Author: Dose

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Monty’s Putin: The “McMalediction” must not strike him

We learned this morning that Samuel Montembeault has teamed up with McDo.

He’s the Canadiens’ McPlayer of the Year: Monty’s out with his poutine, and the timing is a bit special given his lack of success since the start of the campaign.

Here’s hoping he doesn’t get hit by the McMalédiction…

I say that because a few times in recent years, it’s happened. For example?

In 2013-2014 Daniel Brière got his McDonald’s burger. He finished the season with 13 goals and 25 points in 69 games…

In 2015-2016, Jeff Petry also got his McDonald’s poutine. He finished the season with 16 points in 51 games…

In 2016-2017, Alex Galchenyuk and Brendan Gallagher got their respective burger. Gally (10 goals and 29 points in 64 games) and Chucky (17 goals) had disappointing seasons…

In 2021-2022, Cole Caufield and Tyler Toffoli got their burger together. Caufield had an atrocious start to the season (he was even traded to Laval for a few games) and Toffoli was traded in February 2022…

In 2022-2023, Caufield had his own sandwich. He was injured after 46 games…

So there’s a certain trend. And I hope it doesn’t apply to Samuel Montembeault.

Samuel Montembeault is a good goalie and everyone knows it.

Without him, the Canadiens didn’t make the playoffs last season… and it’s not for nothing that the goalie had the opportunity to take part in the 4 Nations Confrontation with Canada.

He’s got talent.

But it’s more difficult for him at the moment and that’s flat in a way. He’s under pressure because expectations are high and because he’s being talked about as the #1 goalie on a good team right now.

Perhaps the announcement of his poutine will help him get back on the winning track. Let’s hope so.

Overtime

– He’s good, our captain.

– Oh yes!

– Caufield.

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Canadiens against Flyers: The same referee who sank the Habs against the Oilers

Two weeks ago, the Canadiens had the game stolen from them in Edmonton.

The referees in charge of the game made some bad decisions, and it hurt the Montreal team in the end. That’s part of the game, but it’s always a bummer when it happens too.

And you know what? The Habs had better sit tight… because tonight’s referee against the Flyers, Garrett Rank, is the same as he was two weeks ago against the Oilers. Sounds promising.

We’ll all be watching the duel between Matvei Michkov and Ivan Demidov.

But… clearly, we’ll also be watching the duel between the Canadiens and the zebra men. Let’s hope, for Martin St-Louis and his men’s sake, that the calls go both ways… and that the situation is different from what we saw in Edmonton.

It’s going to be a mess if it isn’t.

That said, if the referees decide to do the Habs some favors after what happened against the Oilers by being more generous with their calls against the Flyers, the Canadiens will have to take advantage.

The Flyers are already the most punished team in the National League so far this season. The Canadiens will have to keep a cool head to avoid ending up in the dungeon… but they’ll also have to seize the opportunity to hurt the opposition if the Flyers end up in the dungeon repeatedly.

Especially when everything seems to be going swimmingly for the Canadiens on the powerplay. It’s starting to unblock and the Habs are more dangerous than ever with the man advantage :

I’ll be really curious to see how the referees do their job tonight.

But I have a feeling there’ll be a lot of emotion on the ice. And that’s why the Canadiens need to be disciplined… especially with Garrett Rank officiating the game.

We wouldn’t want to see a Habs vs Oilers 2.0…

Overtime

– Sick.

– He’s on fire.

– Bravo.

– Happy reading.

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Michkov vs Demidov… and Xhekaj vs Deslauriers tonight at the Bell Centre?

What should we remember about tonight’s match-up between the Flyers and the Canadiens at the Bell Centre?

The Habs will try to take advantage of Philly’s visit to record their sixth win in their last seven games… and they could wake up at the top of the National League tomorrow if they can win tonight.

But it’s the Matvei Michkov vs Ivan Demidov match-up that’s likely to be particularly special. The two guys have never faced each other in the NHL, and tonight will be the first time they’ve played against each other. It could be a good show.

Michkov is having some difficulties… but that’s not necessarily the case with Demidov. And I can’t wait to see who gets the upper hand because we know both young Russians have talent to spare.

And if they start showing off their skills, the fans at the Bell Centre will get their money’s worth.

But there’s another potential match-up to watch out for in the build-up to tonight’s game.

Marco D’Amico mentioned it earlier on BPM Sports: there’s a good chance Nicolas Deslauriers will be in uniform, as he hasn’t played every game for his club since the start of the season.

Rick Tocchet might want to stir the pot, since the Flyers have lost their last two games, and we know that Deslauriers can bring energy to the line-up.

If he does play, it’s understood that there’s a world in which he’s battling with Arber Xhekaj. The two guys know each other because they’ve played against each other in the past… and let’s not forget that in pre-season, Deslauriers dropped the gloves with Arber’s little brother Florian :

All in all, the elements are in place for both clubs to put on a great show tonight at the Bell Centre.

The Flyers better be ready, though, because the Canadiens have been really, really… really good at home for months now. It remains to be seen whether the Habs can keep up the momentum at home…

Overtime

– Big night in the NHL.

– Wow!

– He’s going to be good.

– Logical.

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Norris Trophy: Mike Matheson receives 1st place vote in ESPN poll

Mike Matheson is off to a great start this season.

The Canadiens’ defenseman is dominant on the ice alongside Noah Dobson because he does everything the right way. And his teammate knows it, too.

I hear Dobson likes playing with Matheson:

What helps Matheson is that he doesn’t complicate his life. He makes simple decisions with the puck, and that helps him simplify his game.

It also helps him avoid turnovers. We know he’s been criticized for that in the past, after all… But Eric Engels made it clear in a recent text: you can’t blame Matheson for making questionable choices when he’s got the disc.

And that’s a game-changer.

Matheson is off to such a good start this season that he received a vote for the Norris Trophy in an ESPN poll of several Journalists’ Association members.

In fact, Makar got all the first-place votes from journalists in the poll… except one, which went to the Montreal Canadiens defenseman. Which is pretty special, we agree.

He’s been that good all season…

Mike Matheson deserves credit and it’s nice to see that his work isn’t going unnoticed right now. He probably won’t win the Norris Trophy unless things turn around because Makar is really killing it this season in the NHL… but hey.

Just knowing that his name is in the discussion is interesting. And it proves, once again, just how good he is right now.

Overtime

– Impressive.

– Yes.

– Wow!

– Good.

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Sidney Crosby rumours: We’ve heard nothing since the Penguins won (and Kyle Dubas knows it)

Few would have predicted that the Penguins would have an 8-4-2 record after 14 games this season.

It’s one of the biggest surprises in the NHL right now, because it’s not what you’d expect.

We mostly thought that the old Pens team, which was already slowing down in recent years, would collapse… and that it would possibly have opened the door to the departure of Sidney Crosby, who wants to win the Stanley Cup before hanging up his skates.

But right now, the Penguins are winning. And Kyle Dubas admits it’s putting the brakes on rumours about the team captain’s future.

And that’s normal, in a way. It’s delaying the rebuilding process a little, but it’s also helping to calm the noise surrounding #87…

Pierre LeBrun talked about it in an RDS capsule:

Obviously, it would be a little difficult for Crosby to say he wants to leave if his team is successful.

After all, that’s all he wants. He wants to do everything he can to win, and he wants to play in a winning environment too. And if he can do that in Pittsburgh, where he’s played his entire NHL career and where he’s been so good, he’ll do it.

On the other hand, that doesn’t mean he’ll finish his career there either. There’s a good chance that the Penguins team will start losing because we know that things can change quickly in the NHL… and we know that on paper, the club isn’t extremely talented either.

It could just be a good run right now, to put it another way. But regardless of whether it’s a good run or not, the bottom line is the same: as long as the Penguins are winning, Sidney Crosby isn’t going anywhere.

And Kyle Dubas, without saying it openly, has confirmed it in a way.

Overtime

– Nice contest.

– Good point.

– Oh.

– Indeed.

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“The Canadiens are better off without Patrik Laine”: Antoine Roussel is right

Patrik Laine spent the summer saying he was ready for the 2025-2026 season and wanted to stay in Montreal.

But in the end, he didn’t have a great camp, he didn’t start the season well, he got injured… and now, more than ever, his chances of staying in Montreal are slim.

In short, things changed quickly.

What we noticed was that he was having trouble fitting into the identity of the Canadiens. His talent was coming out of his ears, but he was too lazy and slow on the ice.

In short, he didn’t belong on a top-6 team, and he didn’t get a lot of minutes on the club’s bottom two.

Since he didn’t even belong on the first powerplay, and the club’s overall powerplay has been better (not to say elite) since the changes, it’s clear that nobody misses Laine.

And that’s what made Antoine Roussel say that the Canadiens, unfortunately for #92, are better off without Patrik Laine.

It’s a shocking sentence, but it’s reality. No one could write such a sentence with Kaiden Guhle without seeing his reputation tarnished.

But with Laine, it’s different. After all, the performances aren’t up to scratch.

At this point, in the best of all possible worlds, the Canadiens must be hoping that his return, sometime in 2026, will have an incredible effect on the Finn and whip him into shape.

That said, in the past, nothing has really whipped Laine. I don’t see why it would be any different this season… even if he is in an end-of-contract situation.

overtime

– Changes in New York?

– Of note.

– Former roommates gossip every day.

– He’s strong.

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Top-5: Two late goals in 29 seconds give Islanders victory

Last night, there were five games on the bill.

Here are the results and highlights of those five games:

1. Two goals in 29 seconds give Islanders victory

In New York, the Blue Jackets were in town.

Columbus led for much of the game, but late on, it all came crashing down. The Jackets allowed two goals in 29 seconds, and not only did the home team win, but the visitors didn’t collect a single point.

Matthew Schaefer was sensational once again, scoring two goals.

He leads the NHL in goals for rookie defensemen with five.

And among all rookie players, all positions combined, he’s first in points (tied with Ivan Demidov) with 10.

(Credit: NHL.com)

What a comeback by the Islanders.

Elvis Merzlikins couldn’t believe his eyes.

2. Sam Dickinson scores his first NHL goal

The Wings were in San Jose yesterday to take on the young Sharks, who put on a good show.

Late in the game, young defenseman Sam Dickinson picked a good time to score his first NHL goal.

The goal sent the game into overtime.

Overtime decided nothing in the end, so the shootout was necessary.

James van Riemsdyk scored the shootout winner.

Cam Talbot then closed the door.

3. Fifth straight Lightning victory

The Lightning started the season very poorly.

But lately, it’s coming back. Yesterday, they faced the Mammoth and won 4-2. It was the fifth straight win for Jon Cooper’s team.

Utah had scored the first goal of the game.

But at 2-2, Jake Guentzel scored the winning goal.

Nice move at the mouth.

In addition to the goal, the American picked up an assist.

On the losing side, Ian Cole played a part in both his team’s goals (two assists).

4. Cutter Gauthier continues to shine

The mighty Devils took on the young Ducks yesterday.

Cutter Gauthier took charge with a goal and an assist in a 4-1 victory. He now has 12 points in 10 games.

Since the start of the season, he’s been very impressive and is probably the best player on his team.

Another young player dominating in Anaheim is Beckett Sennecke. He also finished the game with a goal and an assist.

Anaheim reminds me a lot of the Habs.

It’s the young guys who are dragging the team along. Here, you can see Jackson LaCombe’s magnificent pass.

Despite the defeat, Jack Hughes found the back of the net.

His 10th of the season.

5. Finally a Flames win

Things are really bad in Calgary. After winning their first game of the season, the club has lost 11 of the next 12.

Yesterday, in Philadelphia, they held on to win 2-1.

A third win for the Flames. Jonathan Huberdeau opened the scoring.

The Québécois didn’t stop there, however.

He also scored his club’s second goal.

Travis Konecny closed the gap late in the third period, but it was too little too late.

Dustin Wolf did well in front of the visitors’ net, stopping 17 of 18 shots.

Overtime

– Yamamoto week, indeed.

– Six players collected two points or more yesterday.

(Credit: NHL.com)

– Four NHL games on tap tonight.

(Credit: Google)
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Samuel Montembeault will obtain the departure of soir

At the moment, the Canadiens have 18 healthy skaters in the line-up. So there’s no real question about who will be dressed for tonight’s game.

The Flyers are in town, remember.

We can therefore expect yesterday’s practice line-up(Brendan Gallagher and Joe Veleno switched places) to be used for tonight’s game.

The only real issue is the starting goaltender.

And according to Stu Cowan and Renaud Lavoie (among others), expect Québécois Samuel Montembeault to play tonight.

It’s interesting to see that the Canadiens want to continue putting their faith in Samuel Montembeault, who is officially the Montreal franchise’s #1 goaltender.

And doing so against a more “catchable” opponent at home is also a good idea for the man who just launched his poutine (which looks good) with McDo.

Because Dobes is on fire (he was named the third star of the month for October), expect to see him play on Thursday, on the road, against the mighty Devils.

Who will play on Saturday? You might ask, but it’s still early days.

Obviously, the pressure will be on Monty. Not only will he have to win, but he’ll also have to perform well to prove he can play up to his talent.

A big game in store, then.

in Overtime

– Cole Caufield against his friends tonight.

– Get out of here, I need to see my boyfriend.

– What do you think?

– Really?

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Tight ranking: bad news for the Habs on the trading market

Tonight, the Flyers will be in town.

If the Canadiens win this game, they could become the first NHL team to reach the 10-win plateau. That’s no mean feat, let’s face it.

And if the stars align, Montreal could also be at the top of the NHL standings.

(Credit: NHL.com)

Because, yes, the standings are the talk of the town these days. As we mentioned yesterday, all Eastern clubs are playing for at least .500 since the start of the season.

Four clubs (Canadiens, Devils, Red Wings and Penguins) in the East have 18 points… and the other 12 have between 15 and 13 points. It could hardly be tighter than that, let’s face it.

And of necessity, that’s going to affect the trade market.

Questioned on the subject this morning on BPM Sports, Renaud Lavoie affirmed that, yes, the fact that no one is out of the race right now will have an effect on the transaction market.

Obviously, some clubs are going to go under later than expected – and yesterday’s Penguins game was an excellent reminder of that. Everyone agrees on that.

That said, it was expected that several clubs would sell very quickly to improve their chances of getting Gavin McKenna. And now, the ranking changes the game.

The effect this will have, then, is that some selling clubs will put the brakes on in the short term.

For the Canadiens, who were unable to get their hands on a second-line center this summer to back up Nick Suzuki, this will undoubtedly postpone the moment when Kent Hughes gets his way.

Is it the end of the world? No. After all, it slows down the market for the Canadiens, but it’s also true for the other teams in the Eastern race.

But it’s something to keep an eye on.

overtime

– Read more.

– I hope Anthony recovers.

– The question is: Does Jared Davidson deserve a recall? Me, I’d go with the Unicorn, in case of a recall.

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The Canadiens have been without an extra player for nearly a week now

Before the trip out West, the Habs didn’t really have any extra players. All the guys who were healthy had a place in Martin St-Louis’ line-up.

During the trip out West, the club had some extras. Joshua Roy only played when Kirby Dach couldn’t and Marc Del Gaizo probably didn’t even come close to playing.

And since the club’s return to Quebec, the Habs are back to just 18 skaters.

Unless there’s a recall soon, we already know which players will be playing tonight. And when I say “players” in my previous sentence, I don’t mean goalies.

Did it strike you or not?

Would the Habs benefit from a little internal competition? Hard to say. After all, at the moment, things are going pretty well for the Habs, who are playing inspired hockey.

So, for the time being, Kent Hughes’ objective is clear: to have as few guys upstairs as possible, so as to be able to collect money under the salary cap on a daily basis.

Without Carey Price’s contract in the way, it’s now possible to do just that, to gain flexibility in the run-up to the trade deadline. And it could pay off in a big way, if the GM plays his cards right.

Since the Canadiens spend a lot of time at home in November, it’s easy to imagine that, if need be, a guy from Laval could quickly be recalled to fill a hole.

(Credit: NHL.com)

Note that the Rocket will be playing on the road a lot in the next few days, but that these will be games in places where recalling a player quickly isn’t a huge issue. #Belleville #Springfield #Hartford #Providence

So if the Canadiens are in a bad spot, recalling a player isn’t a big deal.

(Credit: Rocket)

Remember, if Kaiden Guhle and Patrik Laine were healthy, the Canadiens might have more active players on hand. After all, if both guys were back tomorrow morning, I don’t see which player would be traded to the Rocket.

But the guys are injured, so it’s a hypothetical scenario.

overtime

– It’s coming.

– To be continued.

– Joe Veleno: what do you think of his production? [JdeM]

– Reminder: it’s game day.