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P.K. Subban wants to see Lane Hutson win the Calder “if the Habs make the playoffs”

The Montreal Canadiens are giving us a great end to the season by fighting for the playoffs, and this is largely due to several great stories within the Habs.

We can obviously think of the performance of the veteran trio (Anderson – Dvorak – Gallagher), or the incredible consistency of Nick Suzuki, who currently has 81 points in 75 games.

However, there is one story that stands out, and it’s the historic season that Lane Hutson is having.

What Hutson has been doing since the start of the season as a 20-year-old rookie defenseman (21 years old since February 14) is simply amazing.

He’s breaking record after record, and he doesn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon with seven games left in the season, as he’s just three points away from breaking Chris Chelios’ record.

His 62 points in 75 games put him at the top of the NHL’s rookie list this season, which gives him an excellent resume to win the Calder Trophy, awarded to the best rookie of the season.

Moreover, according to former Habs star defenseman P.K. Subban, if the Canadiens qualify for the playoffs, the Calder Trophy should totally be awarded to Lane Hutson.

Subban has changed his mind in recent weeks, as he explains in the video, two weeks ago, he would have voted for Macklin Celebrini.

Hutson’s recent level of play in a frantic playoff run is clearly turning heads.

The former Habs number 76 says Lane Hutson is his favorite player to watch right now in the NHL, and seriously, we can’t even say he’s exaggerating.

What Hutson can do with the puck is really impressive and extremely entertaining.

The Tricolore rookie has not only been consistent throughout the season, but he has also elevated his game at the most important time of the season, the final stretch of the playoff run.

Hutson is carrying his team to the playoffs, and therefore, as Subban says, if the Habs qualify for the playoffs, the 2024-2025 Calder Trophy should be his.

Even if Macklin Celebrini, Matvei Michkov, and Dustin Wolf are having great rookie seasons, I don’t think any of them deserve the trophy more than Hutson, who could very well lead his team to the playoffs.

In short, these are very flattering words from the 2013 Norris Trophy winner (awarded to the best defenseman in the NHL).

Hutson is the best defenseman the Habs have had since P.K. Subban, and seriously, we could already say he’s better.

Subban never had more than 60 points in an 82-game season, while Hutson already has 62 points in his first season in the big league.

Let’s also recall that Subban was nominated for the Norris with less than that.

Obviously, Subban would have probably scored more points in 2013 (38 points in 42 games) if it hadn’t been for the lockout, but what Hutson is doing right now is still historic, both for the Canadiens and the entire NHL.

Overtime

– Really great.

– To watch.

– What an incredible performance by the Senators’ second goalkeeper against the Stanley Cup champions.

– Still.

– Wow! To read.

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In images: Jacob Fowler’s new mask is absolutely beautiful

Yesterday, Jacob Fowler officially made the jump to the professionals. The Habs prospect, with two strong seasons in the NCAA, will see his entry-level contract start in 2025-26 … but he will finish the current season in the AHL.

We should therefore see him with the Rocket this year.

And necessarily, since he is leaving Boston College, we suspected that he would have to get a new mask … and that’s exactly what he did. In the end, the result is really, really beautiful.

Once again, it was the artists Sylvie Marsolais (Sylabrush) and Alexandre Mathys who did the design. And what we notice is that the goalkeeper’s mask has a lot of references.

His native Florida, the song Fix You by Coldplay (which we hear during the players’ entrance at the Bell Centre), Iron Man, the logos of the Habs and the Rocket and even the #9 of Maurice Richard (in the style of the Rocket de Laval): it gives a magnificent result.

 

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I particularly like the #9 which is placed on the back of the mask. It’s a nice tribute and a beautiful nod to a legend of the organization, that.

And it’s a nice way to honor the memory of those who wore these colors before.

Note that yesterday, when Fowler practiced with the Habs players, he didn’t wear his new mask, but rather a completely white one. His new mask may not have been ready yet (everything happened very quickly, after all), but I imagine we’ll see Fowler wear it when he’s in front of the Rocket’s net by the end of the season.

We must once again highlight the work of Sylvie Marsolais and Alexandre Mathys, who are very often involved in the design of the Habs goalies’ masks. They are always very beautiful, and Fowler’s is no exception.

Let’s hope we’ll see the young goalkeeper have a lot of success with this one.

Overtime

– A win tonight would not guarantee a playoff spot for the Habs, but …

– A classic.

– Larry Robinson congratulates Alex Ovechkin.

– 17 points in 12 games: Sidney Crosby is on fire.

– What do you think?

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Win of the Devils: the Habs are assured to be in the top-8 of the East tomorrow morning

With the Canadiens at the height of the playoff race in the East, we’re keeping a close eye on what’s happening with the team’s rivals. And this afternoon, the Rangers’ game against the Devils was a crucial one to watch.

Remember that, unlike the Blue Jackets, the Rangers hold the tiebreaker over the Canadiens (and that’s not likely to change by the end of the season). They’re therefore the biggest threat to the Habs right now.

The Tricolore really needed the Devils to win… and Martin St-Louis’ men can thank Sheldon Keefe’s team this afternoon.

In the second period, the Devils took advantage of two powerplays to score two goals.

Timo Meier and Jesper Bratt found the back of the net.

The rest of the game was Jacob Markström’s show, as he was solid in net. The Devils’ goalie turned away all the Rangers’ shots en route to a shutout.

He probably gained some fans in Montreal today.

And in the third, Meier added a second goal to his tally to make it 3-0. Nico Hischier followed suit a few seconds later (this time into an empty net) to add a fourth goal.

That officially put an end to the Rangers’ comeback hopes, who were defeated by a score of 4-0.

This is an important win for the Canadiens, as their main rival in the playoff race didn’t pick up any points this afternoon.

Now it’s up to the Habs to do their part and beat the Flyers in a few hours.

Overtime

With the Rangers’ loss today, the Habs are guaranteed to wake up tomorrow as the second wild-card team in the East. No other team can catch them today… and Martin St-Louis’ team will have the opportunity to distance themselves from the Rangers with a win tonight.

The other big rival of the Canadiens in the playoff race, the Blue Jackets, are facing the Maple Leafs tonight. Feel free to decide if you dare to hope for a win from the Toronto rival.

(Credit: Screenshot/NHL.com)
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I can confirm that Jake Evans is injured at the moment

For a large part of the season, Jake Evans and Joel Armia were key pieces of the Canadiens’ success. The two players were extremely effective on the penalty kill and formed, along with Emil Heineman, a very solid fourth line.

At times, the “fourth line” even had the appearance of a second line.

That being said, over the past few weeks, things have been more difficult for the two players. They are still in the lineup, but it’s clear they’ve lost a bit of their magic.

In Armia’s case, we’ve known about his injured wrist for some time. However, according to Marco D’Amico’s report on BPM Sports today, Evans is also dealing with an injury.

He didn’t specify the nature of the center’s injury, but he said he could “confirm” that Evans is dealing with something.

In fact, this would explain (at least partially) the decline in Evans’ offensive production. He has two assists in the last game (and could have scored if he hadn’t decided to offer a goal to Nick Suzuki), but we’re talking about a guy who has only two goals since the start of 2025.

We knew he was suspect to regression, but it’s really intense right now.

That being said, beyond production, it also explains the decrease in ice time for the two forwards. Evans has played less than 14 minutes in four of the last six games, a mark that Armia hasn’t reached in his last nine games.

Is it (among other things) for this reason that we decided to send Emil Heineman to another line to try to get him going again? The question arises.

In the context where the team is in the midst of a playoff race, we shouldn’t expect to see the two players, who are still relatively effective, take time off. The Habs don’t really have the depth to replace them anyway… and the two players won’t want to give up their spot either.

But with Oliver Kapanen back with the team, it gives Martin St-Louis another option. We’ll see if he uses it to help his two injured forwards.

In Overtime

– Important reminder. Colleague Charles-Alexis Brisebois provided a complete picture of the situation yesterday.

– It’s clear.

– The start of a great era in the NHL.

– All the details of Jacob Fowler’s entry-level contract.

– It has the merit of being clear.

– Well-deserved.

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Flyers : the Habs will have to watch Matvei Michkov, but Ryan Poehling is also on fire

Tonight, the Canadiens will face the Flyers at the Centre Bell. This will be an opportunity for the club to avenge their defeat at the hands of Brad Shaw’s team, which occurred about ten days ago.

This was the last game before Kaiden Guhle’s return, but most importantly, it was a defeat that was not ideal considering the playoffs race in town.

And just like the last game, all of this has the makings of a trap game for the Habs. The club will have to make sure not to be surprised by a team that wants to play the troublemakers, but most importantly, a team that is counting on guys who are on fire these days.

Matvei Michkov is the name that obviously comes to mind. The young Russian has scored 11 points in his last six games, including seven in his last three, and it seems that John Tortorella’s departure is doing him good. And facing Lane Hutson, his rival for the Calder, he may want to put on a show.

However, there is another player on fire with the Flyers, and we’re talking about a name known to the Habs: Ryan Poehling has 10 points, including seven goals, in his last 10 games. He is also on fire.

With 10 points in his last 10 games, including seven goals and three assists, Ryan Poehling is making the most of his expanded role.

Poehling has gained importance within the organization following the trades that sent Scott Laughton and Morgan Frost to other teams last month. He is playing a lot more minutes, and right now, he is giving his coaches reason to trust him with such a role.

Note that he did not practice with the team this morning, but the Flyers’ coach confirmed that Poehling will play tonight. And that’s good news for the club considering his recent contributions.

It remains to be seen if Michkov and Poehling will still be on fire after a long break. The Flyers have not played since Monday, which means they will be well-rested tonight, but perhaps a bit rusty.

Four full days without a game can be enough for a little rust to set in.

All eyes will obviously be on Michkov tonight, but Poehling is also playing like a guy who could do some damage to the Habs tonight. And the possibility of hurting his former club, which is in the midst of a playoffs race, must be motivating him.

The atmosphere is good at the Habs.

We smile because there’s hockey tonight #GoHabsGo

Wow.

There was a goalie fight last night in the ECHL!

Colton Parayko is approaching a return, but Jim Montgomery wants to be patient.

Parayko skated with the team Friday and was on the ice for today’s optional. He’s progressing, but Monty says, “I saw a couple of instances out there where for me, I wouldn’t have the confidence to play him even if he told me he’s a player. He’s getting close, but to me, he’s not ready.”

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Nick Suzuki: a top center good enough to lead his team to the Stanley Cup

A new level
Of confidence
And power
-Phil Anselmo, Pantera (Vulgar Display of Power, 1992)

Ahhhh the gentle poetry of Pantera: a new level of confidence and power!

All of this should be music to the ears of Habs fans these days.

Not sure if he’s a big fan of Pantera, but this new level of confidence and power is somewhat what Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki seems to have reached after knocking on the door of Kent Hughes to tell him not to make any trades at the deadline.

To tell him that his team was going to make the playoffs.

And all of this is enough, of course, to relaunch the great debate about Nick Suzuki’s place in the hierarchy of NHL centers.

What is a “true number one center”?

I often agree with Simon “Snake” Boisvert, both in his evaluations of prospects (except for Trevor Connelly!) and in his vision of building a hockey team and what it takes to build a winning team.

However, I’m a bit less in agreement with his definition of a “true number one center”, although I understand the principle.

According to the “Snake’s” definition, pivots of this nature are “capable of dominating the game night after night, presence after presence. We see them on the ice, their domination jumps out at us”.

Tonally, according to Boisvert, there would only be a handful of individuals of this kind in the entire NHL.

This would be these nine well-known individuals: Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Leon Draisaitl, Jack Eichel, Auston Matthews, Jack Hughes, Sidney Crosby, Alexander Barkov, and Brayden Point.

Right behind this select group of “true number one centers”, we would find the “borderline” Mark Scheifele, Tim Stützle, and Sebastian Aho.

And finally, a little further away, we would have Robert Thomas, Nick Suzuki, and say, Mathew Barzal and Anze Kopitar.

It’s hard to find fault with this “top-16”. We certainly have there the 16 best centers in the entire NHL right now… with a little thought for Macklin Celebrini.

But, in my opinion, we have all “true number one centers” there!

A slightly more generous definition

Without falling into the somewhat simplistic mathematical logic that there are 32 teams, therefore 32 number one centers – who would want Sean Couturier, Matty Beniers, Steven Stamkos, or Elias Lindholm as their number one center? – it seems to me that the Snake’s definition is a bit too restrictive. His top-9 of “true number one centers” only targets the cream of the crop, the elite++.

For my part, in general, a “true number one center” is a player who would be the best center on most NHL teams and who, in theory, well-surrounded, would be good enough in their role to win the Stanley Cup.

Thus, if I’m willing to say that McDavid and MacKinnon form a third by themselves, and that, at a stretch, when healthy, Draisaitl, Eichel, Matthews, Hughes, Barkov, and Crosby form another, there’s not really a big distinction to be made between the others when considering all the factors mentioned.

Right now, Suzuki, among the best scorers in the NHL since the Olympic break, is easily playing like a top-10 center in the NHL. At 25 years old, he seems to have reached his prime.

And next year, maybe Marco Rossi, Macklin Celebrini, or who knows who will reach this level. Everything changes and evolves with the seasons. We’re not talking about precious minerals, some of which will forever be purer than others and can thus be clearly distinguished.

Players get older, others get injured, some experience minor slumps here and there, others improve, become more mature, become better leaders, etc.

It’s all dynamic, biological, and “organic” and takes place in different social microcosms from one team to another.

In short, it’s fluid, it’s changing, and it leaves room for debate.

Good enough to lead a team to the Cup… but not alone

For me, what’s most important in the end – whether they’re capable of “dominating the game night after night, presence after presence” or not – is that the number one center is good enough to win the Stanley Cup with a good team around them.

It’s not necessarily the “top-tiers” of this or that category who resist all storms and win Stanley Cups: it’s the well-built teams that bet on good material in the right places.

Because, yes, as good as they are, and although they’ve come close in the past, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, at 28 and 29 years old, have still not managed to win the Stanley Cup, and the main reason is that their bosses have not yet managed to provide them with a solid team around them.

We could say almost the same thing about Matthews in Toronto.

Yet, centers much less good and talented than them, like Patrice Bergeron, Anze Kopitar, Jonathan Toews, and Ryan O’Reilly, have managed to win the Cup because they were able to evolve in better-built teams AND because they were good enough to lead (from Latin, conducere, “to lead together”) the locomotive, albeit not alone.

Eichel and Barkov, as good as they are, have also managed to win the Cup by leading very complete teams, “built for the playoffs”.

MacKinnon won the big honors in 2022 with a superb team around him, but hasn’t come close since the loss of Kadri and Landeskog (long-term injury). We’ll see what he does this season with the additions of veterans Brock Nelson and Charlie Coyle and the likely return of his Swedish captain.

I quite like Colorado’s chances this year…

In short, we understand that winning the Cup solely thanks to a dominant center is a myth. Even two aren’t enough sometimes.

It takes a high-quality team with no major weaknesses to win it all.

Your number one center, like your number one goalie and your number one defenseman, must fit positively into this team and be just dominant enough at the right time to meet the challenge.

The 2021 Canadiens and the Canadiens of the future

Suzuki, at 21 years old, with his 16 points in 22 games (minus-6 differential), was almost good enough as a number one center in 2021 to win the big honors with a Canadiens team “built for the playoffs”, but very imperfect.

It was a very well-surrounded Brayden Point who managed to do so.

The very young Suzuki was not the ideal number one center and certainly not the player he is today.

Maybe Danault (1 goal, 3 assists in 22 games) wasn’t the ideal number two center either.

And what about Tyler Toffoli and a very green Cole Caufield as the best wingers?

And surely Weber – who never played again and was holding on with pins and duct tape at that point – wasn’t the number one defenseman of our dreams, even if he was well-supported by Petry, Chiarot, and Edmundson.

Finally, even a generational goalie like Price, also very banged up and at the end of his career, couldn’t fill all the gaps in the team in front of him.

In short, the 2021 Canadiens weren’t strong enough in two of the three key positions, in addition to lacking depth on offense.

But the picture has already changed significantly. In addition to a mature Suzuki, the selection of a power forward like Slafkovsky, the arrival of Hutson, and a more complete Caufield, Montreal already has fewer weaknesses in key positions. And in the years to come, with the arrival of Demidov, Reinbacher, Hage, and certainly one or two other quality players, the team will have one of the best cores in the NHL.

One day, perhaps not too far away, Captain Suzuki should therefore be a number one center good enough to lead this group to the Stanley Cup.

At least, in theory!

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Michael Pezzetta will be in the lineup for a fourth straight game tonight

The Canadiens of Montreal will be back in action tonight, as the Philadelphia Flyers will be visiting the Bell Centre.

In preparation for this matchup, the Habs practiced this morning before addressing the media.

Even though the Habs are on a three-game winning streak, everyone was watching to see if Martin St-Louis would make any changes to his lineup.

It was possible that Oliver Kapanen and/or Arber Xhekaj could have played tonight, but once again, there will be no changes to the lineup.

Martin St-Louis himself confirmed this at the end of the press conference.

This means Arber Xhekaj will be left out for the 4th game in a row, while Joshua Roy will miss his 5th consecutive game.

On the other hand, this means Michael Pezzetta will play his 4th consecutive game tonight, as he will once again be on the team’s fourth line.

This is only the second time Pezzetta has played as many games in a row this season, having previously done so only at the beginning of January.

Pezzetta has thus managed to earn his spot for a little while, and he must take advantage of it.

Finally, in goal, without any surprise, it will be Samuel Montembeault who will start.

Once again, this will be an extremely important game, as the Habs cannot afford to lose points, especially with the Rangers right behind them.

In short, the Habs must not fall into the trap of the Philadelphia Flyers, as they did last week.

Overtime

– Not to be missed tomorrow.

– Interesting.

– What a moment!

– Patrick Kane also made history last night.

– He surely contributed to it.

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“It was a pleasure to have Jacob Fowler in class” says a teacher from Boston College

This week, after the elimination of Boston College last weekend, we were closely watching what would happen with Jacob Fowler, the Habs’ top prospect in net.

After seeing Fowler’s teammates with Boston College, Gabe Perreault and Ryan Leonard, sign their entry-level contracts in the NHL, we were wondering when it would be Fowler’s turn.

And finally, on Thursday, the Habs’ prospect signed his entry-level contract in the NHL, which will begin next season. In the meantime, Fowler will finish this season with the Laval Rocket via a professional tryout.

The Habs’ top prospect in net is therefore under contract, and it’s excellent news.

Fowler is a good kid, and the organization has believed in him from the start, when they had him at the top of their list of goalies in the 2023 draft.

The Habs love Fowler, especially for his attitude, which is a key element of what the Habs are looking for in their team culture. He has great energy and a great personality that we all loved in the behind-the-scenes video of the 2023 draft.

No one is surprised when we hear a former teacher of Fowler say that he was a pleasure to have in class.

In fact, Chris Cotillo, a journalist who covers the Boston Red Sox and teaches communication at Boston College, took the time to mention that Fowler was a very good student in his classes and that he was very pleasant to have as a student.

Fowler is therefore a young man who likes to learn and especially wants to learn, which is exactly what the Habs are looking for in a young player.

The Habs’ top prospect in net not only has impressive assets on the ice, but also very important assets off the ice.

It’s no wonder that Kent Hughes and his team had set their sights on him in the third round, 69th overall, in 2023.

We really like Jacob Fowler’s overall work with the Habs.

In short, let’s see how the Habs’ new goalie will do now that he’s made the jump to the pros.

Overtime

– Ovechkin’s teammates are just as invested and happy as he is.

– CF Montreal will be in action tonight in Columbus to face Wilfried Nancy’s Crew.

– The former Leafs prospect, traded for Brandon Carlo, could play soon with the Bruins.

– It will be tough for the Bruins to remain competitive.

– For those interested.

– A player to watch in the next draft.

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Alex Ovechkin confirms it: he doesn’t want to break the record with an empty net

We witnessed a historic moment in the National hockey League last night, as the record for most career goals by Wayne Gretzky was tied by none other than Alexander Ovechkin.

The number 8 of the Washington Capitals scored two goals in a 5-3 win for the Capitals over the Chicago Blackhawks, which allowed him to catch up with Gretzky at the top.

It was a completely crazy evening in Washington, and this evening could have been even crazier if Ovechkin had scored a third goal in this game.

He would have thus tied and broken the record in one evening with a hat-trick.

It would have been clearly magical.

Moreover, several people thought he would score a third, especially when the Blackhawks pulled their goalkeeper at the end of the third period.

However, as many have been talking about for a while, breaking the record on an empty net would clearly not have the same effect.

This historic moment that would be viewed thousands and thousands of times would lose some of its charm if it were achieved with a goal without a goalkeeper in front of the net.

And fortunately, Ovechkin agrees, he who confirmed not wanting to break the record with an empty net.

The “Great 8” could have been on the ice to try to score his third goal of the game in an empty net, and thus break the record, but in the end, he told his coach, Spencer Carbery, that he didn’t want to jump into the fray.

It was finally Ryan Leonard who sealed the outcome of the game by scoring the empty net goal, he who by the same token scored his first goal in the National hockey League.

Of course, it doesn’t have the same magnitude as the goal that would have allowed Ovi to surpass Gretzky, but still, in Leonard’s place, I don’t know if I would have wanted to score my first goal in the National hockey League in an empty net.

In short, in the end, it’s good news to know that Ovi doesn’t want to break the record with an empty net, because it confirms that we will have a goal worthy of the record that will be scored.

Of course, we all hope that it will be a signature Ovechkin goal, either a shot on a powerplay or a deke.

Wayne Gretzky must also think so, he who was on site last night.

Additionally, it’s also a great moment to have the two best scorers in National hockey League history tied at the top for a while.

Tying and breaking the record in two steps gives us two historic moments filled with emotions, which is clearly not a bad thing.

Moreover, note that if Ovechkin scores at least one goal in his next game, on Sunday at 12:30 against the Islanders in New York, Ovi will have more goals than Gretzky having played the same number of games, namely 1487.

Overtime

– A well-deserved nice gesture.

– Magical.

– What an incredible season for the Trois-Rivières Lions. They were close to disappearing about a year ago, and now they’re division champions.

– The Minnesota Wild should start looking in their rearview mirror.

– Wow, what a performance.

– Incredible.

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Top-3 : the Hurricanes and the Wild did not help the Canadiens last night

Last night, in the NHL, all eyes were on Alex Ovechkin, who joined Wayne Gretzky as the top scorer in NHL history.

That being said, there was also action elsewhere in the NHL.

Here’s what to take away from last night’s game in the Bettman circuit:

1. The Islanders find their way back to victory

Not so long ago, the Islanders were at the forefront of the playoff race in the East. That being said, the team was in the midst of a six-game losing streak… so the men of Patrick Roy had some work to do to get back on track.

And last night, against the Wild, that’s exactly what the team did: they finally found their way back to victory.

The Wild opened the scoring… but the Islanders scored two quick goals in the third period.

And in the third period, Noah Dobson scored the insurance goal for his team with a powerplay goal.

That nailed the coffin for the Wild.

The Islanders won 3-1, which wasn’t the ideal scenario for the habs.

And unfortunately, that scenario repeated itself in Detroit…

2. A record for Patrick Kane in a Red Wings win

The Red Wings, another team that has work to do to get back into the playoff race in the East, faced the Hurricanes last night.

And quickly, the Wings took the lead, courtesy of old Ben Chiarot.

Both teams added a goal after that… and then it was Patrick Kane’s turn to score.

By doing so, he became the American-born player with the most 20-goal seasons in NHL history.

The Hurricanes tried to come back in the third… but Alex DeBrincat put an end to their hopes of winning with a goal in an empty net.

The Red Wings won 5-3.

For the Canadiens, it’s not the end of the world given that they still have a lead over the Islanders and the Wings… but the win by the two teams last night allows them to get back into the race.

Losing would have “pretty much” taken the two teams out of the race, but this morning, they still have a chance, however small it may be.

(Credit: Screenshot/NHL.com)

3. A first career goal for Ryan Leonard

Last night in Washington, all eyes were on Alex Ovechkin. And when we saw him equal Wayne Gretzky’s record, we wondered if he would complete his hat-trick if he had to do it in an empty net.

And we finally got the answer to the question: Ovechkin told his coach that he didn’t want to break the record that way. So last night, when the Blackhawks pulled their goalie, Ovechkin was sitting on the bench.

That being said, we still had a special moment at the end of the game: Ovechkin may not have scored, but Ryan Leonard did.

He scored his first career goal… and he did it in front of his family and friends who were attending the game.

The Capitals eventually won 5-3.

John Carlson had three points (three assists) in the win.

Overtime

– The photo of the night.

– Beautiful moment.

– Justin Robidas, the son of Stephane (who is an assistant to Martin St-Louis), played his first game in the NHL last night. He had an assist.

– Game-winning goals: Alex Ovechkin at the top of NHL history.

– The top scorers of the night.

(Credit: Screenshot/NHL.com)

– The (big) schedule for the day.

(Credit: Screenshot/Google)