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Canadiens : the Capitals won’t be easy to beat if Alex Ovechkin is on his game

Will the Washington Capitals have Alex Ovechkin in their lineup next year? The question is being asked.

After all, even though he has one year left on his contract, we all know he wants to finish his career at home, in Russia. And since he beat Wayne Gretzky, it’s possible that the aging player may want to make the most of the time he has left to return to Moscow.

The Ivan Demidov experience has taught us that a contract can be broken.

Some people seem to think that Ovi is in his final stretch in the NHL. And if that’s the case, it could give the Capitals a real boost going into the playoffs.

Remember how the habs played for Carey Price and Shea Weber in 2021. It worked wonders.

So my point is this: if the Canadiens were to face the Capitals in the playoffs, could it be more difficult than we think? I think so.

I think we’re sometimes quick to assume/predict that the habs would win against the Capitals, a power in the NHL. There’s optimism in the air – and that’s great – in the city, but the habs are still in rebuilding mode, officially.

Note that I’m not saying the Capitals are invincible and the habs have no chance. I think all the teams in the East, to some extent, can be beaten.

Except maybe the Panthers. In my opinion, if that team doesn’t make it to the Stanley Cup finals, it will be an organizational failure.

If it heats up in the playoffs and Arber Xhekaj is not there, it won’t be easy. And if Samuel Montembeault doesn’t turn into Jaroslav Halak, does the habs have a chance, often falling behind in their games?

Will the Ivan Demidov effect be enough to allow the habs to beat a team that currently has 20 more points than them in the standings? The vibes may be good, but… we can ask ourselves the question.

overtime

Note this: if the Senators lose on Friday night against the habs, the gap between the habs and the Senators could be even smaller than expected. And then…

Is it possible that it could be the Maple Leafs on the menu in the first round? The Lightning? It would be special series, especially if it’s Toronto, a team known for losing in the first round.

(Credit: Sportsnet)
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Ivan Demidov “should not start his career with his #91”

Do you want to talk about Ivan Demidov again?

Ivan Demidov will not arrive in Montreal today. As Maxime Truman and Marco D’Amico mentioned, there’s a good chance he’ll end up in Toronto in the coming days.

Right now, there’s paperwork to be done.

Once he arrives, we’ll have to see if he can keep his #91. After all, it’s his preferred number and the one he usually wears on a hockey rink.

We understand that it’s less “important” paperwork than the visa, but the question must be asked: will he have his #91 in Montreal in the coming days?

Right now, it’s Oliver Kapanen, who played in the city at the start of the season and recently returned to Quebec, who wears it. Yesterday, he hadn’t changed his number yet.

And in his article today, Marco D’Amico (RG media) mentioned, via agent Dan Milstein, that Demidov won’t fight for the #91 in the coming days.

In short, if the number is available, he’ll take it. Otherwise, he might choose a different number and see this summer if there’s a way to make a change with Oliver Kapanen for #91.

This is not a priority for him right now. He’s a humble young man and doesn’t want to disturb anyone.

He’s made it clear with the club: he doesn’t want to step on anyone’s toes. – Marco D’Amico

There are pictures of Demidov wearing #11 in the past… but that number belongs to Brendan Gallagher here. If someone has to change their number for Demidov, it’ll be Kapanen, not Gally, who has already done it for Michael Ryder. #73

If Demidov takes Kapanen’s number, I hope he’ll give him a Rolex, which Ryder never did for Gally – despite his promise to do so.

So if #11 and #91 are taken and the Russian doesn’t ask for them to finish the season, I wonder what number Demidov will choose. But we’ll see in due time, either in the coming days.

Moreover, if we believe Daria Tuboltseva, who also works for RG media and has connections in Russia, it’s clear: he won’t have #91.

Overtime

– Note.

– Yes.

– Another guy who signs in the NHL.

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Ivan Demidov will not be arriving in Montreal today

Montreal, it’s a unique market.

We know that many people went to Montreal’s airport today to welcome the Canadiens’ new recruit, Ivan Demidov. There was a rumor about his arrival in town.

The Canadiens fans even took themselves for the Nordiques fans of the last years by watching the planes. #Hurricanes

But what we need to know is that the young star player will not arrive in Montreal today. This is what my colleague Maxime Truman learned about the subject.

He posted a tweet about it. He was the first to talk about it.

What colleague Truman reports is that Demidov left Russia, but he cannot arrive in Canada without the official paperwork being completed.

Because this can take a few more hours or days, Demidov will spend time in Istanbul. The fact that he is Russian complicates the file.

For these reasons, we should not expect to see Demidov play at the end of the week in Ontario. In the best-case scenario, the habs’ prospect could play on Monday.

Note that Marco D’Amico, who released the news before SKA yesterday and is very well connected to the case, says the prospect could join the team directly in Toronto on Friday. You can read his post on the subject.

in rafale

– The SKA published this.

– Ivan Demidov: we don’t care about his political opinion. [PG]

– David Perron is nominated for the Bill Masterton.

– Martin St-Louis is impressed by the habs’ progress. [98.5 FM]

– If he had known that beer was at stake, he would have forced himself.

 

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Une publication partagée par NHL HEADLINES (@nhlheadlines_)

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“i can’t wait” : caufield is so eager to see ivan demidov

The arrival of Ivan Demidov in Montreal is really exciting.

This is for the organization, the players, the fans, the sports columnists, the journalists…

This is really exciting for everyone, at the bottom. Maybe except for the other teams in the NHL, hehe.

No kidding, the guys were excited in the locker room before the game against the Wings last night.

The club is winning… and it will be able to add a very good player with talent to its lineup, just before the playoffs. Hard to ask for more, right?

After the meeting yesterday, several guys shared their happiness about the news.

Cole Caufield said he “can’t wait” and is eager to see him arrive… while Monty confirmed what we thought: the guys were excited to learn the news.

For his part, Josh Anderson talks about all this as a confidence boost for the players in the locker room.

If this team is able to gain even more confidence… it could become dangerous.

We all can’t wait to see Ivan Demidov in action because it’s been almost a year since we’ve been talking about him as the next thing in Montreal.

Everyone knows that Demidov has the talent to lead the Habs to glory and everyone knows that Demidov has the tools to become a dominant player in the National League.

Even his coach – who has benched him several times this season – agrees on this level!

This is also why, at the moment, there is a great atmosphere in the city when we talk about the Canadiens.

The club is about to get its ticket to the playoffs… and the club is also about to add to its roster the best player in the world who was not playing in the NHL.

What a time to be alive, as we say in English.

Overtime

– Speaking of the wolf.

– Do you like it?

– What do you think?

– Interesting.

– Anyway.

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Today’s day can’t be better than yesterday’s at the Canadiens

A few months ago, Shohei Ohtani (Los Angeles Dodgers in major league baseball) founded the 50/50 club, which means 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases, with a performance of six hits, three home runs, two stolen bases, and 10 runs scored in a single game.

Along the way, for the first time in his career, he officially qualified for the playoffs. It was just a few days before the end of the season.

It was obviously an individual feat at the base… but the high of emotions experienced by Dodgers fans that day was certainly exciting, given the importance of the moment.

Is the comparison strong enough to wonder if yesterday’s day, for Habs fans, is approaching what was experienced in Los Angeles last September? Is it the most beautiful day around the Habs since Saint-Jean in 2021?

After all, the unexpected arrival of Ivan Demidov in Montreal (within a club whose vibes are immaculate) and yesterday’s victory (4-1) against Detroit, a team in the playoff hunt, was crazy in terms of ranking.

And that, even if the game was not perfect.

No, the Habs are not officially in the playoffs. But with all their closest pursuers having 79 points in 77 games, let’s say the Canadiens don’t have much to worry about.

(Credit: NHL.com)

The Habs have 87 points in 78 games. The Senators, who have 90 points, are officially qualified for the playoffs.

The teams behind the Canadiens cannot, in the best of worlds, get more than 89 points. So the Habs are only three points away from qualifying for the playoffs, no matter what the other teams do.

Beating the Red Wings yesterday was therefore important for helping the team have a great day.

And what’s impressive is that the Habs beat the Red Wings, who were in town to win. We saw that the team that was hungriest was the one from Michigan, clearly.

The fact that the shots were 64-7 in favor of the Wings in the first period (or rather 23-4, for those who prefer the truth) shows that the team had a sense of urgency.

But the Montreal team held their ground. And the visitors’ chances, although numerous, were not all excellent either.

Samuel Montembeault is clearly to be thanked for all this, but the Habs players held their ground despite everything. Even if the team didn’t have their legs, they found a way to win a sixth game in a row.

Am I going to say that it’s the mark of great teams?

Since yesterday, there’s a certain feeling of invincibility that’s settled in the city. Right now, the chances of seeing the Habs in the playoffs are closer to 100% than ever: they’re at 96.4%.

And it’s notably thanks to yesterday’s day. What do I take away from that day, anyway?

1. We slipped a word, but Samuel Montembeault did what he had to do yesterday. He kept his team in the game with no room for error and he got his 30th win of the season.

It’s a very nice plateau, that.

2. Nick Suzuki managed to get two points during the game… because that’s how it is. He now has 86 points, more than Alex Kovalev’s 84 in 2007-2008. Nothing too serious.

Also, he’s not even playing on the most productive trio of the Habs over the last 12 games…

What should also be known is that Suzuki is only surpassed, right now, by five center players in terms of points in the entire NHL. And they’re not nobodies.

We’re talking about Nathan MacKinnon, Leon Draisaitl, Jack Eichel, Connor McDavid, and Sidney Crosby, a player linked to the Canadiens this morning by colleague Kevin Vallée. Nothing too serious, huh?

3. During his press conference, Martin St-Louis had no more voice. It couldn’t happen to Peter Laviolette in New York, who doesn’t go into the locker room after games.

Clearly, he’s happy, the coach. And right now, nobody’s talking about firing him “when it’s time to win” like at the start of the season.

4. Am I the only one who thought that Ivan Demidov, in a game like yesterday’s, would have helped? It’s only a matter of time before he’s able to play for real.

Good day to all, then.

overtime

The Canadiens gave their players the day off. After six straight wins and noticing that the players had no more legs, it’s probably the right thing to do in the circumstances.

The next game will be on Friday, in Ottawa. Tomorrow, the guys will make the (short) trip to the capital.

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Josh Anderson nominated for the Bill Masterton

Each year, National Hockey League teams must nominate a player for the Bill Masterton trophy.

We’re talking about a trophy awarded to the National Hockey League player who best exemplifies perseverance, determination, and sportsmanship in hockey, for those who don’t know the trophy.

And the nominated player in Montreal is Josh Anderson.

We must remember that last year, Anderson had a miserable season. Recovering from that is an accomplishment, since this year he’s having a very good season for the habs.

Playing despite being injured inspires the guys. The habs couldn’t have written that in their text, of course, but we all know it’s true within the club.

The new father gives his all to bring the habs to the playoffs. The guys in the locker room recognize it.

I’m really looking forward to seeing, at the end of the season, what Anderson has achieved exactly this season. After all, he hardly practiced for weeks just to be able to play.

Note that Brendan Gallagher could have been a good choice because he is also a warrior – and he lost his mother. But it’s Anderson who was chosen, which is quite correct.

But both have what it takes to inspire the guys in the locker room.

Overtime

– Chantal Machabée is back. Good news!

– It would be amazing.

– Ivan Demidov, a Leon Draisaitl?

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Top-5 : For the first time since 2017, the Sens have their ticket to the playoffs

It smells like playoffs in Montreal.

The habs have won a big game against the Red Wings last night to solidify their place in the standings in the East.

But there were also nine other games presented in the NHL:

(Credit: Google)

1 : The Senators have their ticket for the playoffs

The Senators faced the Blue Jackets in Columbus last night.

And it didn’t go well for the Ottawa team.

The Senators lost 5-2:

But… it was still a party in the locker room after the Senators’ loss.

Why?

Because they still got their ticket for the playoffs, despite everything.

There is only one spot left to win in the East and when we look at the standings, we realize that the habs have a lot of chances to get it:

(Credit: LNH.com)

Note that this is the first time since 2017 that the Senators have gotten their ticket to participate in the playoffs.

Good for them. And I’m looking forward to seeing what it will bring…

2 : The Canucks… wow!

When a team loses by three goals with one minute left on the clock in the third period, it’s not able to come back to win.

That had never happened in history… before last night.

The Canucks achieved the feat against the Stars:

One, two, three…

The Canucks scored three times in the last minute of play to finally win the game in overtime 6-5.

It’s really crazy, we agree. We had never seen that in the NHL and I don’t remember seeing it in another league either.

Really a great effort by the Canucks.

3 : The Kid is not slowing down

The Pittsburgh Penguins took advantage of the visit of the Blackhawks to sign a 5-0 win.

No surprise here… because the Hawks are one of the worst teams in the NHL this season.

In the win, Sidney Crosby contributed by scoring his 31st goal of the season.

That gives him 87 points since the start of the campaign:

87 points for a 37-year-old player, that’s worth mentioning.

And it’s one of the best seasons in history for a player 37 or older:

He’s not slowing down, Sidney Crosby.

And that’s why seeing him potentially arrive in Montreal to play with Ivan Demidov would be something…

4 : Ah, the Sabres…

The Sabres are not good.

And we’ve been saying that for a long time.

The Buffalo team managed to beat the Hurricanes 3-0 last night, but still: they were eliminated from the playoff race… for the 14th year in a row.

It’s really hell within that organization.

Among all this, I feel especially bad for the team’s loyal fans.

It must be really tough, being a fan of the Sabres. Because it seems like they will never see the light at the end of the tunnel…

5 : 100 points for Pasta

We agree: David Pastrnak is quite a hockey player.

The Bruins star contributed to his team’s win (7-2) against the Devils by collecting three points.

Pastrnak notably scored his 41st goal of the season:

But more importantly, Pastrnak’s three points also allowed him to reach the 100-point plateau this season.

The Bruins are having a really tough season, after all… and they traded almost all their good players at the last trade deadline.

Overtime

– Clean.

– Wow!

– Preds win in overtime. Stamkos stood out by scoring four points.

– It’s heating up.

– The best scorers of the evening:

(Credit: LNH.com)

– Five games tonight. Go Flyers!:

(Credit: )
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Crosby to Montreal: the arrival of Ivan Demidov could change everything

I was chatting with a former colleague who was at the Bell Centre for the 4 Nations Tournament a few weeks ago. I asked him, for fun, what he thought about the future of Sidney Crosby.

He replied that after seeing Sid in the Canadian dressing room, he believed more and more that he won’t finish his career in Pittsburgh. 50/50, in his opinion.

In the midst of a debate about whether his pride is greater than his loyalty, he told me this: “I couldn’t conceive of such an athlete not trying to win another Stanley Cup”, before adding that it would be a crime against hockey. “The Penguins must do the right thing for Sidney Crosby”, he added, indicating that reverse loyalty also exists.

This former colleague in question is from Nova Scotia and has occasionally rubbed shoulders with Sidney Crosby. “The Canadiens would always have a chance. He has a very, very, very great appreciation for the Montreal crowd and the respect they show him”, he mentioned. “But it’s a business, and the Canadiens are a lot of ifs, and the Avalanche is a lot of trophies”.

It was Marco D’Amico, who broke the news of Ivan Demidov’s arrival in North America, who spoke these words.

(Credit: Getty Images)

At the time of having this discussion, the Canadiens were far from being in the playoff picture, more precisely ranked among the 10 worst teams in the league. It was therefore logical to speculate that if #87 chose the team he wanted to be traded to, it wouldn’t be a gamble on a young, unaccomplished team.

Sure, the Avalanche is concrete. The guys have won. They have MacKinnon, they have Makar.

Montreal, at the time, was nothing concrete except for the mix and his attachment to the city and the blue-white-red.

I suggested that Montreal would probably have been considered more if the habs had had the time to fight for a playoff spot and show some great things when it counts, if only for a round or two. A bit of concreteness, that is. Marco agreed with this theory.

The situation has already changed since then. The Canadiens will participate in the playoffs, unless a catastrophe occurs, after a very impressive third quarter of the season.

The early arrival of Ivan Demidov, widely considered the best prospect in the NHL, has the potential to change everything. In my opinion, of course.

He scored 49 points in 65 games with less than 14 minutes of ice time this season in the KHL. He scored 3 goals and 2 assists in 6 playoff games, playing 17 minutes per game, with SKA. His coach, Roman Rotenberg, believes he will have an immediate impact in the NHL.

Without claiming that the young Russian forward will propel the Canadiens into the top tier, we can’t claim with certainty that it’s not possible.

In reality, NO ONE knows what the Montreal Canadiens can accomplish by adding a forward of Ivan Demidov’s caliber to a team that’s already turning heads. Playoff hockey is a matter of momentum, timing, energy, and emotions. We could have argued, before yesterday’s news, that the habs already had all that.

My colleague Charles-Alexis Brisebois said it yesterday: the guys in the habs’ dressing room must feel invincible.

And concretely, the habs have a good team. One of the best top trios in the league. A powerplay specialist in Patrik Laine. A third trio of veterans on fire. A future Calder winner on the blue line. Veterans, on defense, in addition to a solid young man in Kaiden Guhle. A number one goalie in the NHL. And now, a dynamic young sensation that nobody knows and nobody has studied.

Don’t get out your camping chairs just yet, that’s not the point. But the Canadiens can be a Cinderella team.

And if that’s the case.

We’re chatting: Montreal eliminates Washington, the best team in the East. They offer a good opposition to the Hurricanes in the second round.

Would Sidney Crosby be crazy to think that if he joined this team, the hope of lifting the Stanley Cup would be real?

I don’t think so.

Overtime

I’ll add this, but the Canadiens have a lot more stock to give to the Penguins than the Avalanche, in a trade, if Kyle Dubas wants to rebuild and start from scratch.

It’s not to be neglected.

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The Canadiens give themselves a serious option for the playoffs

With a win tonight, the Habs wouldn’t have officially qualified for the playoffs, but it’s almost the same.

Montreal faced the Red Wings in a big four-point game.

Here are the lineups:

After missing the last game, David Savard was back in his position. Arber Xhekaj, on the other hand, returned to the stands.

Like the last two games, the opponents started strong and scored first.

Dylan Larkin scored after a nice play by Patrick Kane.

After the first period, Detroit was only up by one goal, but dominated 24-4 in shots on goal.

Lucky that Samuel Montembeault was there in the first…

Despite the visitors’ dominance, even in the second period, the Habs stayed within a goal and only needed one shot to get back into the game.

Cole Caufield scored his 37th goal of the season after a nice defensive play.

On Caufield’s goal, number 14 also picked up his 85th point of the season.

We have to go back to 1996 to see a forward with more points than the captain in a season (Pierre Turgeon, 96).

Meanwhile, J.T. Compher is helping the Habs.

In the third period, Lane Hutson did everything for Josh Anderson. He missed a golden opportunity…

But the new dad wasn’t going to miss a second chance like that. This time, on a pass from Christian Dvorak, Andy scored his first goal since becoming a father.

In their last 12 games, this trio has more points than the team’s first line.

You read that right.

The Habs held on despite giving up 36 shots. For a second consecutive game, the Montreal goalies were almost perfect. In Monty’s case, he reached the 30-win plateau for the first time in his career.

With this win, Montreal gave itself a serious option for the playoffs.

Final score: 4-1 Habs, who scored two goals in an empty net. First, Brendan Gallagher, then Nick Suzuki.

The Habs will be back in action on Friday in Ottawa. Will Ivan Demidov make his debut?

Overtime

– Wow.

– The warrior stayed in the game, at least.

– It wouldn’t have been too much.

– Tim Stutzle is on fire.

– What an atmosphere!

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Kent Hughes has still not spoken to Ivan Demidov since his signing

Ivan Demidov has signed and it’s only a matter of time before he joins the team.

We’re waiting for his papers and he will be integrated into the Montreal lineup. But for now, there is no official deadline for his first game in the NHL.

This is what Kent Hughes stated in an interview with TSN during the first intermission.

Even though the GM of the Habs says he doesn’t want to put pressure on him – after all, Demidov is only 19 years old -, the young player will have some.

He may play on the second line and have some powerplay time. Will he have time on the first wave? If so, who will replace Martin St-Louis? It’s between Juraj Slafkovsky and Cole Caufield, as Nick Suzuki, Lane Hutson, and Patrik Laine won’t be replaced…

In short. Welcome to Montreal.

Hughes hopes to see him one or two times before the playoffs (if his team participates). The GM also admitted that he had not spoken to his young player, so he doesn’t know how he feels exactly. I imagine he’s excited, but the fact remains that management hasn’t spoken to him in person since last December, when they went to see him in Russia.

In addition to talking about the player of the hour in Montreal, Hughes also talked about Lane Hutson, Nick Suzuki, and Jacob Fowler, all players he candidly praised.

He also reiterated that he wants to add talent this summer. Will it be through a transaction or through the draft? He didn’t mention it.

The summer – more than ever – is something to watch in the metropolis. At least Demidov will already be there and will have had the chance to get used to the superb city.

Overtime

– Advantage Ivan Demidov.

– What a start to the season, indeed.

– A 300th goal for Ryan O’Reilly.