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Top-5: 26 goals this season for Ovi, who is quickly closing in on Gretzky’s record

Nine games were played last night in the NHL.

And there was plenty of action!

Let’s see what caught our attention:

1: Another goal for Ovi

Alex Ovechkin is impressive to watch.

Even at 39, he finds a way to contribute to his team’s success… And he is still capable of scoring goals.

He scored his 26th of the season last night (in just his 38th game):

Of course, we are keeping an eye on the Caps’ captain because he is getting closer to Wayne Gretzky’s record.

Ovi is now just 16 goals away from the ultimate mark… And evidently, he is doing everything he can to get there.

Note that Ovechkin’s goal helped the Capitals win 4-3 against the Flyers.

In the defeat, Matvei Michkov scored two goals.

This might do him good because before last night’s game, he was going through some tough times.

2: Martin Necas continues to have fun

Martin Necas has been playing good hockey since his arrival in Colorado.

He impressed everyone again last night by scoring two goals against the Flames:

Necas also added an assist in the game, finishing his night with a nice haul of three points.

He now claims a total of eight points in seven games with the Avalanche.

It’s worth noting that Nathan MacKinnon (three assists) is back atop the league’s scoring leaders, after being surpassed by Leon Draisaitl in recent days.

The Avalanche won 4-2, and Jonathan Huberdeau scored his 21st goal of the season in the Flames’ defeat.

3: Meanwhile, in Carolina…

If things are going well for Necas with the Avalanche, the same cannot be said for Mikko Rantanen with the Hurricanes.

The former Colorado player was playing his sixth game in the Carolina uniform… And he went scoreless for a third consecutive game.

Rantanen has just one goal and one assist since arriving with the Hurricanes:

Hurricanes fans are beginning to worry, which is understandable.

Especially when seeing Necas having fun with the Avalanche…

Rantanen better turn things around because he needs to sign a new contract this summer. If he wants to cash in as expected, he needs to start producing offensively again.

Note that the Hurricanes lost their game against the Wild by a score of 2-1.

4: Mitch Marner enters Leafs history

Mitch Marner is known for his playmaking skills.

Proof?

He collected his 500th career assist in the NHL last night.

He also became the fastest player to achieve this feat in Leafs history:

Marner (71 points) is tied with Connor McDavid in third place among the league’s top scorers.

He is having quite a season, and it’s hardly discussed!

In the Leafs’ victory over the Kraken (3-1), Matthew Knies scored his 21st goal of the campaign:

5: Dylan Guenther plays hero again

In the last match of the Utah team, Dylan Guenther stepped up in overtime to give his club the victory.

What happened last night for André Tourigny’s team against the Blue Jackets, as overtime was needed to determine a winner?

You guessed it…

Guenther provided the win for his team in a second consecutive game:

Despite the defeat, the Blue Jackets were able to secure an important point in the standings.

The Columbus team is just one point away from the Red Wings and the last playoff spot.

It’s still really tight in the East:

(Credit: NHL.com)

Overtime

– Canucks win thanks to newcomer Drew O’Connor.

– Well done.

– Wow.

– The top scorers of the night:

(Credit: NHL.com)

– Five games tonight in the NHL:

(Credit: Google)
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J.T. Miller in New York: his wife and Vincent Trocheck’s wife pushed hard for it to happen

In three games since being traded to the New York Rangers, J.T. Miller has already scored four points, including two goals.

He seems at peace and is reuniting with the team that drafted him in 2011. But more importantly, he is reconnecting with his good friend Vincent Trocheck. When Miller was in the Big Apple, Trocheck was not there, and the two forwards have always wanted to play together.

They are best friends, and their wives are friends too. In fact, the two women strongly encouraged Miller to reunite with Trocheck in New York. But just how hard did they push? Some say there were illegal communications (tampering).

The tampering is an English word that directly translates to words like falsifications, manipulation, alteration, rigging, but in a more sports-specific term, it refers to someone who has attempted to lure a player under contract with another team to their own team.

Just under a month ago, Trocheck’s wife surprised Mrs. Miller in Vancouver for her birthday while the two players were on the road. They then called their husbands and pushed them to finalize a trade that would bring Miller to New York (even though it was out of their control).

The right winger then admitted that he personally spoke to Miller on behalf of the Rangers to gauge the former Canucks player’s interest in New York.

Honestly, it’s pretty close to tampering. – Trevor Connors, Hockey Feed

I don’t know if the NHL will investigate, but there is a pretty undeniable piece of evidence. Moreover, remember that the Canucks sent a memo to other teams last January advising them of potential tampering allegations.

Did the Trocheck-Miller incident relate to this memo? Perhaps.

I don’t know if the Trochecks and the Millers know what they’ve gotten themselves into…

In Brief

– No surprise.

– Too bad.

– Oh really.

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Georges Laraque talks about buying out Patrik Laine’s contract

In Montreal, fans and the media are quick to change their minds.

A few weeks ago, Patrik Laine was the big sniper, the star that the CH had been waiting for a long time, and now for two weeks, Laine “is not NHL caliber”.

Georges Laraques went a step further earlier by saying that the team should buy him out.

I’ll start by saying that I’ve never been a big fan of contract buyouts, so right from the start, I’ll tell you that I’m against the idea.

But Laraque’s argument holds: Montreal tried the Laine experiment, and it didn’t work. The team must now move on to another option. And it’s not like Kent Hughes sacrificed much to acquire the Finn. He gave up Jordan Harris and even received a second-round pick.

The forward (and his contract) was just a throw-in in the transaction.

Buying out Laine’s contract is worth considering after the season because instead of eliminating his salary cap hit in July 2026, Montreal would get rid of it a year later, in 2027.

Okay. Martin St-Louis’s team won’t be a contender for the Cup next year, but already there, the club will have more aspirations for the playoffs.

If Hughes were to follow this path, the Finn’s contract would have a cap hit of nearly four million dollars in 2026-2027 ($4,733,333 less than his usual hit) and $2,366,667 in 2027-2028. Remember, to buy out a contract, teams pay two-thirds of the player’s salary, but over double the years.

In Laine’s case, it’s not so bad. A buyout can hurt when guys have more than two seasons on their contracts. Like Josh Anderson and Brendan Gallagher, essentially.

In a nutshell

– Is a recall imminent?

– J.T. Miller in New York: his wife and Vincent Trocheck’s wife pushed for it to happen. [HF]

– Good to know.

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Joshua Roy back on skates

On January 17, Joshua Roy fell hard along the boards and left the game with an upper body injury.

A few days later, the club confirmed he would be out for three to four weeks, which abruptly hindered his season. But now he is back.

Three weeks after his injury, the Rocket posted a photo of the skater. Good news!

Without Roy, one could wonder if Pascal Vincent’s team would perform well.

After all, one of the best players on the team had fallen in battle. But during the Quebecer’s absence, the team won five of its six games. Not bad.

As of this writing, the Canadiens’ AHL affiliate is in first place in the northern division and third overall in the entire AHL.

(Credit: AHL.com )

Now that Roy is back, he will need to show what he is capable of. He must prove he belongs in the NHL and deserves a spot with the big club, at least for next season.

Mathias Brunet said in this week’s exclusive episode of the podcast Processus, “he is at a crossroads.”

He must set a goal of playing in the NHL at all costs.

And for that, he will have to work very hard and make sacrifices.

The Rocket will return to action tomorrow against the Toronto Marlies after a one-week break (all-star event).

In Brief

– That could be a nice option, indeed.

– Several names are catching attention.

– It’s time for the boos against national anthems to stop.

– A name to watch in Quebec.

– A promising season ahead.

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Race at Calder (Daily Faceoff): Hutson still 1st | Michkov no longer in the top-3

Who will win the Calder Trophy for the 24-25 season?

A month ago, three names caught attention in the race for the trophy.

Here, you’ll understand that I’m talking about Lane Hutson, Matvei Michkov, and Macklin Celebrini.

Today, one of these three guys has really struggled over the past few weeks and has unintentionally fallen out of the race. I am referring to Matvei Michkov, who is experiencing tough times in his last 25 games:

  • Three goals (only)
  • Four assists
  • A differential of -20 (!)

Michkov’s poor performance means that at the time of writing, he is no longer seen as one of the three favorites to win the trophy according to DailyFaceoff.

Lane Hutson is ranked first, Macklin Celebrini is in second place on the list… And in third place, we find the name of Flames goalie, Dustin Wolf:

But like Michkov, Lane Hutson is also facing challenges lately.

We talk about it when things are going well… But we also need to talk about it when things are not going as well!

Hutson has collected two assists in his last two games, but he has also gone scoreless in five consecutive matches. Coincidence or not, the Canadiens have lost six of their last seven games… And it’s been seven games since Lane Hutson has performed well.

If I had to bet an old $2 lying around, I would wager that Celebrini will walk away with the trophy. That could change if Hutson finds his magic touch again and starts racking up points at an incredible pace… But Celebrini, at the pace he’s going, could finish the season with over 60 points.

It will be difficult for Hutson to win the Calder if his former teammate at Boston University continues to be this good.

In Brief

— Hello, boys!

— Logical.

— Congratulations!

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Evans: It would take at least a second-round pick to get him out of Montreal, says Pierre LeBrun

Two weeks ago, no one could guess Kent Hughes’ plan leading up to the NHL trade deadline.

But things are different now as I write these lines.

Why? Because, well… The Canadiens are no longer winning. The team has lost six of its last seven games and is falling out of the race for a playoff spot.

At this moment, we know that the Canadiens’ GM would like to add a young player to his roster within a month.

But on the other hand, we don’t know if Hughes will want to trade some of his players at the deadline.

On that subject, Jake Evans’ name is popular in rumors because he has an advantageous salary ($1.7M) and possesses the qualities to help a team that wants to make a playoff run.

However, the Canadiens will not let him go for nothing: Pierre LeBrun, in the recent episode of Radar, insists that he doesn’t see the Canadiens trading Evans unless it’s for a second-round pick (or better).

And even then, the informant is reluctant because the Canadiens already have several quality picks.

LeBrun also specified that the Canadiens will not trade Evans for a prospect.

Kent Hughes will have no choice but to call other teams if Evans has not signed a new contract by March 7.

The Canadiens’ GM might risk keeping him in mind to offer him a new contract this summer. But if Evans decides to test the market and the Canadiens lose his services for nothing, Hughes will regret it.

Since we’re at it, he might as well send him elsewhere to get something in return…

Let’s remember that the Canadiens were offered a second-round pick for Evans in the last draft and they declined the offer.

That said, I don’t see why Hughes would choose to trade him for a second-round pick, especially with the season Evans is having… Unless he is convinced that Evans will leave via free agency in a few months.

That would be illogical, at least…

All this to say that there is one month left before the NHL trade deadline and Jake Evans’ name continues to draw attention.

The noise is likely to amplify before March 7, that being said!

In Brief

— Marcus Pettersson is already highly regarded in Vancouver.

— The Canadiens are no longer there…

— Another matter in the Bregman case.

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The CH has the 3rd best bank of hopes in the NHL, according to The Athletic

The Canadiens have good prospects within the organization.

The management has done well in the draft in recent years, which suggests that good seasons are on the horizon for Montreal.

If the guys develop well, the Canadiens will have the tools to compete against the best NHL teams in five years.

Scott Wheeler (The Athletic), who is a prospect specialist, is currently completing his annual exercise.

He ranks (in order) the best prospect pools in the NHL… And today, he shared his article on the Canadiens.

Wheeler ranks the Canadiens’ prospect pool 3rd in the NHL and he also rated the best young players in the organization.

His list looks like this:

  • Ivan Demidov
  • Jacob Fowler
  • David Reinbacher
  • Michael Hage
  • Logan Mailloux
  • Joshua Roy
  • Owen Beck
  • Jakub Dobes
  • Oliver Kapanen
  • Adam Engström
  • Filip Mesar
  • Bogdan Konyushkov
  • William Trudeau
  • Yevgeni Volohkin
  • Florian Xhekaj

The list makes sense:

You will notice that Lane Hutson is not listed, but that’s normal.

The defender is no longer a prospect since he already has 60 games under his belt in the NHL.

We can also see that Logan Mailloux appears on Scott Wheeler’s ranking even though he is currently with the Canadiens. The difference is that he has only played seven games in his NHL career.

However, we shouldn’t assume too quickly that Mailloux will be sent back to the AHL shortly. Kaiden Guhle’s injury complicates things for the Canadiens, after all…

All in all, the Canadiens are equipped to go to war in the coming years, and that’s why we say that patience is needed with the rebuild.

Kent Hughes also has what it takes to build a significant trade because he also has several quality draft picks in the coming years.

That being said, it’s frustrating to see the team lose regularly as they have for the past two weeks because we want the team to progress.

But hey. It’s rain before the sunshine… Right?

In Brief

– Will he be able to play?

– It takes guts!

– A perfect combination.

– Enjoy reading.

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Patrik Laine has only one goal at five-on-five (in 26 games)

We know what the problem is with Patrik Laine.

The guy has all the skills necessary to be one of the best players in the National Hockey League, but the will is not always there in his case.

If he doesn’t feel like playing, it’s pretty noticeable. And for the past two weeks, it seems more glaring than ever…

Laine helped the Canadiens in his own way upon his return to play by scoring 12 goals in his first 18 games in the Tricolore uniform.

Since then? It’s been radio silence.

But when we look at Laine’s performance game by game since his return, we also notice that 10 of his 12 goals have been scored on the power play.

Below the table, I’ve highlighted the two games where we saw him score at even strength.

But be careful: during the game against the Rangers, Laine scored at even strength… But in overtime, three on three.

This means he has one goal at five-on-five in 26 games:

(Credit: ESPN.com)

One goal in 26 games (at five-on-five)… That’s also three goals (at five-on-five) over the course of a full 82-game season.

We agree that for a player of Patrik Laine’s caliber, that is unacceptable. He earns a salary of $8.7 million per season and he needs to find a way to help the team.

Kent Hughes did not take a big risk by acquiring him from Columbus since it practically cost nothing.

I have nothing against Jordan Harris… But I don’t miss him either, and I’m sure it’s the same for many of you.

That being said, I have the impression that Laine is slowly starting to distance himself from Montreal due to how he is playing.

In fact, I have a hard time believing that the Canadiens’ management is impressed seeing him dragging his feet on the ice… And I also have a hard time believing that the management sees him as an indispensable player in Martin St-Louis’s lineup right now.

He has one year left on his contract after the current season, and if he doesn’t wake up, the chances of him staying in Montreal are going to be very slim.

At least, it would be illogical for the Canadiens – who have a culture where all players must give their all to win – to offer a new contract to a player who seems to be simply disinterested in the sport right now.

In Brief

– Me too!

– I’m excited. What about you?

– Mitch Marner is ready to make his return.

– The question is raised.

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LPHF: a (small) fine of $250 for Marie-Philip Poulin

In the NHL, when a player is fined, they must pay a $5,000 penalty. Each time, it sparks reactions since $5,000 is not much for millionaires.

This is a comment that often comes up.

It’s worth noting that this is how it is because the maximum amount that can be given to a player is limited. It cannot be too high… and we must keep in mind that the real financial punishments come when a player is suspended.

But still. All this to say that the amounts of fines raise eyebrows in hockey.

And on this topic, we can discuss what happens in the PHF when a fine is issued. This is a subject that has been discussed in recent moments due to what happened with Marie-Philip Poulin.

The player from the Victoire, who made a dangerous move on the ice, was fined. And seeing that she was “relieved” of an amount of $250 really made waves.

After all, $250 is not much.

Obviously, when we put things into perspective, we see that the PHF has a minimum salary of $35,000. And if we compare $250 on $35,000 or $5,000 on $775,000 in the NHL, we arrive at a result that looks similar.

In the NHL, it’s 0.6% of the annual salary. And in the PHF, it’s 0.7% of the annual salary. They are comparable.

That said, Marie-Philip Poulin does not earn the minimum wage, and that’s where we see that $250 for the action that occurred on the ice is not much. It was a big incident, after all.

It should be noted that the fact that the opponent was not injured played a part in the decision not to give a game misconduct penalty to the captain of the Montreal Victoire.

In Brief

– Nice catch.

– Great play by Ivan Demidov.

– Nico Hischier skating.

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For four matches, Jakub Dobes has not been up to the mark

When Jakub Dobes arrived in the NHL, he was breaking everything. We all knew, of course, that he couldn’t maintain such a cruising pace.

But for the past four games, it’s different.

As Simon-Olivier Lorange mentioned on social media, for the last four games, Dobes’ stats resemble a return to reality for the hope of the Flanelle.

The first four games of Jakub Dobes:

4-0-0
0.98
.963

His last four games:

1-2-1
3.95
.881

If you’re looking for a return to reality, there it is.

— Simon-Olivier Lorange (@so-lorange.bsky.social) February 6, 2025 at 03:22

Obviously, a goalie has ups and downs in a career. That’s normal.

But it forces us to wonder, due to the circumstances, if Dobes shouldn’t go play games in the minors and eventually dominate at the American League level.

Would you be surprised to learn that after the weekend (I would play him on Sunday if I were Martin St-Louis), he went to Laval on the sidelines of the Four Nations Showdown?

Not me either.

I’m not saying that’s going to happen… but the CH is no longer actively in a playoff race with Dobes stopping everything that moves. The situation has changed with the Canadiens.

Without saying he needs to be sent down right now, it’s clear he would benefit from it. And it’s also clear that Cayden Primeau is playing like a goalie who could deserve another chance up top… #Undefeated

Ultimately, it will come down to what the CH wants to do with Dobes. If they want to have him play in the minors because it would be better long-term, so be it. But if it’s judged that he benefits more from working with the Canadiens, then keep him for a little while longer.

But right now, circumstances raise questions. This wasn’t a discussion that was possible in mid-January, let’s say.

Let’s also remember that the Canadiens will surely want answers about Cayden Primeau by the end of the season. With Jacob Fowler pushing, significant questions will arise this summer regarding the netminding situation.

Therefore, the CH must place Dobes in a good position, but also position themselves advantageously to make an informed decision this summer regarding the management of the organization’s goaltenders.

In Brief

— The hopeful of the CH will have more playing time by changing teams.

— Will he return to play tonight?

— Patience with Juraj Slafkovsky. [BPM Sports]

— Enjoy the listen.