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Advanced stats: Ivan Demidov is even more useful as a defender than a forward

Some things can be taught in hockey, others cannot.

Skating, passing and turning like (almost) only Ivan Demidov knows how to do on an ice rink, you can’t show that to a player. The guy either has it… or he doesn’t. And most of the time, if you’re not Demidov, you don’t have it.

Since Demidov was moved to the first power play – and Juraj Slafkovsky replaced Zachary Bolduc in the slot – the Canadiens have been averaging around four goals a game.

Even though he’s only 19, the Russian forward is already an important cog in the Montreal attack. He scored five points on the powerplay and seven points at even strength. Imagine if he could rely on better teammates than Oliver Kapanen and Alex Newhook at five-on-five..

Two statistics impress me when it comes to Ivan Demidov’s start to the season.

1. 11 of Demidov’s 12 points are primary goals or assists; he has only one secondary assist.

That means Demidov has only picked up a secondary assist once so far this season. When he does get a point, it’s because he puts it in himself or delivers a great pass to a teammate who finishes his play.

2. According to AdvancedHockey Stats’ advanced statistical models, Ivan Demidov is better at defending than attacking. #EVOffence #EVDefence

Basically, this statistical map tells us that Demidov has had a positive impact on the Canadiens’ scoring chances since the start of the season, but that he has an even greater impact on the fewer scoring chances his club allows when he’s on the ice.

Of course, that doesn’t take away from the fact that he’s (fuc*ing) dominant in terms of goals, points and primary assists than the rest of his teammates. Demidov doesn’t need 1001 chances to get on the scoresheet.

But the bottom line is that Demidov’s defense isn’t bad. Quite the contrary, in fact! He’s excellent without the puck, and when he’s on the ice, the Habs are in better shape than when he’s not.

Rereading these last lines, I naturally wondered why Martin St-Louis only used Demidov an average of 14 minutes per game (the average time of a fourth-line player, according to Advanced Hockey Stats).

Demidov is clutch, unpredictable with the puck and more reliable than the average of his teammates without the puck. I think it’s time to trust him even more.

Demidov has one more point than Matthew Schaefer since the start of the campaign; if he can be switched to a better center than Oliver Kapanen and spends three or four more minutes on the ice per game, it will be hard not to see him as THE favorite for the Calder Trophy.

overtime

– Good news.

– Big news in Toronto.

– Devils preview.

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Rankings: the most likely trophies for the Canadiens’ players

The start of the season is going really well for the Canadiens. This is partly due to the fact that several players are performing well when they’re sent out onto the ice.

So, if we look to the future, we can see that some of the Canadiens’ players could, if they keep this up, win trophies at the end of the season.

In any case, ESPN believes in this month-old season.

But of all the trophies that could be awarded (whether by vote or statistics) in the summer of 2026, which Habs players are most likely to win one?

Here’s a top-5 list, by trophy. In recent years, there hasn’t been enough talent to take part in such an exercise… but the Canadiens’ reality is different at the start of the 2025-2026 season.

5. The Vézina Trophy

Right now, Jakub Dobes is on everyone’s lips. But with Samuel Montembeault on the rise again and getting starts, that’s going to work against Dobes, who is also likely to slow down a bit, at some point.

Goalies elsewhere in the NHL who play more will inevitably have more chances.

4. The Norris Trophy

ESPN surprised many by naming Mike Matheson as one of its favorites for Defenseman of the Year. Could the Québécois really win it? What about Lane Hutson?

I don’t like their chances because… Cale Makar exists.

3. The Selke Trophy

Now that Aleksander Barkov is out and Nick Suzuki is playing for a good team, we can’t say we hate his chances for the Selke.

His offensive progress (he’s better every year) also works in his favor. But the competition will be stiff.

2. The Maurice Richard Trophy

Cole Caufield, who plays with leading passers on the powerplay, has as good a chance as anyone to lead the league in goals at the end of the season.

Currently, he leads the league with 10 goals, tied with Jack Hughes, Cutter Gauthier, Leon Draisaitl and Nathan MacKinnon. But the competition will be fierce.

1. The Calder Trophy

Jakub Dobes and Oliver Kapanen are good youngsters, but we agree that Ivan Demidov is on another planet. In fact, he’s on Matthew Schaefer’s planet.

Right now, we agree that the race is between the Habs player and the Islanders’ player. That’s why the Calder is ranked #1: there are fewer candidates than for other individual honours.

overtime

– Good listening.

– Triste nouvelle.

– Good point.

– Read more.

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Outdoor match in Montreal: the project is becoming more and more concrete

A few weeks ago, Max Lalonde (BPM Sports) learned and announced that the Canadiens de Montréal were working to bring a major project to fruition.

The project? Hosting an outdoor game in the city.

The pinnacle of the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve was the location under discussion. There are already several grandstands in that corner of the racetrack, and it was a logical location.

But now Renaud Lavoie has added to the discussion.

The TVA Sports journalist claims that Véronique Doucet, director of Parc Jean-Drapeau, met with the Canadiens in the last few days to discuss the matter.

The Habs want to hold an outdoor game, which has never happened before in Montreal. And even if the Canadiens won’t confirm anything (which is normal), you can sense that it’s something that’s in the works.

Doing it on Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, at the finish line, would mean that at least 45,000 people could attend the game. For the NHL, that’s the minimum for an outdoor game.

Not holding such a (potential) game at a venue like Olympic Stadium or Percival-Molson Stadium could help fans get closer to the action.

The result? The product could be of interest to fans, helping them get a good look at the puck. Not being able to see well and (potentially) being cold would not be a winning recipe.

Obviously, such a project won’t be confirmed any time soon. But at the same time, I imagine the Habs won’t want to wait years before playing outside either.

To be continued.

overtime

– If the CHL doesn’t want to look like a second-rate league compared to the NCAA, partnering with a league under the NCAA doesn’t send the right message.

– What do you think?

– It’s not easy for the former Habs.

– Sharks star plays in Nick Suzuki’s paws for an Olympic spot.

– Read more.

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Top-4: Nazem Kadri scores in his 1000th match

Last night’s NHL action featured five games.

My colleague Pablo Herrera-Vergara has already summarized Alex Ovechkin’s 900th goal and Jordan Binnington’s bullshit.

Here’s a summary of the other four games.

1. Nazem Kadri scores in his 1000th game

Nazem Kadri played his 1000th NHL game last night.

He got a nice tribute and a solo lap.

This introduction clearly whipped the club into life, as within the first few seconds, Morgan Frost opened the scoring.

Jonathan Huberdeau picked up an assist on the goal, extending his streak of games with at least one point to six.

Later in the match, Kadri, the hero of the match, scored.

He became the second player in Flames history to score a goal in his 1,000th game.

Calgary won quite comfortably by a score of 5-1 against the Blue Jackets.

Now that Kadri has played his 1000th game, he can be traded (to the Habs?).

2. Third-period hat trick for Tyler Bertuzzi

In the match between the Blackhawks and Canucks, we’re transported directly to the third period, because in the first two periods, no goals were scored.

But in the third, the two teams traded seven goals. Final score: 5-2 Blackhawks.

Tyler Bertuzzi scored a hat trick.

Connor Bedard sealed the game’s outcome in an empty net.

His first goal in his hometown.

Spencer Knight was smoking in front of the Hawks net.

He stopped 43 of 45 shots.

3. Sharks crush the Kraken

The Sharks are beautiful to watch.

They may not win the Stanley Cup or make the playoffs this season, but they’re young and dynamic.

Yesterday, San Jose crushed the Kraken, the opposite of the Sharks, 6-1.

Macklin Celebrini scored the game’s first goal. He has now reached the 20-point plateau in 14 games, second only to Joe Thornton (13 games).

His best friend, Will Smith, is also capable of scoring.

Here, he made it 4-1 for his club.

Tyler Toffoli hurt the Kraken with this net.

Celebrini finished the game with three points, while Smith, Toffoli and John Klingberg finished with two.

4. A 501st goal for John Tavares

Before the Mammoth-Leafs game, John Tavares was honored after his 500th NHL goal.

He didn’t want to stay at 500 goals for long. He scored his 501st during the game.

Matias Maccelli scored the winning goal…

Against his former club.

Auston Matthews is doing well these days.

He scored in his third consecutive game.

Leafs win 5-3.

Extension

– It doesn’t get any better for Logan Mailloux.

– A first for Ryan Winterton.

– Bertuzzi, Celebrini and Jacob Chychrun lead the charge.

(Credit: NHL.com)

– Nine games on tap tonight.

(Credit: Google)
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Series : The Habs have a 55% chance of making it according to a model from The Athletic

At the time of writing, the Canadiens are sitting in 2nd place overall in the NHL standings.

No, this is no joke. The club is off to a truly extraordinary start to the season, and it’s a bit of a surprise too. If the playoffs were to start tonight, the club would easily get its ticket… but that doesn’t necessarily mean it will still be the case at the end of the regular schedule.

In a recent piece for The Athletic, Dom Luszczyszyn – taking into account the strength of each club’s schedule – puts the chances of the Habs making the playoffs at… 55%.

The important thing to remember is that the Canadiens have a complicated schedule between now and the end of the season.

In particular, it will face…

  • The Avalanche twice
  • Golden Knights twice
  • Devils three times
  • The Jets twice
  • The Mammoth twice

These clubs have talent and are currently among the National League’s elite. It won’t be easy, to put it another way.

But if the Canadiens keep playing the way they’re playing now…

(Credit: Screenshot / Tankathon )

The powerplay will have to continue to be really good, everyone will have to do their job… and Samuel Montembeault will also have to settle back in if the Habs are to be in a position to make the playoffs.

It won’t happen with a snap of the fingers, we agree. But if Suzuki and Caufield continue to dominate, Demidov continues to improve, Matheson and Dobson continue to be excellent, Hutson continues to be one of the NHL’s best offensive defensemen and Monty regains his confidence… the Canadiens are going to be a dangerous club. Very dangerous.

And the club’s progress will be interesting to watch over the coming weeks and months.

Overtime

– Oh.

– He’s on fire.

– We want to hear from you.

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Nikita Zadorov destroyed Islanders fans on social networks

Last night, the Islanders received a visit from the Boston Bruins.

The game won’t go down in history: the Bruins won 4-3 (in a shootout) to claim their fourth consecutive victory.

But that’s not all the game was about. Midway through the second period, things got a little chippy behind the net… especially after Nikita Zadorov hit Mathew Schaefer pretty hard. A scrum broke out and all the Islanders players came to the young player’s defense:

Obviously, Zadorov’s gesture didn’t go down well with the Islanders players… but also with the club’s fans.

Nikita Zadorov said in a story that several fans wrote him a message on Instagram to tell him off and say nasty things… because they, too, wanted to come to Schaefer’s defense.

But Zadorov’s response to people’s comments became… perfect:

Get out of my DMs and go to the arena tocheer on your team. THIS PLACEWASLIKE A LIBRARY TONIGHT !!!! – Nikita Zadorov

He’s not making any new friends on Long Island, is he.

As mean as it can be, Nikita Zadorov has a point.

Because when you see photos of the amphitheater last night, you realize how empty it was. It’s flat for the Isles players… and seeing so many empty benches in the photo that follows makes you realize just how little fan support there is.

All in all, I liked the reaction of the Islanders players. They saw Schaefer get shuffled and they all came to his defense to send a message: you don’t touch our rookie… who may be our best player so far this season, too.

But, on the other hand, Zadorov also sent a clear message to the club’s supporters… and that’s fair enough.

Overtime

– Good old Gally.

– Ouain.

– A fine line-up awaits him.

– To be continued.

– Notice to interested parties:

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Top-5: Three goals and an assist for Cutter Gauthier (and the Flyers must be biting their fingers)

The Canadiens couldn’t beat the Flyers last night.

But… there were also nine other games presented in the four corners of the National League.

Let’s see what happened:

1: Three goals and an assist for Cutter Gauthier (and the Flyers must be biting their fingers)

The Flyers selected Cutter Gauthier with the 5th overall pick in the 2022 draft.

He never played a single game in Philly… because he asked to be traded before even starting his NHL career.

And clearly, the Flyers must be biting their fingers a little. Especially when you see him score three goals and one assist in a game, as he did yesterday against the Panthers…

Gauthier now has 10 goals so far this season and is tied for the NHL scoring lead with Cole Caufield, Nathan MacKinnon, Leon Draisaitl and Jack Hughes.

He’s off to a great start.

Gauthier’s three goals helped the Ducks crush the Panthers 7-3. Anaheim’s young team is really fun to watch…

2: A fine mark for Drew Doughty

Last night, the Los Angeles Kings visited the Winnipeg Jets, who have been on fire since the start of the campaign.

But the Kings showed no mercy against the Jets: they won 3-0 and Darcy Kuemper recorded his first shutout of the season.

Drew Doughty’s late goal in an empty net was the highlight of the victory.

The goal made him the top scorer for a defenseman in Kings history:

Drew Doughty is having a great career. There’s a very good chance he’ll make it into the Hall of Fame when he retires, and that’ll be well deserved.

And things are going well for the Kings, who have picked up at least one point in eight of their last ten games

3: 300 goals for Mikko Rantanen

Mikko Rantanen (two goals, one assist) and Wyatt Johnston (three assists) took care of business for the Oilers last night, helping the Stars to a 4-3 shootout victory.

In his club’s victory, Rantanen scored his 300th National League goal… and he did it on his bobblehead night in Dallas.

It made for a good time:

Rantanen became only the fourth Finn in history to reach the 300-goal plateau in the National League. He joins Teemu Selanne, Olli Jokinen and Jari Kurri in that group… and we hear he’s in good company.

The Stars are coming off their seventh win of the season (in 13 games) and have been on a roll lately. It’s going to be hard to stop them when they take their wanderings to…

4: When Brayden Point steals the show from Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon

The Lightning were in Colorado last night to take on the Avalanche.

And basically, when you’re talking about the Avalanche, you know you have to keep an eye on Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar. We’re talking about two of the league’s top five players, after all…

But last night, it was Brayden Point who stole the show.

The Lightning’s diminutive forward scored a goal of beauty… even if it was scored in a losing cause.

The Avalanche won by a score of 3-2 and moved into first place in the NHL standings this morning with 21 points.

The Canadiens are not far behind, with 19 points…

5: Who can stop the Mammoth?

We didn’t expect the Mammoth to be this good at the start of the season. But that’s exactly what’s happening…

André Tourigny’s men STILL won last night against the Sabres in Buffalo.

It was Clayton Keller who gave his club victory in overtime:

We’ll be keeping an eye on the Mammoth over the next few days: tonight, the club will be visiting Toronto… and they’ll be at the Bell Centre on Saturday night to take on the Canadiens.

It should be a good game in Montreal on Saturday. Both teams are young, fast… and also seem to be hungry right now.

Looking forward to it.

Extension

– Whew.

– Victory for the Golden Knights.

– Wow.

– Clutch!

– It shakes.

– Beautiful moment.

– You can’t touch Matthew Schaefer.

– Top scorers of the night :

(Credit: Screenshot / NHL.com)

– Five games tonight :

(Credit: Screenshot / Google)
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900th Ovechkin goal: Jordan Binnington runs away with the puck

Tonight, the Capitals and Blues face off, and let’s just say St. Louis gets its money’s worth. It was 5-0 Washington after two periods, but that’s not what’s getting our attention.

After a few games of waiting, the moment finally arrived for Alex Ovechkin: he scored his 900th career goal. He did so by thwarting Jordan Binnington with a fine backhand shot.

As all his teammates headed towards him to celebrate, Binnington took the opportunity to grab the puck and hide it in his knickers.

He literally ran away with the puck before a linesman noticed and asked him to give it back.

Pretty crazy scene, but when you know the goalie in question, it’s not very surprising. Binnington has a tendency to lose his cool and make this kind of gesture. Here’s a good example.

The goalkeeper is not having the anticipated start to the season. He has three wins in ten games, a goals-against-average of 3.08 and a save percentage of 0.908.

He could be in danger of not being selected for Team Canada if he continues in the same vein. On Wednesday night, he vented his frustration in this way. He is aware that there are goalkeepers who are having a better start to the season.

Even if the gesture isn’t brilliant, that’s what makes Binnington unique. He’s got a pretty special personality, as we saw at the 4 Nations showdown. I’m not making a case of it personally, I find it quite funny. Reading the reactions, it’s definitely not the case for everyone.

Overtime

– Davidson could get his chance.

– Leafs bounce back.

– Very difficult.

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Jakub Dobes must have flipped when he heard his coach talking about Samuel Montembeault

Yesterday, Samuel Montembeault gave away three early goals. He was then ridiculed by the Montreal crowd before recovering in fine style.

But, true to form, he squandered a late lead. In the end, the Habs lost.

We agree that the blame for the defeat does not lie solely on the shoulders of the Québécois, and we agree that there are positives to take from Samuel Montembeault’s game.

But his start to the game remains an important part of what sank the club. In a league of results, that’s deadly. And when you consider the goalkeeper’s start to the season, it’s nothing to reassure people.

Jakub Dobes, meanwhile, was named October’s third star because he avoided such sequences of play. And he hasn’t played yet in November.

It should be him tomorrow, though.

And in reality, when the European sees that Martin St-Louis sang the praises of Monty’s second period a few hours after seeing him say he wanted the Québécois to take charge of a #1, Dobes must be capering.

I understand that St-Louis isn’t going to plant Montembeault in front of the media (it’s not in his best interest to do so) and that he wants to limit discussion of the sacrosanct goaltending controversy, but…

But Dobes must be capering. Because he’s performing for a club that’s back to wanting to win every game.

Yes, St-Louis has recognized that it takes two quality goalies to win in today’s NHL, and yes, he’s probably confident when he sends Dobes in front of the net.

But Dobes needs to ask himself what more he needs to do to play.

I expect Montembeault to bounce back, and I think his second period offers some prospects. But the three quick goals shouldn’t be overlooked either.

That’s part of the story of the game.

overtime

– Can Kirby Dach keep up the pace?

– P.K. Subban was in town yesterday.

– Good question.

– The Habs and the sense of urgency for the second center position. [BPM Sports]

– Excellent point.

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Mike Matheson and Noah Dobson at the Olympics: Jean-François Chaumont opens the door

Last night, Team Canada GM Doug Armstrong was on hand at the Bell Centre to watch the Habs take on the Flyers. His assistant, Don Sweeney, was also there.

They didn’t come as tourists, they were taking notes for the Olympic line-up. All eyes were on Nick Suzuki, who stood out once again, and Samuel Montembeault, the third-choice goalie from the last edition of Team Canada.

But behind the scenes, Noah Dobson and Mike Matheson could also be options for the Canadiens. Jean-François Chaumont of the Journal de Montréal opened the door to this possibility.

Chaumont talks about the fact that, in a short tournament like this, duos who know each other have an advantage. That’s the case with Devon Toews and Cale Makar, who play together in Colorado.

In the case of Matheson and Dobson, not only do they form a pair with the Habs, they also have the advantage of having played together at the last Worlds in May for the Unifolies.

Since the start of the season, they’ve been extremely solid, but like most of the team, they didn’t perform well yesterday.

In my opinion, if there’s one of the two defensemen who makes it into the line-up, it’ll be Dobson. The right-handed defenseman has brought stability to the Habs, and Matheson benefits greatly from it. It’s never spectacular, but it’s very effective.

As for the advantage of playing together, I don’t think it necessarily applies to them, because their pairing isn’t that old. I have no doubt that a player like Dobson can quickly adjust to a defenseman like Josh Morrissey, for example. And as we saw at the 4 Nations Cup, players this talented don’t need much time to build chemistry.

Overtime

– Pretty solid thanks.

– Suzuki, a candidate for the Selke.

[IHeartRadio]

– What a feat!