Author: Dose

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For the 2nd time this week, a (major) false rumor involving a captain is published.

Things aren’t going well in Detroit.

The Red Wings – who have been rebuilding for a few seasons now – are not living up to expectations.

The club is one point ahead of the Canadiens in the Atlantic Division standings and has a 10-13-4 record so far this season.

Seeing how bad things are, a Twitter account by the name of “Sash Sharnaz” posted a post today saying that according to his information, Dylan Larkin has requested a trade.

In the tweet in question, the Sash Sharnaz account says he’s spoken to Chris Johnston and that Johnston has confirmed the information… And in the message, the account says he’s going to talk about it tomorrow on his “Sharnaz Show” on TSN 1200.

The problem?

There’s no TSN show featuring the man who calls himself Sash Sharnaz on Twitter. So Chris Johnston shared that tweet, saying it’s not true.

He denied the “rumor”:

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This is… Ordinary.

It’s a pretty obvious lack of judgment, and it reminds us of one thing: on the Internet, anyone can say anything at any time.

You have to be careful…

That said, this is the second time this week we’ve seen the name of a captain of a rebuilding team in a rumor of this kind.

Larry Brooks (New York Post) tweeted this week that Brady Tkachuk was in the Rangers’ sights, and that Alexis Lafrenière could go the other way if there was a deal.

Last night, Elliotte Friedman told Sportsnet the opposite: the Sens are happy with Tkachuk and don’t want to trade him.

The rumour started by Larry Brooks was also denied:

That’s not to say that Dylan Larkin and Brady Tkachuk won’t change addresses by the end of their careers.

However, we shouldn’t expect any kind of transaction to take place tomorrow morning… Even if there have been rumors to that effect in recent days.

Overtime

– The Kings are good.

– Wow!

– Love this.

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“I think Markov deserves to have his jersey retired.

EDMONTON, AB - MARCH 12: Andrei Markov #79 of the Montreal Canadiens skates during the game against the Edmonton Oilersin Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Andy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images)

Andrei Markov has spent his entire career in Montreal.

He played 990 games for the Canadiens and was an important player for the club from 2000 to 2010.

The defenseman was back at the Bell Centre last night, and the fans gave him a warm welcome:

Throughout his career, Markov has had his moments.

He has three seasons of 50 points or more behind the tie (including one of 64), he finished his career with a total of 572 points, he was one of the league’s good defensemen for a few years…

This prompts Éric Hoziel to believe that Markov deserves to have his jersey retired in the heights of the Bell Centre.

He spoke about it this morning on the radio, when he appeared on Greg Lanctôt’s show (Tailgate Week-end) on BPM Sports:

I think Markov deserves to have his jersey retired. – Éric Hoziel

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Éric Hoziel defends his comments by saying that Markov always behaved well on the ice, that he made everyone around him better and that he played an important role in P.K. Subban’s development.

That’s true. In fact, Markov is one of the highest-scoring defensemen in the club’s history, along with Larry Robinson and Guy Lapointe!

But, on the other hand…

Andrei Markov has never won a Stanley Cup, he’s never won a single individual trophy, he’s not in the Hockey Hall of Fame… And he doesn’t have the résumé of a legend in the Canadiens organization.

I’ve got nothing against the defenseman, but it would be funny to see his jersey installed next to the other Habs legends :

(Credit: Capture d’écran Le Blog Hockey)

Andrei Markov has had a fine career in the NHL.

In fact, it’s fair to say he’s had a great NHL career.

But to say he deserves his place among the Habs all-time greats is pushing it a bit in my opinion.

Especially when you look at his career achievements. He would have needed more.

Overtime

– Coming up.

– The best special units in the National League :

– Voilà.

– Good.

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Martin St-Louis doesn’t use Emil Heineman enough

MONTREAL, QC - OCTOBER 09: Look on Montreal Canadiens left wing Emil Heineman (51) during warm-up before the Toronto Maple Leafs versus the Montreal Canadiens game on October 09, 2024, at Bell Centre in Montreal, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Watching the Canadiens’ games lately, something struck me.

Emil Heineman is really effective on the ice.

He’s able to put his skills to good use, and even though he plays a supporting role in the Habs line-up, he’s important.

When a guy hits, uses his body to create things in forecheck and is able to put pressure on because of his skating, he becomes useful to an NHL team.

Emil Heineman does all that… And what’s more, he can find the back of the net because he has a quality shot.

At the time of writing, the 23-year-old ranks 4th for most goals (6) scored by a rookie so far this season.

Heineman is on a 19-goal pace this season, which is far from bad:

(Credit: NHL.com screenshot)

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Clearly, we can see why he was selected in the 2nd round by the Panthers in the 2020 draft.

We knew he had interesting potential when we saw him score seven goals in eleven games upon his arrival in Laval, but we’re still talking about a nice surprise this season with the Canadiens.

That said, Heineman deserves – in my opinion – a chance in the team’s top-6 if certain players (like Newhook) continue to disappoint.

Heineman was Martin St-Louis’ least-used player yesterday against the Capitals, as he was against the Islanders and Preds earlier this week :

(Credit: ESPN screenshot)

Will Emil Heineman save the Canadiens’ season with a top-6 finish?

No one has said so.

On the other hand, if the Canadiens go for it on merit… Heineman should play even more. He’s got some interesting assets for a player of his size (especially his shot) and even though he doesn’t have much experience, we’ve seen that he can help the club.

The Canadiens need to take advantage of his shooting ability:

In closing…

Among rookies, Lane Hutson is currently the 2nd leading scorer (17 assists).

Matvei Michkov (22 points) is alone on his island at the top of the list…

Overtime

– Well…

– Things are going well for the Lions.

– The defender celebrates his 35th birthday.

– Where’s Soto going to sign?

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Morning practice: a day of treatments for Josh Anderson

In the wake of their frustrating 4-2 loss to the National Hockey League’s top team, the Washington Capitals, the Canadiens de Montréal held a practice this morning.

Martin St-Louis’ team took to the ice at the Bell Centre at 10 a.m. for a full practice.

It’s a rare event to see the team practice the day after a game.

What caught the eye at the Habs’ morning practice was the absence of forward Josh Anderson.

Indeed, the Habs’ number 17 had a day of treatment today.

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It’s a well-deserved day of rest for Anderson, who’s been playing some great hockey lately and even since the start of the season, despite not showing up on the scoresheet.

Once again last night, he played a good game, with a very physical and involved presence at every turn.

He’s clearly found his role this season, and is playing good hockey to make himself useful to the team’s success, even if he’s not collecting points at the rate he should to justify his contract.

Although he only has 10 points, including four goals in 27 games, Anderson makes himself useful by being involved and, above all, by being very physical.

In fact, he leads the Canadiens in checking with 69. That’s an average of 2.56 checks per game.

In short, Anderson is playing big hockey, and it’s only natural that his body needs a practice break this morning.

Let’s hope all is well in his case, and that he’ll be back tomorrow against the Anaheim Ducks.

Overtime

– Here’s the final top-5 of the Formula 1 season.

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Owen Beck is currently the Laval Rocket’s leading scorer

After a poor end to November with three consecutive defeats, the Laval Rocket is back on track at the start of December.

Pascal Vincent’s team has amassed five points out of a possible six so far in December, thanks to a superb victory over the Toronto Marlies last night.

The Rocket took revenge on the Marlies and Cédric Paré after losing in a shootout on Friday.

It was a huge victory for the Rocket last night, and it was largely due to Owen Beck’s excellent performance.

The Rocket’s 20-year-old forward collected three points, including two goals, in a 5-4 regulation-time victory.

In fact, it was Beck himself who prevented the game from going into overtime, as he scored the winning goal with around 20 seconds left in the game.

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Beck was also a brilliant accomplice on Adam Engstrom’s first goal of the game, which set off an avalanche of doggies on the Place Bell ice.

In short, Beck is really coming into his own in his rookie season, and as the season progresses, he’s getting more and more comfortable.

He’s gotten so comfortable in the last few games, he’s even quietly taken the lead among Laval Rocket scorers with his 20 points in 23 games.

(Credit: TheAHL.com)

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Of course, Joshua Roy and Alex Barré-Boulet, who have played fewer games, are only one point behind him, but still, it’s very encouraging to see Beck emerging as one of the Rocket’s most important players.

As a 20-year-old AHL rookie, that’s a lot of production for the Habs’ second-round pick (33rd overall) in 2022.

In the entire AHL, Beck ranks 4ᵉ among the top rookie scorers, four points behind a certain Frank Nazar.

(Credit: TheAHL.com)

For those who don’t replace him, Nazar is the prospect who was selected by the Chicago Blackhawks 13thᵉ overall in 2022, with the Canadiens’ traded pick for Kirby Dach.

Would the Habs be further ahead with Nazar in their ranks rather than Dach?

The question clearly arises.

In short, Owen Beck is on fire right now, on a six-game point streak in which he has scored eight points.

It’s clear that with his current performances, Beck is shopping himself for a potential NHL call-up to the Canadiens by the end of the season.

But for now, it’s best to let him dominate in the AHL and make sure he’s ready for next season, when he could very clearly land a spot in Montreal.

Owen Beck and Oliver Kapanen will be battling it out at center during practice for the 2025-2026 season.

Overtime

– When you look at it that way, it really was a great draft.

– To be followed closely.

– A fine 4ᵉ place for Lewis Hamilton to conclude his chapter with Mercedes.

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Lack of opportunism: Tom Wilson’s swollen face gave the Habs a scare

Last night, the Canadiens lost 4-2 to the Washington Capitals, despite having a 2-0 lead in the game.

It was a frustrating defeat because of the lost lead, of course, but that wasn’t the main thing that frustrated Habs fans at the end of the 60 minutes.

Rather, it was the club’s enormous lack of opportunism (especially in the third period) that bothered and exasperated Habs fans.

So it’s not a frustrating defeat because the Habs didn’t give it their all or lacked effort and zeal, but rather a frustrating defeat because the Habs really could have run away with the game quite easily if they’d converted their scoring chances a little less.

The game looked great at the start, with the Habs first line quickly scoring two goals and converting two great chances.

But after that, the Habs failed to score a single goal.

This lethargy coincided with a facial injury to Tom Wilson, who took a shot directly on the left cheek from defenseman Jakob Chychrun.

It seems that Wilson’s swollen face frightened the Habs players, who didn’t dare score any more.

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For real, it’s pretty impressive how the Habs were far too kind offensively, while on all their chances after Wilson’s injury, there was always a little something missing.

Especially in the third period, the Habs had not one, not two, not three, but FOUR OPPORTUNITIES, all with the same result: no goal.

Give credit to Logan Thompson, who after being shaky on the Habs’ two goals, was simply smoking the rest of the game.

Worst of all, right after the Habs’ fourth breakaway, chipmunk Tom Wilson came to hurt the Habs badly with a big goal to take a 3-2 lead.

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He also scored the equalizer.

In short, even though Wilson was probably in more pain during the game than the Habs, and probably even more pain this morning, he was still more opportunistic than the entire Montreal Canadiens.

Even with a swollen cheek and excruciating pain, Wilson found a way to step up and give his team the win.

And that’s where it’s a real shame, because the Habs played a good game, but once again lacked that little something extra to overcome one of the NHL’s best teams (1ᵉʳ rank in the Eastern Conference and 1ᵉʳ rank in the entire league).

This game reminded me a lot of last Saturday’s game against the Rangers in New York, when the Habs deserved to win, but still dropped the game.

Last night was also a great opportunity, with the Capitals playing their second game in two nights after traveling overnight from Toronto.

The Habs should have killed the game without letting the Caps back in.

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It’s not right that the team that played the night before is the one that’s progressing and coming back into the game, especially without their best player, Alex Ovechkin.

In short, this defeat was a great lesson for the Habs, and also for the fans who celebrated too early last night at the Bell Centre.

Olé Olé Olé could be heard after the two goals and the Habs’ complete domination.

The game was far from over, especially considering that the Caps are the team with the most come-from-behind victories this season.

In short, the Habs played a good game and continue to progress, even if they’re still lacking some.

Martin St-Louis’s team will be in practice this morning, hoping that breakaways will be on the menu.

Overtime

– Further proof that hockey players are tough.

– A crazy start for the last Grand Prix of the season.

– Indeed.

– Coming up.

– To read.

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Top-5: two goals for Matvei Michkov, who has seven points in his last three games

There were 11 games yesterday in the National Hockey League, which kept us entertained throughout the day.

There were a number of highlights throughout the 11 games.

Here’s a rundown of Saturday’s hockey action.

1. Matvei Michkov scores two goals and comes close to a point per game

Once again yesterday, the Philadelphia Flyers’ young Russian rookie showed the full extent of his talent.

Michkov scored two goals in a 4-3 loss to the Boston Bruins, giving him seven points in his last three games.

The young Russian is the first rookie to reach the 10-goal plateau, as he now has 24 points, including 11 goals, in 25 games.

And just like that, well, with 11 goals, Michkov would be the Habs’ second-leading scorer ahead of Nick Suzuki and his 10 goals.

I still can’t believe how Kent Hughes and the Habs passed up Michkov for the 5ᵉ spot in 2023.

The 19-year-old is already making Flyers history, and even more so with his three-game streak of at least two points.

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2. Connor McDavid joins Mario Lemieux

Despite missing three games, McDavid remains at the top of the NHL in points, as he quietly catches up.

With two points last night in the Edmonton Oilers’ 4-2 win over the St. Louis Blues, McDavid moved within five points of scoring leaders Kirill Kaprizov and Martin Necas (42 points each).

And what’s especially important to note is that with an assist last night, McDavid collected his 123ᵉ assist of the 2024 year, tying him with none other than Mario Lemieux.

It was a beautiful extra pass for McDavid.

Only Wayne Gretzky has ever won more (six times) in a single year.

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3. Logan Thompson makes three breakaway saves in a row

As I’m sure you all saw last night, the Canadiens lost 4-2 to the Washington Capitals.

The Habs played well, however, and it wasn’t for lack of trying and threatening that they lost.

On the contrary, the Habs played very well and did everything in their power to run away with the game, but came up against an in-form Logan Thompson.

Thompson turned away three breakaways in quick succession in the third period, with the game tied 2-2.

We could even add Brendan Gallagher’s semi-escape.

In short, the Habs lacked finish and let the game slip through their fingers, while Thompson was very solid.

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4. Two more goals for Matthew Tkachuk

After a slow start to the season, the Florida Panthers’ star player is back in top form.

In his last four games, Tkachuk now has 13 points. He has virtually doubled his production this season in just four games, with 30 points in 23 games.

Last night, Tkachuk scored two goals to reach the ten-goal plateau.

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5. Marc-André Fleury has fun!

Despite the Minnesota Wild’s 4-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings last night, Marc-André Fleury still finds a way to have fun.

Here’s further proof.

With the season the Wild are having right now, we can only hope they go far in the playoffs.

Overtime

– A battle of the goalies in the ECHL.

– Here are all the results from the previous day.

– Today’s NHL schedule: seven games.

(Credit: Google/NHL)
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Oliver Kapanen’s dismissal in Sweden whipped him into a frenzy

At the start of the season, Oliver Kapanen surprised many by landing a spot with the Montreal Canadiens.

It was either that or Sweden for the man who couldn’t play with the Rocket. We all agree that playing under Pascal Vincent would have been optimal for his development.

In 12 games in Montreal, he finally accumulated two assists. Unlike Emil Heineman, he failed to make his mark on the fourth line. Martin St-Louis didn’t give him every opportunity, but it was up to him to earn it.

Since being sent back to his homeland, Kasperi’s cousin has been looking good.

In nine games, he has eight points, including three goals. Today, in a 4-1 victory for his club, he scored two.

First of all, he scored with a good shot in the top corner after having missed his throw a few moments earlier.

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Then, at the mouth of the net, he completed his teammate’s beautiful play.

His future in Montreal isn’t certain, but clearly, he’s not going to be a guy who scores 20 goals a season. If he plays with the big club one day, it will be on a bottom-6 and he’ll have a more defensive role.

In the SHL, he gets more playing time and quality time on the power play, in particular.

In any case, he seizes every opportunity to be recalled to the big North American league.

Overtime

– Well done.

– Brings back bad memories.

– Obviously.

– Bravo.

– Brady Tkachuk doesn’t want to go anywhere.

– He is excellent.

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Andrei Markov returns to the Bell Centre for the first time since 2017

A good little rumor, my Andrei.

It’s going to be a very special evening tonight at the Bell Centre.

Behind the scenes, a great will be returning to the amphitheatre in which he built his legend. Indeed, Andrei Markov will be there as a fan for the first time since April 20, 2017.

Guillaume Lefrançois met the Russian today at the Hobby festival at the Palais des Congrès. My colleague Michael Petit opened the door to a tribute a few days ago.

Unfortunately for fans, there won’t be a standing ovation or a presentation or anything. In fact, Markov doesn’t even know where he’s going to sit and is just hoping to find his seat. The defenseman is an extremely shy man, and Lefrançois’ headline on La Presse sums it up quite well: Le timide retour d’un grand timide.

He’s a man of few words, and fans were quick to notice this at the signing session a few hours before the game.

The 79 considers himself a lucky man to have made his mark on the city of Montreal. He doesn’t necessarily want a standing ovation, but if it happens, it happens. Good luck finding him in the stands.

I walk down the street and people still recognize me. It’s flattering. It means you’ve done something for the team, for the city. – Andrei Markov

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As much as he enjoyed his time in Montreal (990 games), he doesn’t hold on to his past any more than he should. Of all his former teammates, P.K. Subban is the only one he keeps in touch with on a regular basis.

I’m not really surprised.

In his interview with La Presse, the left-hander also talked about his future in hockey. He also says he doesn’t watch many KHL games and isn’t too aware of what Ivan Demidov is up to in the Russian league.

If the Canadiens drafted him this high, it’s because he’s good, he’s talented, and he needs to work on it. – Andrei Markov

He finished by praising another part of the team’s future: Lane Hutson.

Markov thinks he’s very good and can’t wait to see him live tonight.

Overtime

– The Rocket takes revenge against the Marlies.

– Bad news.

– Matthew Schaefer: a prospect to keep an eye on. [RG]

– Exclusive interview with Alexis Lafrenière.

– He certainly counts.

– He’s the Rookie of the Year.

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Five goals in seven games: Shane Wright is on fire in Seattle

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - APRIL 09: Shane Wright #51 of the Seattle Kraken skates during the third period of a game against the Arizona Coyotes at Climate Pledge Arena on April 9, 2024 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Christopher Mast/NHLI via Getty Images)

In Montreal, the names of Shane Wright and Matvei Michkov are two that will inevitably be the talk of the town for the rest of their careers. Both players were fan favorites to be the Canadiens’ draft picks, but in the end, other players were chosen.

Juraj Slafkovský was preferred to Wright, while David Reinbacher was chosen over Michkov.

Inevitably, then, we’re following the progress of both prospects… and right now, both Wright and Michkov are really starting to find their way to the NHL.

Wright’s case is particularly interesting. In fact, on November 17, Wright’s season was going nowhere, so Dan Bylsma passed on him.

Since then, the young forward seems to have had the knife between his teeth. Since his return to the line-up (on November 25), Wright has been scoring goals by the ton.

He now has five goals in his last seven games.

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It’s a solid comeback for the youngster, who has now scored six goals and nine points this season. That’s three times more goals than Slafkovský, even though the latter has five more points on his record this season.

Michkov is also on fire. The man who is competing with Lane Hutson (among others) for the Calder has clearly reached a new gear in recent games.

Today, he added two goals to his record… so that he now has seven points (including three goals) in his last three games. The Flyers, however, are 1-1-1 in those three games.

Mishkov became the first rookie to reach the 10-goal plateau in the NHL this season. The Flyers forward, whose offensive qualities have been widely praised, hasn’t disappointed so far at this level, with 11 goals and 24 points in 25 games.

Reinbacher, who is injured, unfortunately doesn’t have the chance to prove his worth at the moment, so it’s hard to compare the two choices. But at the moment, the Flyers must be very happy that Michkov was available on their draft board.

Let’s see how both youngsters’ seasons go, but things are going well for both the Kraken and Flyers forwards at the moment.

In Overtime

– Doggies in Laval and Trois-Rivières.

– 11.5 M per year: Igor Shesterkin left money on the table.

– The end for Brendan Lemieux in Carolina.

– A name to watch.

– Interesting.