Author: Dose

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Bad timing: Samuel Montembeault brings out his poutine (and Mike from Rona is there too)

Samuel Montembeault and Jakub Dobes are off to opposite ends of the season.

While the younger Montembault was named the NHL’s third star of the month, the Québécois hasn’t got off to the start he’d hoped for. He seems a little unsettled.

In fact, as we speak, we’re wondering who will be playing tonight.

But McDo couldn’t have foreseen this start to the season. Just as it was hard to predict that Cole Caufield would be heading for Laval in November 2021…

That’s why, despite everything, it’s the Québécois goaltender who’s this year’s McJoueur.

The campaign is called “A Snack for Snacks”, since Monty’s nickname in the Canadiens dressing room is snack. David Savard gave him that nickname back in his playing days.

So it’s no surprise to see Montembeault pulling out a poutine.

There are French ads featuring Monty and Mike at Rona (good flash, that) and there are also ads with English subtitles for English-speaking audiences.

How well do the Anglos know Mike at Rona? Never mind: it’s a good idea.

The concept of the ad is that the goalie of the Montreal Canadiens pulls out a poutine that’s all the rage… And to fix everything afterwards, Mike at Rona is there.

In a press release, McDo points out that Montembeault loves poutine so much that he ate it on his wedding day.

extension

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen a duo for McDo, since in the past, Cole Caufield has sometimes given the line to Ron Fournier, Claude Legault or even Tyler Toffoli.

And Montembeault isn’t the only player to have teamed up with a poutine recently: Ivan Demidov also did so via a commercial with Ashton.

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Top-4: Leafs lose 3-0, score four times in third period to win

There were four NHL games last night.

The Canadiens weren’t in action: Martin St-Louis’ men will face the Flyers at the Bell Centre tonight.

But let’s take a look at what happened yesterday:

1: Leafs… Wow!

We’re transported to the third period.

The score is 3-0 in favor of the Pittsburgh Penguins… and nothing seems to be working for the Leafs. But we know that things can change quickly in the NHL, and we’ve seen proof of that too.

The Leafs scored not one, not two, not three… but four unanswered goals in the third period to run away with the win.

It’s one of the greatest comebacks in league history:

The Leafs finally won by a score of 4-3… and can say thank you to their big guns, who stepped up in the third period.

Auston Matthews scored once, while William Nylander found the back of the net twice.

When the best are the best, it helps. And God knows there’s plenty of talent in Toronto…

2: A fine feat for McDavid, but…

The Oilers were in St. Louis last night to take on the Blues.

And Connor McDavid’s team couldn’t come away with the W, even though the Blues have been one of the NHL’s worst clubs so far this season.

Dalibor Dvorsky scored his first NHL goal in his club’s victory:

It was Pius Suter who gave his club victory by scoring with one minute and 23 seconds left on the clock.

A painful 3-2 defeat for the Oilers :

In the game, Connor McDavid picked up two assists, and with them he reached the 1,100-point plateau in his NHL career.

He became the fourth-fastest player in history to accomplish the feat:

3: Brock Boeser takes care of the Preds

The big story of yesterday’s Predators-Canucks game was Brock Boeser.

The Canucks’ sniper had quite a game, collecting three points, including this second-period goal :

Boeser will be remembered as the most impactful player in this game… because he, too, scored his team’s winning goal in overtime.

The Canucks won 5-4, and probably the Preds would have liked to see the sequence that led to Boeser’s overtime goal again :

Evander Kane also distinguished himself by scoring his first two goals for the Canucks.

Boeser finished the game with two goals and an assist, while Kane finished with two goals.

4: The Kraken is too strong for the Hawks

We had to wait until the third period to see the Blackhawks score a goal in their game against the Kraken.

It came at a good time… because they were losing 2-0 at the time:

But in this game that won’t go down in history, we have to talk about Jordan Eberle… who is still proving his usefulness on the ice today.

The Kraken captain scored his fifth goal of the season and helped his club leave Chicago with a 3-1 victory.

He scored the insurance goal with less than four minutes to play in the game:

The Hawks had started their season well… but now they’ve lost a third game in a row.

Will they fall apart over the next few weeks? I tend to think it’s possible…

Prolongation

– Wow.

– Top scorers of the night :

(Credit: Screenshot / NHL.com)

– 10 games tonight in the NHL :

(Credit: Screenshot / Google)
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Michael Hage played wing in his most recent NCAA game

When people think of Michael Hage, they mostly think of him as the future second center for the Montreal Canadiens.

He’s got what it takes to fill that role: Hage has a nice offensive touch to his game, he’s got good size, he’s creative with his hands, he’s got good vision…

But Hage isn’t the best in the face-off circle. And in his team’s last game, the Habs prospect wasn’t used at center as he has been since the start of the season: instead, he was moved to the wing of his team’s first line.

Hage posted a 47% efficiency rate in the face-off circle in 25-26, and that’s not exceptional by any means.

In 24-25, he finished his team’s season with a 46% efficiency rate in the face-off circle. He hasn’t necessarily improved, so… and it’s interesting to see that he played a different position in his last game.

We know him as a center, after all. But maybe that can change over time…

We know that the Canadiens have great faith in him. And we also know that the Canadiens need to find a guy who can play center on the 2nd line for the long term in Montreal.

Does the fact that Hage played wing in his last college game mean he’ll never be able to fill that role? No, not necessarily.

A player’s effectiveness in the face-off circle needs to be worked on… and Hage is still young too. Because it’s true that we know what interesting qualities he has as a center because he’s capable of doing a lot of things with the puck.

All in all, it’s cool to see him touch other aspects of the game by playing on the wing. Things are going well for him this season (15 points, including 6 goals, in 10 games) and he’s proving that he can make the jump to the pros at the end of the current NCAA season.

It remains to be seen whether he’ll play wing or center, though.

And if he does play wing in the NHL, the Habs will have to find another solution to Montreal’s notorious second-center problem…

Overtime

– With good reason.

– Oops.

– Hehe.

– News in the MLB.

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Arthur Kaliyev accused of stealing over $50,000 from ex-girlfriend and former teammates

This is one crazy story.

Does the name Arthur Kaliyev ring a bell? A player who has often been linked with the Montreal Canadiens in recent years, but who was never able to make it in the NHL?

Well, everything seems to point to the fact that the Habs have avoided a certain catastrophe. Because things aren’t going well for the main player today…

In an article in the New York Post, we learn that he is accused of stealing over $50,000 from his former girlfriend and several former Kings teammates to pay off his gambling debts.

His former girlfriend doesn’t understand why the NHL hasn’t turned its nose up at the case… and she doesn’t understand how the principal is still allowed to play professionally after what he did to her and after what he did to his former teammates.

Wow.

It’s still pretty spectacular.

Gambling problems can get really bad for some people, and professional athletes aren’t immune to situations like this either.

We all remember what happened with Evander Kane a few years ago, after all…

It’ll be interesting to see how this one pans out. Kaliyev, who had so much potential, is now with the Belleville Senators in the AHL after playing for the Rangers last year and starting this NHL season in Ottawa.

There are probably more details to come… and I wonder if the NHL will decide to investigate the matter too.

Again, we’re talking about a completely crazy story.

Overtime

– Sick.

– Yes.

– Bummer.

– Well done.

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All clubs in the East play for .500 or more

Incredible, but true.

When you look at the standings, you see that every team in the East is playing for .500 or more. And even though the sample size is still small, the season didn’t take off yesterday either, you know.

The Bruins play for .500, but since they’ve played more games than anyone else, they have the same number of points as the Lightning, who are third in their division.

(Credit: NHL.com)

It’s pretty crazy that the Canadiens, who are turning the corner on their rebuild, are in first place in the East when the playing field is this tough. The Montreal club is better than 15 clubs playing well.

The Habs (.750) are the only club playing for at least .700.

(Credit: NHL.com)

One reason for the high number of points is that there have been many three-point games since the start of the season. Many games go to overtime.

And since the Habs often win in overtime, it’s normal to see Martin St-Louis’ men at the top of the East.

At some point, you’re going to have to win games in 60 minutes, because it’s hard to always get back into games, and because wins in overtime or shootouts are worth less than regular tie-breaker victories.

But the Habs are winning, and that’s better than losing. No?

The Red Wings (3), Lightning (2), Devils (1) Hurricanes (3), Blue Jackets (2), Rangers (2), Senators (2), Bruins (2), Capitals (1), Panthers (1), Maple Leafs (2), Sabres (1) and Flyers (3) have all won at least one game over 60 minutes.

And the Habs have five, as we all know.

Only the Penguins and Islanders haven’t won in overtime in the East. And only the Habs, Red Wings, Devils, Hurricanes, Blue Jackets and Bruins have never earned a point in a setback this season.

Many of these teams have a negative differential, which means you have to take some and leave some. Mathematically, we know that normal will return.

It’ll be more like the West, at some point. Over there, there are no fewer than six teams below the .500 mark, and of the lot, the Flames really suck.

Here’s how it looks.

(Credit: NHL.com)

When you think that, in the past, the West was stronger than the East… it’s clear that this hasn’t been the case for some time. Will that change? I don’t know.

It’s also worth noting that seven of the last ten Stanley Cup champions have come from the East.

(Credit: NHL.com)

overtime

– Interesting.

– Of note.

– This is good.

– The question on everyone’s mind.

– Ah well.

– That’s fair enough.

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“Ça sent la.. a new advert (in French) for Nick Suzuki

For the past few years, Nick Suzuki has been trying to learn French. We know it’s an important element in the city… and to see him trying to learn it shows that the captain wants to make an effort to integrate into the city.

That’s already a big improvement over some of the guys before him, you know.

We saw Suzuki give an interview in French to Félix Séguin before the start of the season… and since the start of the day, we’ve been treated to another clip of the captain expressing himself in the language of Molière.

This time, it’s as part of an advert for Tim Hortons, in which the captain says the chain’s new menu smells like…

Then he retracts his statement, saying that it smells more like “caramel”. No, it doesn’t smell like the Cup (yet?).

It’s worth remembering that this isn’t the first time Suzuki has been featured in an ad for the chain: last year, he revealed that he wanted to be traded… before clarifying that he only wanted to change his order.

Chantal Machabée was also featured in that ad, which is not the case this year.

Obviously, it’s easier for players to dare to speak in French via a commercial, since they often have a script ready in advance and can practice. It’s much more obvious than answering media questions in French, let’s say (especially in view of the fact that the guys don’t want their words to be misinterpreted).

But Suzuki, who continues to make efforts to integrate himself into Québécois culture, is once again featured in a commercial in which he is seen speaking in French.

And clearly, the Canadiens are a hot seller these days, because the captain isn’t the only player featured in ads these days.

In Overtime

– Oliver Kapanen: a rare rookie who plays (a lot) short-handed.

– Michael Hage and Owen Protz are the CH prospects to watch.

– What will Jakub Dobes’ next contract look like? [THW]

– Interesting.

– All the better.

– To watch.

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Demidov/Struble: Nick Cousins wanted to fight on his own terms

On Saturday night at the Bell Centre, we suspected that Nick Cousins was going to have a fight on his hands. The reason was simple: the Habs were going to come after him for his dirty hit on Ivan Demidov in the pre-season.

And that’s exactly what happened: Jayden Struble went to give him his message.

That said, what’s interesting is that Cousins didn’t get into a fight until the third period. Usually, things are settled much more quickly during the game… but in this case, it took a while.

And today, in front of the media, Cousins explained why: he decided that on this night, he was going to wait until the third period so he could fight “on his terms”.

And this, even though Struble went to him several times during the match.

Cousins, who looks pretty banged up from that fight, admits that he didn’t do the right thing against Demidov on the preparatory calendar. However, he considers the matter closed… and doesn’t want to talk about it any more.

You get the feeling he’s learned his lesson… and it’s a good sign that he’ll be able to keep his cool against the Habs.

That said, we agree that it’s unusual to see Cousins willing to answer for his actions on his own terms. It’s pretty unusual to see that… especially since Struble obviously didn’t let him off the hook throughout the game.

I’m really looking forward to seeing how this all plays out between now and the end of the season. Because we know that games between the Habs and Senators often come with a lot of emotion in the air… and it’s in these contexts that players can have trouble controlling themselves.

Overtime

– Wow!

– Nothing less.

– Pavel Zacha: JiC doesn’t see him as the solution in Montreal.

– Mitch Marner’s replacement” left out in Toronto tonight.

– Too bad for the veteran.

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Slaf on fire on the powerplay: he can (and should) take advantage tomorrow night

Things are going well for Juraj Slafkovsky lately.

He’s one of the Canadiens’ good players, and a big part of the team’s success on the ice. We’re seeing the first half of Slaf… and so much the better.

Because we know he wasn’t used to starting his seasons the right way. We used to see him start to get really good in the second half of the calendar, but it’s quite the opposite at the moment. Again, this is good news.

Slaf has scored four powerplay goals since the start of the season and is now ranked 2nd in the NHL on the powerplay, along with the likes of Sidney Crosby, Clayton Keller, Chris Kreider, Elias Lindholm, Kirill Kaprizov and Wyatt Johnston.

It’s a nice list, we agree.

But that’s just what Slaf needs to make the most of tomorrow night, because the Flyers will be in town. Philly ‘s most punished team so far this season in the National League…

Slaf is becoming even more important in the Canadiens’ line-up. And if he can excel on the powerplay, it will only help… especially as he has the players next to him to help him.

He’s in the right place at the right time. And the results are there:

All this to say that Slaf is becoming a fixture on the Canadiens’ power play. That’s good in a way… because expectations for him have always been high.

The addition of Ivan Demidov on the first wave of the power play must help on certain levels too. But you have to give credit to Slaf, who is helping his club right now in these situations.

And at the risk of repeating myself, he needs to make the most of it tomorrow night as the Habs take on the league’s least disciplined team.

Overtime

– He’s on fire.

– Interesting.

– Nice.

– Whoa. What do we think?

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Michael Hage played wing in his last NCAA game

When people think of Michael Hage, they mostly think of him as the future second center for the Montreal Canadiens.

He’s got what it takes to fill that role: Hage has a nice offensive touch to his game, he’s got good size, he’s creative with his hands, he’s got good vision…

But Hage isn’t the best in the face-off circle. And in his team’s last game, the Habs prospect wasn’t used at center as he has been since the start of the season: instead, he was moved to the wing of his team’s first line.

Hage posted a 47% efficiency rate in the face-off circle in 25-26, and that’s not exceptional by any means.

In 24-25, he finished his team’s season with a 46% efficiency rate in the face-off circle. He hasn’t necessarily improved, so… and it’s interesting to see that he played a different position in his last game.

We know him as a center, after all. But maybe that can change over time…

We know that the Canadiens have great faith in him. And we also know that the Canadiens need to find a guy who can play center on the 2nd line for the long term in Montreal.

Does the fact that Hage played wing in his last college game mean he’ll never be able to fill that role? No, not necessarily.

A player’s effectiveness in the face-off circle needs to be worked on… and Hage is still young too. Because it’s true that we know what interesting qualities he has as a center because he’s capable of doing a lot of things with the puck.

All in all, it’s cool to see him touch other aspects of the game by playing on the wing. Things are going well for him this season (15 points, including 6 goals, in 10 games) and he’s proving that he can make the jump to the pros at the end of the current NCAA season.

It remains to be seen whether he’ll play wing or center, though.

And if he does play wing in the NHL, the Habs will have to find another solution to Montreal’s notorious second-center problem…

Overtime

– With good reason.

– Oops.

– Hehe.

– News in the MLB.

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Arthur Kaliyev accused of stealing over $50,000 from ex-girlfriend and former teammates

It’s a crazy story.

Does the name Arthur Kaliyev ring a bell? A player who has often been linked with the Montreal Canadiens in recent years, but who was never able to make it in the NHL?

Well, everything seems to point to the fact that the Habs have avoided a certain catastrophe. Because things aren’t going well for the main player today…

In an article in the New York Post, we learn that he is accused of stealing over $50,000 from his former girlfriend and several former Kings teammates to pay off his gambling debts.

His former girlfriend doesn’t understand why the NHL hasn’t turned its nose up at the case… and she doesn’t understand how the main guy is still allowed to play professionally after what he did to her and after what he did to his former teammates.

Wow.

It’s still pretty spectacular.

Gambling problems can get really bad for some people, and professional athletes aren’t immune to situations like this either.

We remember what happened with Evander Kane a few years ago, after all…

It’ll be interesting to see how this one pans out. Kaliyev, who had so much potential, is now with the Belleville Senators in the AHL after playing for the Rangers last year and starting this NHL season in Ottawa.

There are probably more details to come… and I wonder if the NHL will decide to investigate the matter too.

Again, we’re talking about a completely crazy story.

Overtime

– Sick.

– Yes.

– Bummer.

– Well done.