Author: Dose

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Alexander Zharovsky: KHL Rookie of the Week

Last year, Ivan Demidov’s prowess in the KHL was the talk of the town. He was often among the Russian league’s players of the week.

But history is repeating itself this year, with Alexander Zharovsky.

The Montreal Canadiens’ young prospect, who is only 18, has been named the KHL’s Rookie of the Week #7. This was announced by the league.

In three games, Zharovsky hit the target twice and attempted no fewer than 13 shots on goal. He averaged over 16 minutes per game, which is very good.

For a youngster in Russia, that’s incredible.

It’s also worth noting that last week, Zharovsky started playing in the center forward position. And that’s exciting for Habs fans.

Why is that? For one thing, it’s great to see a youngster playing center.

But more importantly, with the Canadiens looking for a second center of the future, it’s great to see a top prospect taking reps at that position.

Kent Hughes must hope that Michael Hage and Alexander Zharovsky can continue to develop at this rate.

We know the Canadiens won’t hesitate to make room for their deserving youngsters. Jacob Fowler, David Reinbacher, Hage and Zharovsky are among them.

So much the better if the forwards perform well at the start of the season.

It should also be noted that the Canadiens are satisfied with the youngster’s playing time in Russia, and that no concrete plans are in place to bring him to North America as early as the spring of 2026.

That’s what Marco D’Amico reported… and his agent confirmed that he’s under contract until 2027.

overtime

– Good news.

– Yes.

– Nice.

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Top-4: Mammoth and Devils stop losing

Last night, there were eight games in the NHL.

An action-packed Sunday.

Here are the results and highlights:

1. The Mammoth never loses again

Along with the New Jersey Devils (more on that later), André Tourigny’s Mammoth is probably the best team in the NHL.

Since the unveiling of its mascot, the team has gone undefeated. Just yesterday, Utah won 3-2 against the Winnipeg Jets.

Mikhail Sergachev scored the team’s first goal. Nick Schmaltz picked up a point on the restart, and now has 16 points so far this season.

Michael Carcone then gave the visitors the lead.

Then, late in the game, Logan Cooley and Dylan Guenther showed their chemistry.

What a goal to seal the team’s seventh straight win.

2. Macklin Celebrini continues to shine

At the moment, in addition to Nick Suzuki, Ivan Demidov and Cole Caufield, the NHL’s best player is unquestionably Macklin Celebrini.

The young man, who can’t be ignored at the Olympics, has nine points in his last four games. Yesterday, he collected three points, including the winning goal in overtime.

After collecting his first point a few days ago, Michael Misa scored his first NHL goal.

Ryan Reaves scored too and is at the peak of the Maurice Richard Trophy race, hehe.

He has more goals than Steven Stamkos, Connor McDavid and Alex DeBrincat, among others.

After starting the season with six losses, San Jose has now won two of its last three games.

Minnesota still picked up a point thanks to a late goal.

3. Eighth win for the Devils

The Devils are on fire, too. You can take it literally or figuratively, as you like.

After losing their first game of the season, New Jersey isn’t losing anymore. Yesterday, Sheldon Keefe’s team won 4-3 in overtime against the Colorado Avalanche.

For Colorado, that’s two losses in two days this weekend… Jack Hughes was the hero.

He needed two chances to give his team victory.

On net, Simon Nemec picked up an assist, his third of the game. He now has seven points in nine games so far this season. He’s finally arrived, the second overall pick in 2022.

New Jersey has an 8-1-0 record, and that’s without their number one goalie Jacob Markstrom.

Yesterday, the Swede was active, but on the bench. We’ll see him back in action soon.

4. Nikita Kucherov gives Lightning overtime win

Earlier in the evening, the Golden Knights, who got off to a poor start on their trip to the southeastern United States, took on the Lightning.

The Vegas forwards were really silenced by the Florida teams, as, after a 3-0 loss in Florida, the club lost 2-1 to Tampa Bay in overtime.

It was Nikita Kucherov who sealed the game’s outcome in overtime. He had been denied a goal earlier in the game.

It wasn’t necessarily an easy match for the Russian.

Here, he showed his frustration.

Another star player who had a hard time was Mitch Marner.

The former Leaf has been blanked in the last two games and, physically, he’s been battered.

Extension

– Ah well.

– Team Canada won’t be able to ignore him.

– A big game from the Flames goalie.

– Top scorers from the previous day.

(Credit: NHL.com)

– Only two NHL games tonight.

(Credit: Google)
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Grant McCagg thinks the Canadiens are a Stanley Cup contender

Grant McCagg has never been afraid to speak his mind, and he’s proved it once again. The former Canadiens scout, who is now very active on social networks, caused a stir when he said that the Canadiens could be a real Stanley Cup contender. Yes, yes… to the Stanley Cup.

The latter expressed himself in a post on his X account.

“Some people unsubscribed because I had the audacity to suggest that the Canadiens might have a chance of winning the Cup. Chicago’s first conquest came quickly too. This team has a lot of parallels. I didn’t say it to get clicks – I really believe they’re contenders.” – Grant McCagg

In other words, he sincerely believes that the Habs can surprise just as the Blackhawks did back in the day, going from rebuilding team to Stanley Cup champion.

Of course, this comparison is not without reaction. We’re talking about a team that struggled to make the playoffs last year and is still counting on a number of young development players. But according to Grant McCagg, the ingredients are starting to look a lot like the Hawks of Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith before they exploded.

Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki in the roles of young offensive stars. Lane Hutson developing into an elite NHL defenseman. Jakub Dobes as a modern vision of a goalie who surprises everyone at the right time.

That’s the kind of parallel the former scout seems to want to draw.

And Grant McCagg isn’t the first to notice the change in tone around the organization. Over the past year, there has been less talk of “rebuilding” and more of “progression”. The young core is settling in, with players like Ivan Demidov and Noah Dobson being added, and Mike Matheson and Brendan Gallagher serving as mentors and stabilizers.

But to say that the Habs are Stanley Cup contenders takes a healthy dose of optimism (or faith in Kent Hughes).

The Habs’ former scout, on the other hand, is a firm believer. And he makes it clear that this isn’t a marketing stunt: he’s not looking for clicks, but expressing a real conviction.

Still, his statement raises an interesting debate: at what point does a young team cease to be a rebuilding team and become a real threat? If the Canadiens keep up their good form and the young players continue to develop, perhaps the idea will seem less far-fetched than it does today.

overtime

– David Pagnotta sees Mike Matheson sign a three-year contract worth between $6.25 and $7 million a year.

– Nikita Kucherov settles the debate in overtime.

– A blow for the Canucks as Quinn Hughes will miss the game against the Oilers.

– Michael Misa becomes one of the youngest players to score his first goal in Sharks franchise history.

– The Mammoth haven’t lost a game since the birth of their mascot – a seven-game winning streak.

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Kent Hughes: his contract negotiations took 15 minutes

A few days ago, my colleague Félix Forget wrote that Kent Hughes had also wanted to sign at a discount, like the majority of Canadiens players. This assertion takes on even more meaning today, following the posting of an exclusive interview granted by the Canadiens’ GM to TVA Sports’ Jonathan Bernier.

In this interview, Hughes recounts that his contract negotiations with Geoff Molson lasted… fifteen minutes. Fifteen minutes! No long discussions, no endless haggling: just two men who already knew they were going to continue together. And in all this, money didn’t seem to weigh heavily in the balance.

“The negotiations took 15 minutes, so I’d say it wasn’t the most important thing [money]. For me, the most important thing is to continue the work I’ve started.” – Kent Hughes

This sentence speaks volumes about the GM’s state of mind. After more than three years leading the rebuilding of the Canadiens, Hughes can finally afford to look ahead. His team is no longer a vague project. It has an identity, a solid core and a clear direction. And for the first time since his arrival, you can feel that he’s enjoying competing again.

Because let’s face it: when he accepted the job in 2022, it was a leap in the dark. The organization was coming off a disastrous season, morale was low and room for manoeuvre virtually non-existent. Three years later, things have changed: Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky, Lane Hutson, Ivan Demidov and Noah Dobson form the core of this new era. Kent Hughes has transformed a shattered team into a credible and ambitious project.

His five-year contract extension, concluded in a quarter of an hour, is no accident. It’s a sign that he wants to stay in action and continue the work he’s started. No need for mind-boggling figures or complex clauses: he wants to build for several years, period.

“We don’t do this job to get loved. We do it to try to accomplish something.” – Kent Hughes

It’s all there. A straightforward, lucid sentence, in the image of the great man he is. Kent Hughes doesn’t seek compliments, but he does seek results.

Of course, a quick signature doesn’t guarantee anything on the ice. But it sends a clear message: Kent Hughes believes in his plan, and he wants to see it through. After years of patience, he can finally feed his competitive spirit. And if the rebuilding of the Canadiens were to have a face, it would be that of a calm, convinced managing director… and ready to fight to get Montreal back to winning the Stanley Cup.

overtime

– Ivan Demidov revitalized the Habs’ powerplay.

– Mackline Celebrini picks up where he left off last season.

– The Wild have one of the worst numerical disadvantages in the NHL.

– Michael Misa scores his first big league goal.

– Goalie Carl Lindbom makes his NHL debut against the Lightning.

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Olympic Games: Jakub Dobes could take part

If I had told you before the start of the season that Jakub Dobes would have as many starts as Samuel Montembeault after 10 games, nobody would have believed me.

And yet, the young Czech goaltender has been on fire in five games this season, with an average of 1.77 goals allowed per game and a 0.940 save percentage.

He certainlylooks like one of the best goalies in the NHL right now.

Dobes is taking advantage of Montembeault’s setbacks to show what he can do, and if Montembeault doesn’t bounce back, his position as #1 goaltender is in jeopardy, as is his place at the Olympics.

Speaking of the Olympics, with his incredible performances to date, Dobes could very possibly change the Czech general manager’s plans and sneak in as a third goalie.

To do so, Dobes will need to find consistency in his game, as TVA Sports mentions in this article.

We recall that Dobes also got off to a strong start last year, but had much more difficulty following his first five outings.

On the other hand, Dobes doesn’t seem to be the same goalkeeper he was last season. His technique has been corrected (he’s more stable in his movements) and he seems to be at the peak of his confidence, which is very important for a goalkeeper.

As Dave Lévesque mentioned in his TVA Sports piece, he’s also much more fluid in his left-to-right movements.

Of course, he wouldn’t be the Czech Republic’s #1 goalkeeper from the outset, as there are Lukas Dostal and Karel Vejmelka who have more experience and are currently ahead of Dobes. He could still surprise everyone and take the #1 position for his country.

In addition to these three Czech goalies, there are also the names of David Rittich (who has had two excellent starts this season), Daniel Vladar (who also has excellent statistics in five starts) and Petr Mrazek (his experience could count for a lot). All these goalkeepers could be in contention for the Czech Republic’s third goalkeeping position.

In short, Dobes will have to keep up a similar pace to have the best chance of breaking into the Czech line-up for the Milan Olympics.

Overtime

– Well.

– Interesting stuff.

– A must-read.

– You don’t see this often.

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HFTV insider reports that Alexander Zharovsky wants to get to Canada fast

The HFTV team is starting to gain momentum on social networks.

We often see the two guys who roll the page (Alex and Cédrik) at the Bell Centre chatting with fans, and last year, the two guys got the scoop on Ivan Demidov’s arrival in April. The scoop turned out to be true, with the exact month of his arrival.

Of course, you might think that this was just luck, and that speculation was already rife.

Well, we’ll find out this season whether this secret informant was just a flash in the pan. He followed up recently on HFTV with another possible scoop on another Russian Canadiens prospect.

He mentions that Alexander Zharovsky wants to arrive in Canada soon, and to hear him talk, that would be after the Olympics.

HFTV also added later that Marco D’Amico was the first to openly announce Zharovsky’s arrival.

Once again, a caveat is in order, as the chances of an NHL prospect playing in Europe wanting to get to North America quickly are normal.

However, Zharovsky’s situation is different from that of Demidov. Demidov was in the last year of his contract, while Zharovsky is signed in the KHL until 2027.

Nicolas Cloutier of TVA Sports also had this to say, mentioning that the Habs are probably comfortable with Zharovsky playing one more season in the KHL.

The fact remains that the Habs managed to get Demidov before the end of his contract (just over a month ago). The Philadelphia Flyers were also able to get Matvei Michkov before his contract expired the following season.

So, nothing is impossible, but as Cloutier mentions, Zharovsky’s situation isn’t the same as Demidov’s, and it’s different from Michkov’s all the same. Zharovsky is not in the same talent category as Mishkov and Demidov.

Zharovsky is very talented, of course, but I’d be surprised if the Habs wanted to terminate Zharovsky’s KHL contract more than a year in advance. Next year, he’ll have the opportunity to play a bigger role and get big minutes.

Let’s see if HFTV’s secret informant is right again.

Overtime

– Händel (a tall, right-handed defenseman) was a 6th-round pick of the Habs this summer.

– Yet they don’t really look alike.

– Interesting.

– The Devils have now won their last eight games.

– The 2nd pick of 2022 (right after Juraj Slafkovsky) is on fire this season.

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Domestic violence: Mitch Love suspended for the season by the NHL

Just over a month ago, it was revealed that Washington Capitals assistant coach Mitch Love had been placed on leave by the team following an investigation into him.

The NHL had already initiated the investigation during the off-season, when he was interviewing other clubs for a head coaching position.

The reason for this was not known at the time.

On this Sunday afternoon, Frank Seravalli announced the news that Love has finally been suspended for the 2025-26 season by the National Hockey League.

He is reportedly facing allegations of domestic violence.

The victim reported the allegations directly to the NHL and teams Love interviewed with over summer for head coach vacancies.

When the investigation began, the Capitals said they would not comment further until it was complete.

However, now that Love has been suspended for the integrity of the 2025-26 season, the organization has announced that it is firing Love effective immediately.

Love was not only Spencer Carbery’s assistant, he was also responsible for the club’s defensive brigade.

Washington is currently fourth in the Metropolitan Division with a 6-3-0 record and a +6 rating.

The Capitals also rank fourth in the NHL in the goals-against column, and Love had nothing to do with that this season, as he had been on forced leave from the team since the start of the investigation.

So, since the start of the current campaign, Washington has been operating without the assistant coach in charge of defense.

We can therefore expect the Caps to try and find another assistant for Carbery to help the Capitals this season.

Overtime

– But that can’t work for the whole season.

– Too bad for the Bruins.

– Read more.

– Vladdy is on fire.

– Sensitive souls, please refrain…

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Jakub Dobes looks like the best goalie in the NHL right now

If I had told you back in September that Jakub Dobes might be the NHL’s best goalie two weeks into the season, you would have said…

Come on, Cook! Have you fallen on your face?

But right now, that’s the conclusion I’m coming to. Jakub Dobes looks like the best goalie in the league right now because he’s so, so effective in front of the net. When you look at his stats, it’s easy to see that he’s… really on fire.

With last night’s win, Dobes took his record to 5-0-0 since the start of the campaign.

He has a .940 efficiency rate, a 1.77 goals-against average… and he also excels in the save department with a 9.1 mark.

He leads the league in that department, ahead of Spencer Knight (8.0) and Thatcher Demko (7.1). Dobes is on another planet right now… and it’s a sight to behold.

We didn’t necessarily expect Dobes to be so smokin’ this early in the season. And that… even though he’s been really excellent in practice, too.

That said, Jakub Dobes is 24 years old, and it’s often at this age (or thereabouts) that goalkeepers are able to reach their peak. Dobes really seems to be at the peak of his powers in front of the net, and he’s not the same goalie we saw last season.

In 24-25, he looked a bit mixed up at times. His movements and positioning were questionable… but since the start of the current campaign, we’ve seen him be much bigger and much more square in goal.

It’s making a difference, and it looks like he’s feeling confident right now.

Good for the Canadiens. Dobes is 2nd in the league in efficiency and 3rd in the NHL in goals-against average.

If this continues, it’ll be hard not to give him more games. At least, if he continues like this and Monty doesn’t get back on track… we’re likely to see Dobes play more games than we’d originally imagined.

Overtime

– It’s been a whirlwind.

– He’s good.

– Fair enough .

– Things aren’t going well for the Oilers’ big defenseman.

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I’m sorry, Slaf

Two weeks ago, in an article, I strongly criticized Juraj Slafkovsky.

I mentioned that he wasn’t having the start to the season I’d hoped for, and I also said that he needed to wake up.

That was published after the game against the Nashville Predators. And today, I’m ready to apologize.

Why do I want to apologize?

Because since then… Slaf is not only useful on the ice: he’s one of the best players on the club. He gives of himself presence after presence. He’s putting more shots on net (11 in his last five games). He goes to the places that pay, and that produces results, as we saw last night. He’s even better up front because he’s intense and creates space for his teammates on the ice.

And it doesn’t stop there… the Slovak has also collected four points, including three goals, in his last five games.

Just yesterday, he helped the Canadiens earn the W in Vancouver, finishing the game with a goal and an assist. Slaf was really f****** good last night against the Canucks.

And it’s been two weeks since he’s been really f****** good, in fact.

Juraj Slafkovsky will probably never be the Canadiens’ top scorer for a season. He’ll probably never win the Hart Trophy or the Maurice-Richard Trophy… but it’s by doing things the right way on the ice that he can help his club.

That’s exactly what we’re seeing from him right now. And that’s exactly what we need to see from him too: Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton, after all, have made it clear that this is how we want to see him play in Montreal.

Because the moment Slaf decides to use his strengths on the ice, it’s easy to recognize his contribution to the Montreal lineup. The Canadiens do better when Slafkovsky is in top form, and that’s why he was selected first overall in the 2022 draft.

The Habs knew he had the tools to become a major player in Montreal, and it shows when he performs like this.

The important thing now is to see him continue on that path. He’s 21 years old, he’s still learning certain things… but there’s been nothing wrong with his game over the last two weeks.

And if he keeps playing like this, no one in Montreal will hold it against him.

Overtime

– Hampus Lindholm is injured.

– Heavy loss in Pittsburgh.

– He’s sick.

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Double playing time: Jayden Struble has clearly moved ahead of Arber Xhekaj

At practice camp, there were several battles between different Canadiens players, including one between Arber Xhekaj and Jayden Struble.

The two players were battling for the position of sixth defenseman, while the rest of the defensive brigade was pretty much decided.

In the end, it was Xhekaj who got the better of Struble, but over the last few games, and especially since Kaiden Guhle’s injury, the tide has turned.

Indeed, since Guhle was injured for 4 to 6 weeks, Xhekaj and Struble have always been playing at the same time, which was not common.

Both defenders are now in the line-up night after night, and a certain trend is emerging as Struble clearly plays more.

  • vs Rangers: Xhekaj (10:20) – Struble (16:22)
  • vs Sabres : Xhekaj (13:08) – Struble (19:09)
  • vs Flames: Xhekaj (12:16) – Struble (12:52)
  • vs Oilers: Xhekaj (8:49) – Struble (14:48)
  • vs Canucks: Xhekaj (6:37) – Struble (12:45)

It’s pretty clear and obvious that Struble is playing more and more, as in the last two games, #47 of the Habs has gotten about six minutes more ice time than Xhekaj.

After five games, in my opinion, this is no longer a coincidence or a trend, but a fact.

And that fact is that Jayden Struble has clearly moved ahead of Arber Xhekaj in the club’s hierarchy right now, so he wouldn’t be the defenseman who’d be bailing out if Kaiden Guhle returned to action today.

Struble plays very good hockey, because you don’t see him and you don’t notice him, which is exactly the kind of quality you want in a defenseman like Struble.

He’s consistent, when you need everything on the ice, which is the opposite of Xhekaj right now.

The Habs’ #72 has been struggling for the past few games, making more mistakes and being caught out more often by his opponents.

Last night, Xhekaj took two bad penalties, prompting Martin St-Louis to bench him for most of the rest of the game (the entire third period).

It’s a real shame for Xhekaj, but he seems to have lost the rhythm and confidence he had in practice.

Let’s hope for his sake that he can regain some consistency, and continue to compete with Struble for a place in the line-up when Guhle returns.

Overtime

– The Habs have the best goalie and one of the worst goalies in the NHL this early in the season.

– The Canadiens are opportunistic.

– Ouch.

– This will be very interesting.