 points in 35 games, and by comparison, the Canadiens (who are not having an easy season) have 31 in 34 games. The difference is that the Habs are rebuilding, while the Islanders want to make the playoffs right now.

We will see if actions will follow words, but it is a nice gesture from the coach to have taken the time to apologize to the fans for his team’s difficult season. And I imagine that in Montreal, this is something that fans would likely appreciate.

In Brief

– Martin St-Louis sticks to his recipe.

– Peter Budaj practiced with the Ducks today. He is coaching with the team and was replacing John Gibson, who is sick.

– Kent Hughes needs to learn from what is happening in Detroit.

– Loss for the Swiss at the World Junior Championship.

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Cayden Primeau will be placed on waivers tomorrow.

This morning, when the Canadiens recalled Jakub Dobes, we suspected that Cayden Primeau likely didn’t have much time left in Montreal.

Seeing him absent from practice today was another sign… but then Martin St-Louis spoke.

In the end, the organization decided to place Primeau on waivers. This will occur tomorrow when the trade freeze is over.

More details to come…