Author: Dose

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Florian Xhekaj avenges Josiah Didier, victim of a dirty trick last night

Last night, the Laval Rocket won their home opener. Jacob Fowler picked up a shutout, and the youngsters stood out. But unfortunately, that’s not what caught the eye in this game: instead, it was Chase Stillman’s dirty hit on Josiah Didier, who hit his head hard on the ice, that got everyone talking.Seeing Stillman continue to hit Didier when he was already on the ground was pretty ordinary.

The two teams faced off again today, and it was expected that the Rocket guys would be eager to avenge their teammate. In the veryfirst minute of the game, Florian Xhekaj went to visit Stillman… and sent him to the ground.The referees decided to intervene quickly to prevent things from getting out of hand… which was the right thing to do.

[content-ads]We know that Xhekaj, like his big brother, isn’t afraid to throw down the gloves. And clearly, the club wanted to settle this quickly: it didn’t even take a minute for Stillman to get a visit.Now we can get back to hockey.It’s no surprise that Didier isn’t in the Rocket line-up. Instead, Marc Del Gaizo was Adam Engström’s partner on the blue line… which is interesting, considering they’re the two favourites for a recall in the next few days following Kaiden Guhle’s injury.We’ll be keeping a close eye on all this, now. But Xhekaj, who wasn’t the player chosen for a recall today, still found a way to get the word out.spacer title=’Overtime’]- Nice read.

– I love it.

– Josh Doan is on fire.

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VIDEO: Brad Marchand steals and destroys Rasmus Dahlin’s helmet

Brad Marchand is no stranger to the ice. The forward was one for many years in Boston… and in Florida, he hasn’t lost his good old habits.And this, even though he’s now 37 years old.And even today, Marchand has been… Marchand. The Panthers took on the Sabres, and midway through the second period, Marchand and Rasmus Dahlin got into a scuffle… which resulted in the two guys coming to blows. But as Marchand left the scrum, he took Dahlin’s helmet and headed for the penalty box… destroying it before throwing it back on the ice.And Dahlin didn’t exactly find it funny.

[content-ads]You’d think with his club trailing, emotions would have taken over in Marchand’s case. He’d just had a run-in with Dahlin, so he decided to find a way to piss him off even more.Once a pest, always a pest.Still, it’s peculiar that the official who escorted Marchand to the bench didn’t ask him for Dahlin’s helmet back.I wonder if the league will intervene in the matter. I don’t expect a suspension, but I imagine a fine will be considered.Anyway, true to form, Marchand found a way to make news today for being a pest on the ice. Anyone surprised, raise your hand[spacer title=’Overtime’]- As long as Lane Hutson, Noah Dobson and Mike Matheson are healthy, I’m not buying it.

– I like that.

– Alexander Romanov is injured

– Unbelievable.

– Well done.

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Kaiden Guhle’s injury: the Habs’ numerical disadvantage will be put to the test

The Canadiens will be without Kaiden Guhle for the next few weeks. The defenseman’s injury was obviously more serious than initially thought… and suddenly the club finds itself without one of its defensive stalwarts.Especially since the defense, up to now, has been one of the team’s strengths… and the club is used to winning close games right down to the wire.

game 4th

acc. shots / game 2nd for acc. scoring chances / game 3rd for shots from the bottom of the

So, instead of having their five defensive stalwarts (Guhle, Mike Matheson, Noah Dobson, Lane Hutson and Alexandre Carrier), the club suddenly has four. Arber Xhekaj and Jayden Struble aren’t villains, of course, but there’s a reason both were fighting for a spot (unlike the other five).But another element that shouldn’t be underestimated is the numerical disadvantage.He’s only the fourth most-used defenseman short-handed so far this season… but he’s still a regular.

(Credit: Screenshot/NHL.com)

[content-ads]Of course, this will put more pressure on the other three, who will have to eat up more minutes in Guhle’s absence.I’m expecting it to be Xhekaj (given that Struble plays with Hutson and we’re likely to want to keep this pair fresh and available to follow up the numerical disadvantage), but whatever the case, we agree it’s not ideal. Thegood news is that although Guhle will miss several games, we’re not talking about a very long-term injury. Barring a catastrophe, he’ll be back well before the holidays, which means the club has to hold out in the meantime.The guys want to give 100% for him: it’s up to them to show it, now.[spacer title=’Overtime’]- Interesting.

– Aatos Koivu denied a goal.

stop

– Today’s tosser.

– Can they force an ultimate game?

– Max Verstappen closes in on McLaren.

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Arber Xhekaj: “We’ll give it 100% for Kaiden Guhle”

This morning, we learned that Kaiden Guhle will miss several weeks of activities. We’re talking about an absence of four to six weeks… which means there’s a world in which we won’t see him back in uniform until December.And that’s obviously a blow for the club: we know how important Guhle is to the Habs. That said, Martin St-Louis repeated it this morning: life goes on. It’s up to the rest of the club to stand up… and that’s obviously what the guys intend to do. In front of the media this morning, Arber Xhekaj was asked about his thoughts on his teammate’s injury, and you can sense that the guys want to use this as a source of motivation:

He wants us to give 100% for him, and that’s what we’re going to do.

–

Arber Xhekaj

[content-ads]We know that Guhle is a guy who gives 100% on the ice at all times. That may explain (at least in part) his numerous injuries, but it’s also what makes him so important to the club.And obviously, the guys want to do everything in their power to hold down the fort in his absence.We know the group in town is tight-knit, and all this is further proof of that. Some defenders are going to have to pull out all the stops (Xhekaj is just one of them), and clearly, the guys seem up for the challenge.Because we know that, in reality, the defense has been a nice surprise in town since the start of the campaign. But that was all with Guhle in uniform… and we’ll have to see if it remains a strength of the club in the absence of one of its main pillars.[spacer title=’Overtime’]- Great Cole, hehe.

– Well done.

– Owen Beck didn’t expect to be called up so soon.

– I love it.

– Interesting.

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Reminder: Owen Beck preferred to Florian Xhekaj in the end

This morning, the Habs needed to recall a forward from the Rocket. The club had only one forward and one defenseman to spare… and with two forwards sidelined, they needed to recall one of them to play tonight.They didn’t have to do it on defense… but with a road trip coming up, it’ll have to happen soon.So, in the end, the lucky man was Owen Beck, who will play his first game of the season tonight.

That said, if Beck was the club’s choice, it means that the first recall, in the end, won’t have been the one touted during camp: Florian Xhekaj.

We know that he broke everything in training camp… but Beck (who also had a good camp, that said), was preferred to him.And when you look at all this coldly, there are logical elements that explain it all.Beck will be used to the right of Zachary Bolduc and Joe Veleno, who are both left-handed. Inserting Xhekaj, another left-hander, would have been less logical than Beck, a right-hander. It will also allow Martin St-Louis to use Veleno and Beck in the face-off circle, so that both guys are always on their strong side.

We also know that Beck already has NHL experience (he’s played 13 career games), so in the light of the fact that this is more of a short-term recall (Kirby Dach and Patrik Laine are just day-to-day injuries), bringing in the player who already has experience and is a better fit for his line makes much more sense.

Florian will eventually get his chance, I’m convinced. But under the circumstances, Beck was probably the most logical choice. Let’s see if that continues to be the case the next time the club needs to call up a player.spacer title=’Prolongation’] It’s also worth remembering that during the preparatory schedule, Beck and Veleno already played a game on the same line.

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Press briefing: Martin St-Louis (really) didn’t look happy this morning

This morning, we learned that the Habs’ infirmary is already a mess. In addition to Patrik Laine and Kirby Dach who won’t play tonight (they’re injured day-to-day), we learned that Kaiden Guhle will be out for the next four to six weeks.Soon, then, the club’s depth will be tested.And clearly, all this can’t make Martin St-Louis happy, as he’s already finding himself having to change things. Andwhen you listen to the coach speak this morning, you can hear it quite clearly in his tone and answers: he (really) doesn’t sound happy.

Listen for yourself:

[content-ads]Without too much surprise, it’s obviously the case of Guhle that worries the coach the most. We know he won’t be around for a long time… and that’s going to test the club’s depth.Although, at least the club still has Jayden Struble, who is really, really not naughty.

We agree that in an ideal world, the club would have access to all its players, and we feel that losing several of them at once is a major reason for the coach’s frustration. But the good news is that while the coach is clearly not having a great day, his players are trying to keep their spirits up despite it all.They gave Joe Veleno some love this morning, as the veteran will play his first game in a CH uniform tonight.

So we’ll see how it all shakes out, but St-Louis will have to be creative to find a way to make it all work in the absence of Guhle, Laine and Dach.Big work ahead for the coach.

[spacer title=’Prolongation’] Unsurprisingly, Samuel Montembeault will be in net against the Rangers tonight –a Saturday night at the Bell Centre following Jakub Dobes’ departure: the opposite would have been very surprising, you know.

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Western trip imminent: the Canadiens will have to recall a defenseman

The Montreal Canadiens announced a flurry of news this morning: for those who haven’t seen it, Kaiden Guhle will miss four to six weeks of activity, which will be a major blow to the Canadiens’ defensive brigade; Patrik Laine and Kirby Dach won’t play tonight, forcing the club to make an emergency recall of Owen Beck.

This means that Arber Xhekaj and Joe Veleno will also play tonight, given that the Habs have only six healthy defensemen and twelve healthy forwards at the moment. For tonight, that’s fine. But after that, on Monday, the Habs will be at home again to face the Sabres. So, logically, by then, the Canadiens shouldn’t need to issue another recall-unlessthey suffer another injury, of course[content-ads]But it’s after that that things get complicated. Why? Because on Tuesday, the Habs will head to Alberta for the first game of a four-game Western road trip. And once there, they’ll need extras. The club can’t leave without an insurance policy.

(Credit: NHL.com)

On the forward front, it’s unclear whether the Habs will need to call up any guys. After all, since Laine and Dach are considered day-to-day, we don’t know when they’ll be back.Maybe Beck won’t even have to be on the plane, depending on Laine and Dach’s state of health. Butdefensively, it’s going to take some help. After all, Guhle won’t be back for a while, and right now, the Habs only have six healthy defensemen up top. When you play in Montreal and your club-school is in Laval, that’s fine. Obviously, David Reinbacher’s injury hurts. Whether it’s to be a possible recall or to hold down the fort, having him healthy would have been useful.Besides, when will he be back? Three weeks ago, we were talking about at least four weeks. Theoretically, it must be getting closer… but who knows if the timetable still holds.

The Montreal Canadiens have confirmed that defenseman David Reinbacher suffered a broken hand (metacarpal bone) and is expected to miss the next four weeks.

[image or embed]– BarDown (@bardown.bsky.social) September 26, 2025 at 11:35

The most logical possibility is to see Pascal Vincent lose Adam Engstrom. He’s probably the defenseman who could be most useful in the National League in the short term.For his development, though, he shouldn’t be recalled just to be on the bridge, that said…The other two possibilities are Marc Del Gaizo and Nate Clurman. If it were only for a game or two (and if it were to be in the stands), the guys would be real possibilities. But right now, it takes someone for more than a month. In my eyes, Engstrom is the candidate of choice – internally. spacer title=’prolongation’]If Engstrom really is recalled, it will hurt the Rocket’s defense. Yesterday, Josiah Didier was injured in a spine-chilling sequence.That’s how life is in the AHL..

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Kaiden Guhle out 4 to 6 weeks

The Montreal Canadiens shared several medical updates this morning in preparation for their morning practice. And let’s just say, there’s nothing positive about any of it. First, we learn that Kaiden Guhle will be out for four to six weeks, due to the injury he sustained in Thursday’s game against the Nashville Predators.

[content-ads] On top of that, we’ve learned that Kirby Dach and Patrik Laine will undergo a daily evaluation, and won’t play tonight, so Owen Beck has been recalled for tonight’s game.Details to come[spacer title=’Prolongation’] Three pieces of bad news the Canadiens really didn’t need this morning.

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Return of METAL! the unlucky mascot will be at the Bell Centre every Saturday

Remember the curse of the Montreal Canadiens’ alternate blue jerseys? I’m talking about when the Canadiens simply couldn’t win a game in either the dark blue jerseys of the 2020-2021 season or the powder blue jerseys of the 2022-2023 season.

The Canadiens had taken so long to win a game in each of these two uniforms that it was starting to look like a real curse. And as for the powder-blue uniform, well, its unveiling was accompanied by the arrival of a new mascot named METAL! well, METAL! will be back this season, and the unlucky mascot will be present at every Saturday game at the Bell Centre.

[content-ads] Obviously, it’s a marketing stunt, given that people liked the look of the mascot, but in the end, I think the majority of fans remember METAL! for the wrong reasons, namely the curse. In short, METAL! will be back in the team’s entourage for 11 games this season, starting tonight against the New York Rangers. The kids will clearly be happy to have this zany-looking mascot back, and let’s hope it doesn’t bring bad luck again. Let’s just say that the Habs shouldn’t lose almost all their Saturday games at the Bell Centre, as these are often the most watched and listened-to games.

[spacer title=’En Rafale’] – Ovi has the Wild’s number.

Filip

– Mailloux feels he’s too tense on the ice right now.

– This will be a very interesting case to follow.

– Unbelievable:

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Michael Hage scores his 5th goal of the season in just six games

For many fans and analysts of the Montreal Canadiens, the rebuilding process is coming to an end, if not already over: the club’s most important young players have joined the team, and are performing at the highest level with the Blue, White and Red.

However, we mustn’t forget that the Habs still have a number of prospects who haven’t yet made it to the NHL, and who have great potential. Michael Hage is clearly one of these prospects. The 19-year-old forward, drafted 21st overall in 2024, is simply dominating in his second season in the NCAA, as he headlines the University of Michigan.

In just six games, Hage already has 11 points, including five goals, and scored his fifth goal of the campaign last night as Michigan won 10-2 over Robert Morris University.

[content-ads] Even though he was up against a very weak team, Hage’s performance must be commended, as he made a superb on-goal reception for this goal, in addition to recording seven shots on goal.

What’s even more impressive about the Habs prospect’s season so far is that his 11 points are all primary points.

This means that, out of 11 points, Hage hasn’t registered a single secondary assist, so the Habs prospect’s 11 points have either come from a perfect shot, or a direct pass to a teammate for a goal.

Hage is off to an excellent start to the season, on track to break his 34-point mark in 33 points of his rookie season. At this rate of production, he would have around 60 points after 33 games.

In short, we continue to follow Hage’s performances with the University of Michigan very closely, while we all look forward to him (potentially) coming to Montreal after his NCAA season. [spacer title=’En Rafale’] – Obviously.

– The last game of a season of misery for CF Montreal.

– To be continued.

– We wish him well.