Author: Dose

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Juraj Slafkovský on the first line | Zachary Bolduc leaves on the fourth line

Last night, the Habs took a beating against the Ottawa Senators. The Habs had no time for self-pity.

Because, in fact, it’s back in action tonight, against the Jets.

And for the occasion, Martin St-Louis has decided to stir the pot. For example, Juraj Slafkovský will be back on the first line.

Zachary Bolduc, who was there until very recently, is leaving on the fourth line.

And on Ivan Demidov’s line, Alexandre Texier takes Slaf‘s place.

Last night, St-Louis cut its bench… and Bolduc was one of those who got the ax. The coach clearly doesn’t like his game, so he’s getting the ax tonight.

Florian Xhekaj was another to be given a reprieve, and he’s skipping his turn tonight. Clearly, the coach wants to send a message.

We know that Slaf had some good moments alongside Demidov. But that left the first line more vulnerable… and St-Louis clearly wants to return to a formula he knows (and that works).

That puts a lot of pressure on the first line… but we’re talking about the club’s three highest-paid healthy forwards, after all. In the midst of their current slump, the Habs need to see their top players step up.

We’ll see if today’s changes will help, but it’s clear that the coach isn’t laughing anymore. The results must come now.

Extension

When Alexandre Texier was acquired, he was praised for his immense talent. And tonight, he’ll have a golden opportunity to shine alongside Ivan Demidov.

It’s up to him to seize this opportunity.

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Andrei Markov admits it: He really wishes he could have played 1,000 games with the Habs

It’s Andrei Markov’s big return to the Bell Centre.

The former Habs defenseman will be honoured tonight in front of the team’s fans, and he spoke to reporters on hand for the occasion.

Markov confessed that he never imagined an evening like this would be possible. And it’s clear that he’s happy that the organization is allowing him to experience a moment like this.

But in his comments… the main thing I picked up on was this: Markov really wishes he could have played 1,000 games in a Montréal Canadiens uniform.

Marc Bergevin let him go when Markov had played 990 games in the National League… and the defenseman never got the chance to reach the famous 1,000-game plateau in the big league.

He says he’s at peace with all that today.

To hear his comments… click here:

It certainly leaves a strange taste in the General’s mouth.

He was so close to playing 1,000 games with the Canadiens… but Marc Bergevin decided his Montreal adventure was over anyway. We all agree that he deserved the chance to achieve that feat, and that Bergevin’s decision is still debatable to this day.

That said, it’s all well and good if the main player seems to have moved on. But the bottom line is the same: I would have liked to see him have the opportunity to end his career the right way with the Canadiens.

And I’m 29439% sure I’m not the only one who thinks so.

Overtime

– Nice gesture.

– Yes.

– Hehe .

– Can’t wait to see it.

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20 scouts (!) will be at the Bell Centre tonight and it’s no coincidence

The Canadiens are about to take on the Winnipeg Jets.

The game will be presented at the Bell Centre… and it’s worth remembering that it’s Andrei Markov’s tribute night, when fans will be introduced to him on site before the game.

That said, the press gallery will be packed for the game. No fewer than 20 scouts (including a few GMs) will be there tonight to watch the game between the Habs and the Jets…

This is no coincidence. The Canadiens are one of the aggressive clubs on the market right now, and Kent Hughes wants to move to improve his team.

It’s probably the worst-kept secret in town right now…

Among those in the press gallery tonight is Bill Guerin.

And he won’t be there to watch the tribute to Andrei Markov: Guerin confirmed to Jimmy Murphy and Pierre McGuire that he’ll be there to keep an eye on Lane Hutson and Cole Caufield, who could be part of the U.S. team at the next Olympics.

It’s a great opportunity for the two little players to have a big night’s work.

With all the rumours surrounding the Canadiens lately, it’s particularly interesting to know that there will be so many scouts at the Bell Centre tonight.

Does that mean the Habs are close to a deal? Not necessarily, no.

But it does mean that the other teams in the National League know that the Habs are interested in making a move, and the word is obviously getting out across the Bettman circuit right now.

It piques my curiosity, anyway.

Overtime

– Hello, boys.

– Good one.

– For those interested:

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David Pagnotta: The Habs’ goaltending problem is starting to cause concern

The Canadiens have a 13-9-3 record so far this season.

Is that perfect? Of course not. But… it could be worse than that, too. Without Jakub Dobes’ brilliance at the start of the season, the Canadiens would probably be in the lower echelons of the National League standings today.

Except that lately, things haven’t been going so well for Dobes either. And, with Monty’s failure, it could become a real problem soon enough…

David Pagnotta talked about it on the DFO Rundown podcast: right now, the situation in front of the net in Montreal is starting to get worrisome. He didn’t mention the fact that Kent Hughes is looking for a goalie… but his comments make it clear that things can’t go on like this forever.

And that makes sense. To win games, a club needs the help of its goalies… but that hasn’t been the case in Montreal for over a month now.

On paper, Monty’s and Dobes’ stats aren’t great. And when I say “really not”… that’s not an exaggeration at all.

  • 5-6-1, 3.61 and .861 for Monty
  • 8-3-2, 3.22 and .888 for Dobes

When your two goalies have an atrocious efficiency rate like that, it really doesn’t help. The goalies have been having trouble stopping pucks lately, and it’s no coincidence that the club has just four wins in its last thirteen games.

This situation needs to be corrected quickly.

Because let’s not forget one thing: the Canadiens’ goal this season is to make the playoffs and continue their collective development… but that can’t happen if the problem in front of the net doesn’t get fixed.

We’ll have to keep an eye on that. But we shouldn’t be surprised to see Kent Hughes move if the goaltending woes continue…

Overtime

– With good reason.

– Congratulations!

– Love this.

– Nice list.

– News in the MLB.

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Jared Davidson to take Florian Xhekaj’s place tonight against the Jets

The Canadiens welcome the Winnipeg Jets to the Bell Centre tonight.

And for the occasion, Jakub Dobes will have the mandate to lead his team to victory. No surprise here… because Samuel Montembeault played yesterday against the Senators (and it didn’t go well).

Oh, and Florian Xhekaj will make way for Jared Davidson in Martin St-Louis’ line-up.

More details to come…

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The time Andrei Markov could have had Michel Therrien’s death on his conscience

Tonight, the Canadiens will honor Andrei Markov at the Bell Centre.

The man nicknamed “The General” is sure to receive a warm welcome from the fans, and it’s sure to be a special moment for him.

We know he’s not known for being a super-emotional guy… but I have a feeling it’ll be different tonight.

That said, to “celebrate his return” to town, Martin Leclerc shared a really tasty anecdote about Markov on the recent episode of Tellement Hockey. He recounts how, when Michel Therrien was head coach of the Canadiens, there was a funny exercise at practice: the players were positioned near the goal line and had to shoot into the opposing net to keep from skating.

And if a player managed to hit the crossbar of the opposing net, it was the coaches who had to go… five ice lengths. You guessed it: Markov did it, and his teammates jumped on him to congratulate him, because everyone wanted to see the coaches skate.

Except… the guys were afraid Michel Therrien would die because he was out of shape. Martin Leclerc sums it up well with this sentence:

The players were afraid Michel Therrien would die on the ice because he was a heavy smoker. In the end, they said to themselves “My God…” – Martin Leclerc

Ayoye!

(Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports)

Picture this.

You get a notification on your phone… to know that the Canadiens’ head coach has died after skating too long in practice due to a bet he lost.

We agree: that would be pretty far-fetched, thank you very much.

But it’s a funny anecdote nonetheless. We know Andrei Markov as a rather reserved guy, but he had fun getting his coach to skate even though he could have had Michel Therrien’s death on his conscience.

It makes for a good story, at least. And I’m convinced that Michel Therrien never wanted to test his players like that again… hehe.

Overtime

– Speaking of Markov.

– Of note.

– No worse.

– I like his explanation.

– Well done.

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Tony Marinaro called the Office québécois de la langue française: Why does Monty play so much?

Yesterday at the Bell Centre, Samuel Montembeault had a tough night.

Another tough night, in fact.

The Québécois allowed five goals on 29 shots, which isn’t ideal. He wasn’t able to make the important saves, and that hurt the club. The guys didn’t play well in front of him, of course… but the result is the same in the end.

Monty’s performance is disturbing, and this morning Tony Marinaro got fed up. Tony decided to call the Office québécois de la langue française on his podcast to find out if they had control over the use of goalies in Montreal… because Monty speaks French and because the French language needs to be protected in the city.

Tony wanted to know if there was a rule in the charter to give Monty more playing time despite his difficulties… instead of using Dobes even more.

Again, it made for a funny moment. He’s good at doing that, Tony Marinaro.

The person on the other end of the phone didn’t know what to say… because she sounded a bit surprised. We agree that this is normal.

She told Tony that the Office québécois de la langue française hadn’t received any complaints from fans about Monty playing and that there’s no pressure on the Canadiens from the public institution.

Ah, and the person also mentioned that the media have a direct line to the media people at the CRTC… because Tony Marinaro asked the person on the other end of the line if any members of the media had ever asked questions about the use of goalies.

The segment is comical, but there seems to be some truth to it.

Maybe the fact that Monty is Québécois is helping him a little right now… because the Canadiens continue to use him even though he’s been one of the worst goalies in the National League so far this season.

And at a certain point, we start to run out of explanations to defend Martin St-Louis’ choices.

Overtime

– Wow.

– He’s good.

– Hum.

– Happy reading.

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Top-5: Carter Hart wins on his return to the NHL

There was plenty of action in the NHL last night.

And for those wondering: no, the Canadiens didn’t beat the Senators at the Bell Centre.

Let’s see what happened elsewhere in the league, though:

1: A win for Carter Hart on his return

It was Carter Hart’s big NHL comeback last night.

And let’s just say he couldn’t do much about that Connor Bedard goal. What a spectacular shot!

Overtime was needed to determine a winner between the Hawks and Golden Knights… but no one scored. And in the shootout, it was Shea Theodore who gave his club the win with a beautiful backhand shot.

All the Knights players went up to Hart to congratulate him:

Carter Hart finished with 27 saves (on 30 shots) and the Golden Knights won 4-3.

The goalkeeper was able to win on his return, then. Connor Bedard did everything in his power to give his club the win… even in the shootout:

2: A beautiful moment in Los Angeles

The Capitals’ 3-1 win over the Kings last night won’t go down in history.

Tom Wilson scored to help his chances of making Team Canada at the Olympics… but that’s not what will go down in history.

After the game, all the Capitals players went up to Anze Kopitar to give him some love.

Reminder: the Kings captain will retire at the end of this season.

It’s a beautiful moment.

It just goes to show what a respected player Kopitar is in the National League, and it’s nice to see Alex Ovechkin shake his hand like that.

Bravo!

3: Jesper Wallstedt is too good

Last night, Jesper Wallstedt played his 10th game of the season.

And what do you know?

The Wild goalie was able to collect his… fourth shutout of the campaign. Yes, you read that right.

The Wild won 1-0 against the Oilers:

Wallstedt stopped all 33 shots he faced to help his club win on the road. Stuart Skinner was good, too, stopping 23 of the Wild’s 24 shots.

But you can’t win if you don’t score in the National League…

4: Nathan MacKinnon continues his demolition job

The Avalanche are on another planet at the moment. And that’s partly due to the brilliance of Nathan MacKinnon, who’s having a dream season.

The Dogg kept up the momentum last night with two goals, including this one:

Colorado easily won by a score of 3-1 against the Canucks… and in doing so, notched up their 19th victory this season in just 26 games.

Honestly, I’m wondering if there’s a team out there that can hold off the Avalanche. Because if not, this club has everything it takes to win the Stanley Cup this season.

Let’s just say, at the moment, the club is scary…

5: A beautiful moment for Ozzy Wiesblatt

The Nashville Predators crushed the Flames last night, 5-1.

And in the victory, Ozzy Wiesblatt scored his first career NHL goal. It made for a beautiful moment… as he pointed to the sky to dedicate his goal to his brother, who passed away last September.

How touching.

We don’t have a lot to celebrate this season in Nashville, but this moment was truly special for the player and for the organization.

And I’m sure Wiesblatt’s teammates were really happy for him last night. Plus, the Preds won!

In Overtime

– Leafs defeat the Panthers.

– Wow.

– Big W from the Wings.

– Top scorers of the night :

(Credit: Screenshot / NHL.com)

– Five games tonight in the NHL :

(Credit: Screenshot / Google)
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Olympics 2026: The arena isn’t ready… and the surface will be smaller than an NHL rink

Preparations for the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games continue to generate a lot of ink… and not for the best of reasons.

Milan’s ice hockey arena now finds itself at the center of controversy: Not only is construction of the amphitheater still not complete… but we’ve learned via Frank Seravalli(Insider Notebook) that the ice surface will be smaller (by three to four feet) than an NHL rink.

Yikes. Let’s just say it raises a lot of questions…

Why the decision to opt for a smaller surface? Space constraints, cost-cutting… or probably a combination of the above. The fact remains, it doesn’t give a great image right now for the league’s players, and that’s a problem.

And I wonder how much the fact that the rink is likely to be smaller might change the guys’ vision, two and a half months before the start of the Olympic Games.

We also know thatthere is no plan B for the arena, which is not yet ready. The Olympic Committee doesn’t seem to see a huge problem with this situation… and that’s a shame, because it’s the show on the ice that’s likely to be affected.

Because if everything is delivered at the last minute (which seems to be happening at the moment), we’ll be playing with fire. As much for the quality of the ice as for the safety and experience of the spectators…

Milan 2026 was supposed to be a showcase for winter sports. But for the moment, the hockey tournament looks more like… a risky bet, because we can see how much anxiety there is at the moment.

In any case, I’m worried.

Seeing NHL players take part in the Olympic Games is always spectacular. It makes for a great show because the guys are working their butts off for their respective countries. But right now… I’m a little less excited about the tournament with what’s going on right now.

And I hope it’ll be corrected before too long… even though the 2026 Winter Olympics are less than three months away.

Overtime

– I love it.

– Oh.

– That’s right.

– Good point.

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“Those who can’t play defensively will sit out”: Martin St-Louis no longer laughs

Yesterday, the Canadiens played a bad one.

It wasn’t just that the Canadiens lost 5-2: it was the way they played. It was simply a horrible game defensively… and physically… and in terms of intensity.

And the result, of course.

Samuel Montembeault didn’t do his job as well as he’s capable of, but it has to be said that he really didn’t have much help in front of him either.

Defensively, the guys were mixed up like a deck of cards.

You could see it right from the start. It was so obvious that Martin St-Louis, after the first period, told his guys that those who didn’t know how to play defensively were going to be benched.

That’s a pretty big deal.

In a man-to-man system where bad nights are… really bad, there were a few guys who skipped their turn during the game.

Josh Anderson played just 10 minutes. Jake Evans, normally a defensive force, had just over nine minutes. Florian Xhekaj had nine shifts in all. Zachary Bolduc lost his place on the first line and the first power play for a stretch.

Ivan Demidov played more than 17 minutes.

Arber Xhekaj (12:48) didn’t necessarily play less than usual… and Jayden Struble played 17 minutes even though he had a tough game.

The fact that Lane Hutson played for 26 minutes despite defensive lapses shows that the coach’s comments were mainly about the forwards.

But all in all, it was just a frustrating game to watch.

extension

In other words, the Canadiens have lost their last two games 12-4. Jakub Dobes and Samuel Montembeault were both called upon to finish the game they started.

Will it be better tonight, when Andrei Markov is honored? Is this still the opponent who will attract the most attention in the Canadiens’ arena?