Category: Uncategorized

Categories
Uncategorized

Top-5: Fleury joins Luongo in 2nd place in history for the most games played

The Canadiens ended their losing streak by winning last night against the Sharks in San Jose.

But the Canadiens’ game wasn’t the only one taking place across the NHL.

There was a lot of action on Tuesday night in the league:

1: Marc-André Fleury ties Luongo

We can agree on one thing.

Marc-André Fleury will quickly enter the Hall of Fame when he retires.

He has quite a decorated career, after all!

Last night, Flower was in net for his team against the Bruins in Boston. It was his 1,044th career game… which allowed him to tie Roberto Luongo for 2nd place in league history:

Fleury will be able to take sole possession of 2nd place by the end of the season, but it will be impossible for him to catch Martin Brodeur in 1st place in history.

Brodeur played 1,266 career games. The gap is too large…

Note that the Bruins spoiled Fleury’s great night by winning the game 3-0.

In their victory, David Pastrnak recorded an assist in an eleventh consecutive game:

2: Nylander’s hat trick

William Nylander plays an important role in the Leafs’ success in Toronto.

We saw it last night: he helped his team win 6-3 in Calgary with a dominant performance.

The star player for the Leafs finished the game with a hat trick:

Nylander’s hat trick was scored exactly eight years to the day after his first career hat trick in the NHL.

What a coincidence!

Note that the captain of the Leafs, Auston Matthews, also stood out in the game with three assists.

Joseph Woll was also solid in net to help his team secure just a fifth win in ten games.

3: A beautiful goal by Kent Johnson

Wow, wow, wow!

That’s the general reaction that fans had after seeing this goal by Kent Johnson.

It’s true that it is magnificent:

Patrick Kane, get out of this body!

No kidding, it takes exceptional skills to score on a backhand after performing a spin-o-rama, and Johnson executed his deke flawlessly.

Let’s just say his shot in the top corner didn’t give veteran James Reimer, who was in net for the Sabres, much of a chance.

However, Johnson’s goal was not enough to help the Blue Jackets win.

The Sabres won the game 3-2 thanks to a two-goal performance from Alex Tuch.

4: Ovi gets even closer to the record

17.

Why 17?

Because that’s the number of goals Alex Ovechkin needs to score before officially breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record.

The captain of the Capitals scored his 878th career goal last night into an empty net.

And he did it in style… with only 0.1 seconds left on the clock in the third period.

You can’t make this stuff up:

Of course, it’s really just a matter of time at this point.

The Capitals have 29 more games to play this season… but Ovi might still run out of time.

Note that the Caps, who have seven wins in their last ten games, managed to beat the Panthers 6-3.

Everything is going well in Washington, where the Capitals sit in 2nd place in the NHL standings this morning.

5: Dylan Guenther plays the hero at the last second

Let’s move to overtime in the game between the Flyers and the Utah team.

And you’ll understand after seeing this sequence:

Dylan Guenther surprised everyone at the end of the overtime period by coming in at full speed into the Flyers’ zone… before firing a perfect shot into the top of the net.

A goal truly worthy of the plays of the week, especially considering it allowed Utah to win 3-2!

Note also that in the game, Matvei Michkov (15:39 of ice time) was held scoreless for a seventh consecutive game.

The young star player of the Flyers is going through a tough time right now.

Overtime

– Big win for the Canucks against the Avalanche.

– A scare for Crosby.

– He was able to return to the game:

– Patrick Kane now holds the record for the most goals scored in shootouts.

– He helped the Wings win a seventh straight game:

– He knows how to make new friends.

– Ugh…

– Well done.

– Too easy!

– He’s good, that one.

– Oh.

– The top scorers of the night:

(Credit: NHL.com)

– Three games tonight in the NHL, including the Habs’ match against the Kings:

(Credit: NHL.com)
Categories
Uncategorized

The Canadiens find their way back to victory in San Jose

This evening, the Canadiens faced the worst team in the league, the San Jose Sharks. It was a good opportunity for the Tricolore to find the path to victory after a streak of five losses.

Here are the lineups:

After exchanging a few chances in the first period, it was the home team that opened the scoring at 5:50 with a power play goal from rookie Macklin Celebrini, his 17th goal of the season on a beautiful pass from Tyler Toffoli.

It was actually Toffoli who caused the penalty to Juraj Slafkovsky that led to the Sharks’ goal.

The rest of the first period passed without incident. 1-0 San Jose, which dominated shots 11-7.

The Canadiens were much more convincing at the start of the second period. The visitors took advantage of a power play to get on the scoreboard just 52 seconds into the period when Cole Caufield scored his 26th goal. Nick Suzuki and Lane Hutson also got assists on the play.

The Tricolore then took the lead for the first time in the game when Alex Newhook scored his 10th of the season at 4:53, with assists from Alex Carrier and Kirby Dach.

The home team thought they had equalized, but the goal was disallowed after an NHL review. However, it was only a temporary setback as they tied the game a few minutes later when Collin Grif scored his first career goal at 14:51 on a pass from Barclay Goodrow.

The Canadiens got a four-minute power play just before the end of the second period.

It was 2-2 after two periods. However, the Tricolore only had 13 shots in total (compared to 20 for the Sharks).

The visitors took advantage of this power play to regain the lead thanks to Brendan Gallagher’s 12th goal. On the play, Dach and Newhook also collected their second point of the game.

Unfortunately, the Canadiens were unable to hold onto this lead as the Sharks also scored during a power play granted after Arber Xhekaj’s penalty when Toffoli tied the game at 3-3, assisted by Celebrini and Jake Walman.

The CH could have seen its chances slip away when Jayden Struble took a very bad penalty for delaying the game. Fortunately, Samuel Montembeault was alert and made two solid saves to maintain the tie.

Ultimately, it was Joel Armia who scored a shorthanded goal on a beautiful pass from Jake Evans to put the Canadiens back in front.

The Canadiens managed to hold onto this lead and thus find the path to victory after five consecutive losses.

Overtime

– Good question!

– Great Monty!

Categories
Uncategorized

Carey Price, Josh Gorges, and Travis Moen seen together at a hockey game

Carey Price made a rare public appearance this weekend.

The former goaltender for the Canadiens was seen at a WHL game in Kelowna between the local team, the Rockets, and the Swift Current Broncos, accompanied by his two former teammates Travis Moen and Josh Gorges.

The three “West guys” looked quite relaxed at Prospera Place during the game.

The three retired hockey players, who played together for the Canadiens from 2009 to 2014, have clearly remained good friends even after their time with the team, and it’s nice to see them spending time together.

Moreover, Kelowna, in addition to being Price’s place of residence, is the former junior team of Moen and Gorges, who were teammates from 2000 to 2002. So it’s a friendship that has lasted quite a while.

Unfortunately, the home team lost by a score of 6 to 3.

By attending junior hockey games, is Price beginning to practice for a future role as a scout?

Although he doesn’t rule out the possibility of returning to hockey in a position with an NHL organization, for now, Price is keeping a low profile and is rarely seen in public.

Since his retirement, he has been spending time with his wife and their three young children—two daughters and a son.

In fact, the goaltender was spotted some time ago teaching his son how to skate.

However, even though he’s seen on skates, Price must protect his body and knee, and he has closed the door on any possibility of a return to the net for some time now.

Although he is unofficially retired, the goaltender is still under contract with the Canadiens until the end of the 2025-26 season for an annual salary of $10.5 million.

Let’s remember that Price is the goaltender with the most wins in Canadiens history, with 361 victories in 712 starts.

In his career, the goaltender maintained a 2.51 goals against average, a .917 save percentage, as well as 49 shutouts, and it’s safe to say he won’t have to wait long before entering the Hockey Hall of Fame.

In brief

– Throwback!

– Big win for the Leafs.

– Seven straight for the Jets.

– Utah wins in overtime.

– Demko is very solid.

– Shutout for Comrie.

Categories
Uncategorized

Patrik Laine loses his spot in the top-6 | Owen Beck replaces Michael Pezzetta

Clearly, Martin St-Louis wants to send messages tonight.

A few minutes before the game in San Jose, Patrik Laine saw his coach confirm that he would not play in the top-6. He will be on the third line – which resembles a fourth line – with Jake Evans and Joel Armia.

And Michael Pezzetta is heading back to the stands as young Owen Beck enters the lineup. Logan Mailloux will not play.

Details coming soon…

Categories
Uncategorized

“There’s no business in the center” – Bob Hartley

Earlier in the day, Bob Hartley took a few shots at Kirby Dach in an interview on BPM Sports.

The former coach claims that Dach does not have what it takes to be a center.

According to Hartley, the forward lacks commitment in his defensive play (“[he is] not able to play for 200 feet”) and he is unable to feed his line mates (“[he does not] have the ease of improving his wingers”).

Thus, Dach would not have the makings of a second center, but rather of a center, period.

This may seem like a harsh judgment, but so far this season, it is hard not to agree with Hartley.

In 52 games, the center has only 19 points, including 10 goals, but more importantly, he has a differential of minus-27 tied for last place in the NHL.

This indeed shows certain defensive shortcomings in his play.

Moreover, number 77 has gone scoreless in his last four games and has only two points (one goal, one assist, both in the same game) in his last seven games.

In fact, for the past four games, his line has combined for just one point (an assist from Alex Newhook in the last game against Anaheim).

Since the beginning of the season, the Canadiens’ second line has been lacking offensive consistency as well as being frequently at risk in the defensive zone. It’s unfortunate to say, but that line is really slowing the team down.

Another issue with Dach as a center is his difficulty with faceoffs since the beginning of his career. Right now, his success rate is 39.3%, his second-best in his career. That is too low for a top center.

Could moving the forward from center to wing be a solution?

Possibly, by giving him fewer responsibilities, Dach could focus on the more offensive aspects of his game.

However, who would replace him? I don’t believe Christian Dvorak is the solution, and even though Jake Evans has shown some bright spots, his place is not in a top-6.

Will Kent Hughes be tempted to make a trade to acquire a second center, or will he rather bet on patience and wait for Michael Hage’s arrival, hoping he can fill that role?

Let’s say that right now, the Canadiens are a bit stuck with Dach as the second center, and the organization must mainly hope he returns to the player we saw before his injury.

Otherwise, the Canadiens could have a lot of difficulty staying in the playoff race.

In Brief

– The Bolts are holding strong!

– Great goal for Chabot.

– Injury for Crosby?

– Four wins in a row for the Sabres.

– Another milestone for Fleury.

– Eleven games in a row with at least one point for Pasta.

– It could be a long road in San Jose.

Categories
Uncategorized

After 52 games, the CH has only three points more than last year

The Montreal Canadiens are going through a rough patch with five consecutive losses.

However, the club has already been in playoff contention, but with the fierce battle in the Atlantic, that changed quickly.

Now, the CH is six points away from the last playoff spot.

After 52 games, Martin St-Louis’ team has a record of 24-23-5 for 53 points.

Last year, after the first 52 games, the CH had 50 points (21-23-8).

Is three more points a satisfactory improvement for the CH?

BPM Sports asked its readers today on their Twitter page for the question of the day on Tony Marinaro’s show (Le Forum).

It’s a very good question to ask, as we’ve seen some progress within the team, but the lack of consistency weighs heavily on the scale.

My answer: no, I’m not satisfied. But there is still some positive.

It’s true that five consecutive losses do not help much, especially since during January, the club was already in playoff contention.

We see some nice progression from a few players, but for others, it is more difficult. Obviously, we think of Kirby Dach, but he’s not the only one.

The Atlantic Division is formidable right now with several teams trying to carve out a path to the playoffs.

As of the writing of this article (before Tuesday night’s games), the Columbus Blue Jackets hold the last playoff spot (59 points).

On paper, all the Eastern teams have a chance to participate in the spring dance, except for the Buffalo Sabres (47 points).

Even the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Philadelphia Flyers could find a spot, both having 52 points in 54 games.

Seven points is really not that much.

The CH needs to bounce back in the last 30 games of the season to hope to make the playoffs, but it won’t be easy with the Eastern Conference being so fierce.

In Brief

– It’s now official.

– What a sublime goal by Kent Johnson who made himself look like Patrick Kane.

– Too bad for the Maple Leafs…

– Well done.

Categories
Uncategorized

Jack Adams Trophy: Martin St-Louis is the 4th favorite, according to FanDuel

The Montreal Canadiens have experienced many ups and downs since the start of the 2024-25 season.

Martin St-Louis’s team began the season inconsistently, only to bounce back stronger with Patrik Laine’s arrival in early December, before ultimately returning to a slump.

Currently, the Canadiens are on a five-game losing streak.

However, this hasn’t stopped some from dreaming big about St-Louis when things were going very well. Discussions about winning the Jack Adams Trophy (best coach of the year) have come up.

FanDuel, an American company specializing in sports betting, recently produced a ranking with the odds for the Jack Adams favorites.

Obviously, Spencer Carbury (Washington Capitals) leads the charge with odds of -650.

His closest competitor is Dean Evason from the Columbus Blue Jackets with odds of +430.

However, what catches my attention the most is seeing Martin St-Louis with the fourth-best odds (+2900).

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Categories
Uncategorized

Cole Caufield: Only five goals in the 24 games that Patrik Laine has played

As we know, Caufield is known for scoring goals.

He started the season strong: he had 10 goals in his first 11 games, including six goals in the last six games of that stretch.

But for some time now, it’s been more difficult for the American, especially since the arrival of Patrik Laine.

In Laine’s 24 games, Caufield has only scored five goals… And since Laine returned from his illness in early January, Caufield has only two goals.

In Renaud Lavoie’s daily segment on BPM Sports, he talked (among other things) about Caufield’s slump.

During his segment, Max Lalonde actually asked Lavoie if it was a coincidence that Caufield was more dangerous when Laine wasn’t around.

In response, the renowned insider specified that at five-on-five, there’s no difference, as they do not play together and Laine does not take minutes away from CC13.

However, he added that on the power play, it’s completely different, as Caufield has been switched to a different position with Laine’s arrival.

Caufield’s contribution on the power play at the start of the season was significant (4 power play goals in his first 10 games). He actually had seven goals on the power play before the Finn played his first game with the Canadiens.

But since Patrik Laine’s return to play on December 3, Caufield has not scored a single time on the power play.

In fact, it’s even worse than that, Caufield hasn’t scored in that situation since November 27…

And the fact that Laine and Caufield are on the same power play unit is clearly affecting his production.

He is not playing in the same position, he is shooting less often, and therefore he doesn’t have as many chances as he did at the beginning of the season.

Renaud Lavoie even gave advice on how to improve the power play: move more and circulate the puck better.

It’s not crazy, because the Canadiens are too predictable. But personally, I think maybe we should consider separating the two sharpshooters on the first power play unit.

Going by merit, Laine should logically be moved down to the second unit. Putting Dach in his place could not only help Dach get back on track (even if he doesn’t deserve it), but it would also ensure having an excellent scorer on each unit.

With Demidov’s arrival next season, we will need to make room for him on the first power play eventually, as he will be a key player. Until then, we need to make changes or significantly practice the power play.

Let’s see what Martin St-Louis has in mind for the rest of the season.

In Brief

– Bob Hartley believes that Dach simply is not a center player.

– The Flyers will clearly want to bounce back tonight.

– A must read.

Categories
Uncategorized

Logan Mailloux and Owen Beck are back with the Canadiens

On Sunday, the Canadiens sent Owen Beck and Logan Mailloux back to the American League.

The goal?

To allow both guys to participate in the AHL All-Star Game, which took place last night.

That said, we expected both to return to the Canadiens in view of the game against the Sharks. That’s what happened: according to Patrick Friolet (RDS), Beck and Mailloux joined the team at the hotel.

It makes sense:

Ultimately, we do not know if they will be in uniform for the game against the Sharks.

I do not expect that to be the case… Especially for Mailloux.

Beck, however, has a chance to play if Josh Anderson is still too banged up. The veteran missed yesterday’s practice again (treatment day) and we know his body is battered right now.

That said, I have the impression that Anderson will want to play because even though the Canadiens are facing the Sharks, it’s a super important game for the team.

With a loss tonight, the Canadiens would really fall back in the race for the playoffs in the East… And would also lose a sixth consecutive game.

This must not happen, especially against the worst team in the NHL standings.

It’s tight when we look at the standings and that’s where we see that the moment is well chosen for the Canadiens to find their bearings:

(Credit: NHL.com)

Overtime

– Still.

– To be continued!

– That’s sad.

Categories
Uncategorized

Hostile offer to Noah Dobson: The (really) interesting proposal from Simon Boisvert

Kent Hughes will have room to maneuver as he pleases this summer.

He will have money to spend and it will be intriguing to see what the organization’s plan will be after the season.

Will the GM of the Canadiens be as aggressive as in his first three summers in Montreal? After all, let’s remember that he acquired Dach in the draft in 2022, that he traded for Newhook the following year… And that he also landed Patrik Laine at the end of the summer of 2024.

That said, there are guys who will be available on the trade market and in free agency.

But if the GM of the Canadiens wants to push the envelope even further, he could consider the possibility of making a hostile offer, and at this level, there is one player in particular who catches Simon Boisvert’s attention.

The Snake, in the recent episode of Processus, talks about the idea of going after Noah Dobson in New York:

Before proceeding, it should be noted that the salary cap will increase for the upcoming season.

According to the latest news, we could see the cap rise to $95.5 million for the 25-26 season.

And it is important to specify this information because the various compensations for hostile offers could change.

But if those compensations remain intact, the timing would be ideal for the Canadiens to take advantage: by signing Dobson to a contract with an annual value between $9.16 million and $11.45 million, the Canadiens would need to part with two first-round picks (not in 2025), a second-round pick, and a third-round pick.

The Canadiens could take the risk thinking that the Islanders might not want to match such a lucrative offer… Especially in the context where the rebuild seems to be approaching in New York.

That would be interesting:

(Credit: Toutsurlehockey.com)

At 25, Dobson is established as one of the good defensemen in the NHL.

He recorded 70 points in 23-24, had a season with 49 points and another with 51, he is effective in his offensive zone and he shoots right.

In Montreal, Dobson would fit perfectly into the Canadiens’ defense… Because there aren’t a ton of right-handed defensemen within the organization.

Savard is there, but we don’t know if he will be back next year.

Carrier has a contract that ties him to the team until the summer of 2027 only… And we also don’t know if Mailloux and Reinbacher will be ready for a big role next season.

All of this to say that the opportunity would be ripe for the Canadiens to make a big move.

We know that the game of hostile offers can be dangerous… But with the current situation of the Islanders, it would make sense to want to take advantage.

In Brief

– So good!

– Great news.

– Phew…

– The Sens have been on fire lately!