Category: Dans les coulisses

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Dans les coulisses

Rocket: Rafaël Harvey-Pinard admits he lacked energy in the playoffs

Sadly, the Laval Rocket’s exciting and exhilarating end to the season only provided fans with two playoff games.

In fact, all those frenzied games that had to be won by the Rocket to confirm their playoff berth were for naught.

The Rocket lost 2-1 in a heartbreaking finale last night to the Utica Comets in Game 2 of their preliminary series.

Laval scored just one goal in two games, none of them at home in front of a packed Place Bell.

It’s a shame for the Rocket to pack it in so quickly, especially considering that Jean-François Houle had a very talented team on hand.

However, it should be noted that several players were probably not at 100%.

In fact, Rafaël Harvey-Pinard said he’d lacked energy in the playoffs with the Rocket due to the very demanding season he’d had this year.

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RHP makes no secret of the fact that he realized he didn’t have all the energy he would have liked to have to help his team get further in the playoffs.

As you can see from the sequence of the Comets’ heartbreaking tying goal, Harvey-Pinard (number 11) looks exhausted and frustrated by the situation.

If you look at the footage, you can see that Walsh’s shot came within centimetres of RHP. He was inches away from blocking the shot and allowing the Rocket to win the game.

It’s a shame for the Rocket and RHP, but you can’t blame the 24-year-old Quebecer.

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Indeed, it’s been a crazy season for Harvey-Pinard, both mentally and physically demanding.

The important thing for him is that, in the end, he succeeded in proving that he belongs in the National Hockey League.

All the energy he put into this feat will have been wasted in the playoffs for the Rocket, but that’s life, and so much the better for Harvey-Pinard.

It’s a far greater feat to establish yourself in the NHL and make your mark in Montreal than to spend one or two rounds in the AHL playoffs.

Harvey-Pinard can be extremely proud of his season and his accomplishments.

His efforts have paid off, and hopefully for next season in Montreal too.

In a gust

– Big game tonight between the Leafs and Lightning.

– It’ll be all white tonight in Winnipeg.

– CF Montreal will be in action tonight.

– Read more.

– I’d say B. B+ even.

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Dans les coulisses

Series wrap-up: Kings win again in overtime

Last night saw the first Game 3 of the Stanley Cup playoffs, with all eight teams in the first wave of four series in action.

Here are the highlights.

1. Kings surprise Oilers again with overtime win

Many were surprised by the Kings’ overtime win in Game 1 of the series.

Most field hockey fans see the Oilers winning this series, but once again last night, the Kings proved that they are by no means to be taken lightly.

They have more than a fighting chance of winning this series, especially after taking Game 3 by a score of 3-2 in overtime last night.

Despite Connor McDavid’s awakening with his first two goals of the series, the Oilers couldn’t find a way to win.

Two truly impressive shots from the world’s best player.

Still, the Kings found a way to force overtime, and eventually prevailed thanks to Trevor Moore.

Moore is the first California-born player to score an overtime winner in the playoffs for a California team.

The Kings lead the series 2-1.

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2. Bruins cope despite absences of Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci

The Boston Bruins needed to respond strongly in Game 3, after being dominated by the Panthers in Game 2.

Well, that’s exactly what the Bruins did, despite the absences of Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci.

They found a way to escape with a 4-2 victory.

It’s a much closer series than some imagined, with the Panthers still in the hunt.

The Bruins lead the series 2-1.

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3. Wild regain series lead with Filip Gustavsson in goal

Dean Evason’s decision to give the net to Marc-André Fleury in Game 2 of the series was the talk of the town, and was roundly criticized, especially after the 7-3 loss.

Filip Gustavsson was back in goal for the Wild last night in Game 3.

The Swedish goaltender wasn’t as busy as in the first game of the series (he turned aside 51 of 53 shots), but his 23 saves on 24 shots still enabled the Wild to win 5-1.

In the victory, Marcus Johansson scored a beauty, while Mats Zuccarrello scored two goals.

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4. A record four goals in 2:18 put the Islanders back in the series

The Islanders absolutely had to win Game 3 of this series, when they were already trailing 2-0.

Well, that’s exactly what they did, winning their first game of the series, which also represents the first series win at UBS Arena.

Casey Cizikas scored the first goal of the series at the UBS Arena.

It was a very close game until the very end of the third period, when the Islanders took control with two goals in 44 seconds, and eventually four goals in 2 minutes and 18 seconds, which is a record in NHL history.

A very big win for the Islanders, who are now back in the series.

The Hurricanes lead the series 2-1.

Overtime

– Here are yesterday’s results.

– Here are yesterday’s top scorers.

(Credit: NHL.com)

– On today’s program: the other four games number 3.

(Credit: Google/NHL)
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Dans les coulisses

Brad Treliving is no longer GM of the Flames

Expectations were high in Calgary this year, and the Flames missed the boat. In fact, Darryl Sutter’s team had all the tools they needed to – at the very least – qualify for the playoffs… And they simply couldn’t do it.

Last summer, Brad Treliving (GM) made a lot of changes to his team, including trading Matthew Tkachuk to Florida and letting Johnny Gaudreau go on the free agent market. Clearly, Treliving didn’t win his bet, and his team disappointed again. With things no longer working out within the organization and his contract set to expire in June, the Flames’ GM will not be returning next year, the Calgary franchise announced on Twitter. At the same time, the Flames stated that Don Maloney has been promoted to President of Hockey Operations, and will also serve as Interim General Manager. The team will begin the search for its next GM “immediately”:

There’s a lot going on in Calgary, and it’s not necessarily a surprise. You’d expect changes to be made to the management team, but Darryl Sutter has been singled out for the team’s recent failings. The players have their share of the blame, of course. But, after all, Sutter had a pretty talented team on hand and wasn’t able to make things work. Therein lies the problem. The possibility of the veteran coach’s dismissal has been raised and is alive and well in the minds of many fans in Calgary… But for now, all indications are that he’ll be back in the job next year. I did say “for now”. At least, that’s what Fran Seravalli reported on Twitter… And the tipster goes on to say that this probably played a role in Brad Treviling’s decision to leave the team.

Sutter doesn’t seem to have the unanimous support of the Flames and that’s exactly why I wonder why he hasn’t been fired yet. That said, there’s nothing to indicate that the new GM will be open to the idea of continuing with him behind the bench, which is why he’s still the team’s coach “for now”. In short, things have moved pretty quickly in Calgary, and they’re not likely to calm down in the next few days. It’s going to be another busy summer for the Flames organization and its fans.

In Brief

– Yes, yes and yes again.

– Will he hang up his skates?

– Please note :

– Is it any surprise?

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Bruins: A nasty virus is spreading through the organization

The NHL playoffs begin tonight. Four “first” games are on the schedule, including the one between the Boston Bruins and the Florida Panthers. Obviously, the Bears are seen as the series favourites. That’s understandable, given that they’ve just broken the record for most wins in a single season and are the team to beat this year. But… things could get complicated pretty quickly for Jim Montgomery’s men. In fact, it’s the coach’s comments that are causing concern just a few hours before the first match-up against the Panthers. The coach confided this morning that a nasty virus is spreading within the organization… And that could force a few players to miss tonight’s game. Of the lot, Montgomery wouldn’t say whether Patrice Bergeron and Linus Ullmark will be in the lineup in a few hours.

It’s not an ideal situation for anyone on the Bruins’ side, but the team will have to find a way out. They’ve got the talent and the arsenal to do it, though, and the big guns will have to step up to compensate for the loss of the players who won’t be able to play tonight. David Pastrnak, Brad Marchand and company will have big shoes to fill, and they’ll have to answer the call if they don’t want to be surprised by the Floridian outfit. It’sa shame, because the expectations are huge for the Boston team… But that’s part of the game. It’s up to the Panthers to take advantage one way or another. We know that anything can happen in the playoffs, and that’s even more true now that the Panthers could be facing an unhealthy Boston team. That’s why we love the spring tournament.

In Brief

– A great initiative.

– He’s right.

– Connor Bedard with the Flyers? The NHL would love to, according to Elliotte Friedman.

– The Ducks have lost their last 13 games of the season.

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Devon Levi to battle Samuel Montembeault for playing time at World Championship

In the past few days, we’ve learned that goaltender Samuel Montembeault has chosen to represent Canada at the upcoming World Hockey Championships.Clearly, he’s still hungry after his first career season of 40 NHL outings.This is good news for giving him even more playing time, but it’s also good news for CH fans. After all, we know that Martin St-Louis and Nick Suzuki turned down Canada’s invitation… but at least the Flanelle will be represented. All this to say that it will be interesting to see Monty play in a context like this following the end of his second season with the Habs. Why would that be? Because the addition of two new data points fascinates me. Firstly, journalist Steve Turcotte reported that the goaltender should be André Tourigny’s right-hand man in front of the net for the tournament. Did he get any guarantees? Possibly.And then, that means he should get more playing time than Devon Levi, who has also confirmed his presence at the World Championships.

–

Devon Levi’s presence is interesting since the Sabres’ Quebecer had a fine season at Northeastern (NCAA) this season, but he especially finished his campaign well in Buffalo. His first steps in the NHL were very conclusive.

It’s normal for an established keeper to be faced with a prospect. But it’s also interesting to note that Levi, who finished his season in Buffalo and will finish his university term in Boston before heading to the World Championship, has his place in the sun.No, Canadian goalies aren’t as dominant as they used to be, and yes, some guys turn down their country’s invitation, but still: it’s a nice honor for the Montreal native.Of course, it will be interesting to note the dynamic between the two. But why? Because the Habs have always liked the goaltender… and the goaltender has always liked the Habs too. There have already been discussions to this effect between Buffalo and Montreal in recent months.

Of course, I’m not saying that Levi(who wants to start next season in Buffalo) will be heading to Montreal, since all indications are that the Sabres want to keep him. I’m just saying that it’s all very interesting… The tournament starts on May 12.

En rafale

– Indeed.

– Good question.

– What a great player.

– Interesting.

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Kevin Weekes sparks discussion of Georgia arena project

When Kevin Weekes talks tweet, we listen read. Over the past few years, the former NHL goalkeeper has earned a reputation for scooping on social networks. With his eye-popping visuals (including videos in which the framing of his face is enough to make any photographer vomit), he often attracts attention.

And yesterday, it was via a tweet accompanied by a map of Georgia’s cities that the man himself set things alight.

Basically, he said to watch for an announcement regarding an arena development project in Georgia to house a field hockey team. He didn’t mention the size of the project or the city, but in the center of the map is Atlanta. Weekes finally added the famous line from the movie Field of Dreams: if you build it, they will come.

Understandably, there are many reactions to the announcement. Is Gary Bettman, who values his southern markets and must still regret sending the Thrashers to Winnipeg, up to something? After all, it’s important to remember that in recent weeks, Atlanta’s name has begun to circulate again in the NHL as a possible expansion team.

It’s worth what it’s worth, of course, but there’s a lot of buzz about it. The fear at the moment is that Atlanta, which has lost two franchises to Canada (Calgary and Winnipeg), will take revenge on Canada by stealing a club from Quebec City, which already has its own arena.

Obviously, there’s a world where we don’t talk about the NHL and we don’t talk about Atlanta. Maybe there’s an AHL project in a nearby city, which would explain Weekes’ map and not a photo of Atlanta per se. I’m officially intrigued, then.

In gusto

– Too bad.

– If he pitches well on Saturday, his bad outings will be forgotten.

– Good questions.

– Nice challenge.

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Pierre-Luc Dubois won’t cost the Habs as much as they think

Last Friday, as part of the Habs’ end-of-season press briefing, we learned that expectations for next season were going to change. Will the CH make the playoffs next year? No, I don’t think so, but they won’t be aiming for 32nd place like they did in 2022 and 2023. The goal will be to build on what Martin St-Louis has done and make sure the players are in a position to get to the next level. Ideally, that means healthy guys, butI’ll say it again: I don’t think the CH can get to the next level without a better center line. And a bonus-based contract for Sean Monahan isn’t going to buy the CH the insurance it needs to protect Nick Suzuki. And unless they win the lottery on May 8, let’s just say that the first pick in 2023 isn’t necessarily going to fill that role this fall.

If only there were a top-notch center who openly wanted to play for the Habs and fit into the Habs’ long-term plans-oh yes: 24-year-old Quebecer Pierre-Luc Dubois.

I’ve never made a secret of the fact that I want to see the CH go get him right now since the longer you wait, the more likely it is that he’ll sign a big contract elsewhere. And that, the CH can’t afford.

We know that the Jets will do everything they can to keep him in Manitoba, but I think that if the club really feels that he wants to leave for Montreal, the GM will have to act accordingly. There are two ways of looking at this. The first is to try to get as much juice out of the day as possible. That’s whatAntoine Roussel would do.

You can have a Porsche or a Mercedes or a damn fine collector’s tank, but if you’ve only got one person to buy it for you, you’re kind of stuck with it… If you’re going to lose it for nothing, you might as well keep it all the way. And they’ve got a whole goalie and a strong center line. You can wreak havoc in the playoffs.

–

Antoine Roussel

For my part, I think Winnipeg is probably the worst sports destination in North America in many people’s eyes. Why would such a city want to lose such a great asset? Even if the return offered by the Habs isn’t as good, is it better than keeping him as a rental player? Will the results of the 2023 series change the answer to my question?

After all, even if we compare the cases of Alex DeBrincat, Kevin Fiala or Sam Reinhart, players with similar profiles traded recently, we mustn’t forget one thing: the Senators, Kings and Panthers didn’t have the same power as the Habs. The Jets know that the CH has power in this matter.

Obviously, the Jets won’t give Dubois to the Habs if they don’t like the price – or if they have no choice. But I believe that comparative market prices are used to establish the Jets’ base… but not the CH’s. This will clearly be the issue of the summer for the Habs.

In Brief

– To be continued in view of the playoffs.

– Good question.

– Good morning.

– He’s good.

– Yes.

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Dans les coulisses

Tampa Bay versus Toronto: the Maple Leafs are clearly favoured right now

That’s it: as of tonight, the NHL playoffs will get underway. In fact, four series will start tonight, and the other four will begin tomorrow. Here are my eight predictions for the first round.

  • Bruins in five against the Panthers
  • Lightning in six against the Maple Leafs
  • Hurricanes in four against the Islanders
  • Devils in seven against the Rangers
  • Avalanche in five against the Kraken
  • Stars in seven against the Wild
  • Golden Knights in five vs. Jets
  • Oilers in six against the Kings

Clearly, some series will be more exciting than others to follow. The Bruins, with the Panthers’ first pick at stake for the Canadiens. The Devils. The Oilers. We’ll be treated to some good field hockey in general,but for me, nothing compares to the series pitting the Maple Leafs against the Lightning. After all, we’re talking about two good teams, of course, but we’re also talking about an important issue. And what’s that? Seeing the Maple Leafs collapse.

There’s a lot of hope in Toronto right now. The club seems to have built itself not to score often, but to try and beat the Lightning in the first round of the playoffs. And if that’s the case, the road could be open.

But then again. You know as well as I do that even though Toronto has the longest active streak of consecutive playoff appearances in the NHL (7), nothing is a foregone conclusion for the club. The last time Toronto made it past the first round (2004), I wasn’t watching NHL field hockey because I was too young to follow it closely. Because the Lightning are the Leafs’ bête noire, it’s impossible for me to bet on Toronto. Could it happen? Yes, it can happen. That said, in recent years, the Queen City club has often collapsed, and before predicting anything, I’ll wait to see them win four games.

And according to some well-placed people in the business, it’s not an impossible scenario. In addition to being the bookies’ favorites, Pierre LeBrun found that no less than 14 out of 18 people in the field hockey world think Tampa Bay will lose.

The journalist asked five NHL coaches and they all think Toronto will win. What’s more, nine of the 13 executives questioned by LeBrun also see Toronto going through. Too often, the Leafs have lost to the underdogs (notably the Canadiens in 2021), and getting rid of such a weight on a club’s shoulders is clearly not easy.

Doing it against a dynasty like the Lighnting adds to the level of difficulty. And just because Tampa is more sluggish right now, I don’t want to make the mistake of underestimating the club.Again, there’s a world where that happens. There’s a world out there where the Maple Leafs do manage to chase away their demons… but I’m going to believe it when I see it.

Gossip

– Speaking of Toronto and Tampa Bay.

– Excellent pick.

– Congrats to Canadiens prospect

to

– Let’s hope everything’s in place for Wednesday’s game.

– Here we go,

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Christian Dvorak: “A special case” to be shopped for

The Habs are going to need to make room under the salary cap for next season. #SurpriseAndConsternationObviously, the end of contracts for players like Jonathan Drouin, Denis Gurianov, Chris Tierney, Sean Monahan, Paul Byron, Evgenii Dadonov and Nick Bonino (to name but a few) will help Kent Hughes breathe easier. On the other hand, Cole Caufield is going to eat a big chunk of the money released… and Pierre-Luc Dubois could do the same.

This means that, in addition to the guys who won’t be back, the Habs will likely try to liquidate other contracts. Of course, Joel Edmundson’s comes quickly to mind.But what about Christian Dvorak? This is a special case, since he’s a player who’s quite beige in many people’s eyes. You might even question his reputation with the guys in the room, but in reality…

If the Habs were to keep him, that would provide depth at center. In an ideal world, the former Coyotes man would be a third-three player on a good team.But is there a better way to distribute the money than giving $4.45M until 2025 to a guy like him?

Including Carey Price’s salary, the Habs have over $73 million invested for next season and 20 guys under contract. Liquidating a contract like Dvorak’s would help, but would anyone take him? According to Yvon Pedneault, the Habs need to test the market… and he’s right. The journalist called him a “special case” by placing him in his “gone or discounted” category in his Journal de Montréal column. And since he can’t sign at a discount, we can draw our own conclusions.

In his eyes, if the CH were to receive an offer, it would be surprising to see Kent Hughes say no and choose to keep him. I agree, although I doubt that Kent Hughes will actually receive an offer. We’ll talk again in 2024… The CH must be careful not to affect its center line, but let’s just say I’d be very excited by the prospect of seeing this contract leave the CH’s books.

In gossip

– Keep an eye on it.

– Good for him.

– Logical.

– Alignment: what will the Maple Leafs do? [RDT] – Oh yes,

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Field hockey Canada: Trudeau government re-approves funding

Ever since it came to light that Hockey Canada was using taxpayers’ money to cover up horrific sex scandals, let’s just say the federation’s reputation has taken a hit. In the end, in the wake of (among other things) the 2018 scandal with Junior Team Canada, heads fell at the top of the pyramid and changes were made. To make sure that happened, the Trudeau government cut off funding to the federation in June 2022. The government wanted to see changes take place before restoring funding to Hockey Canada, and now it has: it has been restored, as announced yesterday.

It’s important to note, however, that federal sports minister Pascale St-Onge isn’t going to blindly give Hockey Canada the money to continue, but there are conditions that must be met by Hugh Fraser, Hockey Canada’s new chairman of the board, and his team.

Firstly, HC will absolutely have to inform Sport Canada of the new administration’s progress in maintaining the culture change within the company. Secondly, the recommendations of the Cromwell report as well as the Henein & Hutchinson report will have to be followed. Thirdly, Hockey Canada must continue to promote a program (which is independent, for those wondering) that serves to prevent abuse: Sport Without Abuse.

If this is not done, funding will be cut again.

Hockey Canada must address the issues of safe sport, such as toxic behaviour, the trivialization of sexual violence and the culture of silence, which have all too often made the headlines. There is no reason why such situations should continue to plague field hockey or any other sport

. –

Pascale St-Onge

But does this make everyone happy? No, of course not. Because Hockey Canada’s coffers aren’t exactly empty ($98 million last June), and because the whole thing is happening pretty quickly, there are some people who are against the idea right now. Among them? The Bloc Québécois.

The investigations into the events of 2003 and 2018 are still ongoing. Add to this the fact that the Bloc doesn’t believe that such major changes could have been implemented in four months at Hockey Canada, and it confirms its stance. The fact that HC’s funding comes before an independent public inquiry and a report from the Status of Women Committee (which had been unanimously called for by the House of Commons) also comes into play.

Headlines

– Will the Preds change coaches?

– Good question.

– One to watch.

– We complain when the clubs aren’t good and question when the division is too tough?

– Nice amount.