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Chris Chelios would love to see Lane Hutson break his franchise record

Lane Hutson is closing in on the Montreal Canadiens’ franchise record for most points by a rookie defenseman.

He currently has 62 points, while Chris Chelios’ record stands at 64 points.

Just two points, which should be achievable considering the #48’s recent production.

Chelios wasn’t even aware he still held the franchise record until he heard about it recently.

That’s what he mentioned in an interview with 98.5 FM Sports.

« I had no idea I still held the record until Hutson emerged. And now, he’s going to break it. » – Chris Chelios

Even Chelios is certain Hutson will break his record.

The current record holder had kind words for the young defenseman.

Chelios said he knows his role, is a very intelligent player who works with angles, and has excellent vision of the game, and will continue to improve.

« He’s a good skater, has nice skills, is fun to watch, and the fact that Montreal is in the playoff hunt makes it all the more exciting. » – Chris Chelios

Still in the same interview (which you can listen to in English or a summary in French), the former right-handed defenseman sent a little message to the habs. He mentioned that if the organization wanted to pay for his flight to see him break his record, he would be delighted.

Although it’s not in the same category as the career goal record Alex Ovechkin tied on Friday, if Chelios could be present to see young Hutson break his record, it would be great. A bit like Gretzky was present for the game against the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday.

Overtime

– Beautiful gesture by the Chicago Blackhawks players to take the time to shake Alex Ovechkin’s hand who joined Gretzky with his 893rd and 894th career goals.

– The #8 is really in a class of his own.

– Even though Ovechkin didn’t manage to break Gretzky’s record, rookie Ryan Leonard scored his first career goal… in an empty net.

– The Québécois amassed his first point in the NHL.

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Alex Ovechkin ties Wayne Gretzky’s record

It’s done. Alex Ovechkin has joined Wayne Gretzky for the most career goals scored.

The Washington Capitals hosted the poor Chicago Blackhawks on this Friday evening.

The Capitals’ captain scored his 893rd career goal at the beginning of the game, with a surgically precise shot, as he has accustomed us to throughout his prolific career.

And in the 3rd period, #8 scored the long-awaited 894th goal.

Of course, he did it with a powerplay goal.

Legendary.

Wayne Gretzky was actually in the stands for the occasion and was alongside Gary Bettman.

The photo below was when Ovechkin scored the first goal of the game.

(Credit: Screenshot)

One can wonder if he was stressed to see his competitor get within one goal of his record, or if what Bettman was telling him didn’t interest him that much.

Overtime

– This statistic shows just how dominant Ovechkin has been throughout his career. He has more 40-goal seasons than all these teams have had players reach that plateau.

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“For me, Cayden Primeau is an NHL goalie” – Pascal Vincent

The Laval Rocket is having an excellent season and it’s largely thanks to Cayden Primeau’s success since his demotion.

The 25-year-old goalkeeper has a goals-allowed average of 2.02, as well as an efficiency rate of 0.922 in 22 starts, with 19 wins.

Things weren’t going well for him with the Montreal Canadiens at the beginning of the year and the decision to send him down (in favor of Jakub Dobes) was the best decision possible for him and the organization.

His performances have allowed the Rocket to climb to the top of the American Hockey League, with a five-point lead over the second-place team (before tonight’s games).

His coach in Laval, Pascal Vincent, had very good things to say about him in an interview on BPM Sports, during the Retour des Sportifs.

The words reported by Anthony Marcotte in the tweet above summarize what Vincent had to say about his goalkeeper.

On paper, there’s no doubt that Primeau is good enough to make the official jump to the National Hockey League.

But looking at his start to the season with the big club, there was nothing impressive.

The situation in Laval is quite different from Montreal and it’s always very difficult to make the jump to the National Hockey League, especially for a goalkeeper.

His confidence was clearly affected by the poor starts he had at the beginning of the season in Montreal. His demotion to the American Hockey League allowed him to regain his confidence and he could be a good backup to Samuel Montembeault.

However, it shouldn’t be this season, as the Rocket has a real chance of winning the Calder Cup and things are going too well for Primeau.

Next year will be a different debate, but he will still need to have a good training camp to take back his role as the 2nd goalkeeper behind Monty.

Overtime

– If Tage Thompson deserves his place, Cole Caufield deserves it just as much.

– Elliotte Friedman believes that Gabriel Landeskog’s return for the playoffs is now very realistic.

– Is Patrick Kane the best American player of all time? Ahead of Mike Modano and Brett Hull?

– The two rookies are trying to stand out in one way or another in this game.

– Too bad for the Toronto Raptors.

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I am sure there will be offers for Pascal Vincent as head coach

We can agree on one thing: Pascal Vincent is having an excellent season as the head coach of the Laval Rocket.

We knew the Rocket had a good group on paper, but when a team is so young, it’s difficult to have a clear idea of the successes it will have.

But seeing Laval at the top of the AHL with a five-point lead over its closest pursuers was not really expected.

The job he has done with all the young players is quite remarkable and could earn him an offer, or even offers, as a head coach in the NHL.

He could therefore return behind the bench of an NHL team, having been in charge of the Columbus Blue Jackets last year. He also has seven years of experience as an assistant coach.

Bruno Gervais, an RDS analyst and former NHL defenseman, was on the airwaves of TSN690 a little earlier today and discussed the offers Vincent could receive this summer.

According to Gervais, it seems clear that there will be offers from a few NHL teams.

I wouldn’t be surprised at all if he’s approached by a few teams, because he’s young and is good with young players. He’s also done an excellent job this season in his return to the AHL, after having tasted the head coach job in the NHL.

According to Bruno Gervais, Vincent was clearly very happy with the opportunity with the Rocket, as he could return to Laval, his hometown.

However, the ultimate dream remains to make a name for himself as one of the best coaches in the NHL, a bit like the players.

It’s just a matter of being patient and not getting caught up in the first opportunity. It’s about taking the time to evaluate the offer, but also the group you’ll be working with and the type of group you want to lead.

Still on the airwaves of TSN690, it seems to be understood that there could be four or five teams that could change head coaches during the offseason.

Obviously, we can think of the Philadelphia Flyers, who only have an interim coach to replace John Tortorella.

But another team could well want to look elsewhere, and that’s the Vancouver Canucks.

Rick Tocchet has a good track record in the NHL, but the Canucks’ current season is somewhat disappointing. Moreover, Rick Tocchet’s contract ends this summer, but there’s also a team option to keep him for another season. This means that it’s the team that determines whether it wants to keep its coach for another season at the same salary.

Going after a coach like Vincent could be beneficial for them, but other teams with a young core could also benefit from what Vincent can bring.

Overtime

– Nick Suzuki is really the MVP of the Habs this season, it’s not even a debate.

– Of course, Ovechkin scored another goal tonight and it only took him four minutes to open the scoring in Washington against the poor Blackhawks. Will tonight be the night Ovi finally breaks Gretzky’s record?

– With his 14th season of 40 goals or more, Ovechkin is undoubtedly in a class of his own.

– The head coach of the US team at the World Championship will be the coach of the San Jose Sharks.

– Worth reading.

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David Reinbacher got injured in his last match with the Rocket

Earlier this week, the Rocket announced that David Reinbacher would not be joining the team on the road for their western trip.

Pascal Vincent (BPM Sports) gave a few more details about the absence of his defenseman.

And it’s normal to worry…

The Rocket’s coach was a guest on Martin Lemay’s show and he said that if Reinbacher hasn’t played since March 19, it’s because the defenseman was injured in his last game.

Pascal Vincent didn’t want to elaborate on the nature of the injury… and we don’t know if he’s talking about Reinbacher’s knee.

However, what’s important to know is that Reinbacher is currently injured and that’s why he can’t play.

The Rocket’s head coach said that the Canadiens’ organization wants to be cautious with their defenseman, but still.

Especially in the context where we don’t know if his injury is serious…

Pascal Vincent mentioned that it’s nothing “major” with the defenseman, but he didn’t go any further in his comments.

It’s clear that the Canadiens don’t want to talk about it too much… and maybe that’s why there are starting to be some doubts about this story.

Because the worst that could happen is that Reinbacher has aggravated his knee injury. We know he had to miss a lot of time after getting hurt in a preseason game before the season even started…

In all of this, we can only hope that it’s not too serious for the defenseman. He needs to be able to progress to reach the National League… and if he’s not able to do so, it will quickly change the organization’s plans.

Especially since we agree that it’s already thin on the right side of the defense within the organization…

Overtime

– It’s not the first time we’re talking about it… 🤔

– To be continued.

– Indeed.

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The Canadiens succeeded in their mission by allowing Lane Hutson to be “himself”

Before he was even drafted by the Canadiens, there were huge doubts about Lane Hutson.

It’s no wonder he slipped to 62nd overall: teams didn’t believe in him, mainly because of his size.

Today, it’s Kent Hughes and his associates who can laugh about it…

But if Hutson is having so much success right now, it’s because there’s a reason behind it all.

The Canadiens didn’t want him to change his identity.

The Habs management and Martin St-Louis never told him to change his playing style because of his size, because they knew the defenseman had the natural talent to become a good player in the National League.

And it’s paying off today.

Without Lane Hutson, the Habs are surely not in the playoffs today…

The Canadiens have succeeded in their mission, in the end.

If they had asked Lane Hutson to change, the defenseman would probably not be as good as he is today.

The Habs surrounded him well from the start, they let him progress at his own pace in the NCAA (Hutson played two seasons with Boston University) without putting obstacles in his way, and that’s giving the result we see today.

It’s all for the better, because Hutson has been and still is able to exploit his strength: his offensive play.

The Canadiens know he will make mistakes at the defensive level – like 99% of other offensive defensemen in the National League -, but they have decided to live with it.

Martin St-Louis trusts him to the point of using him for almost 23 minutes per game (22:40) in his rookie season, and that’s not for nothing.

Hutson will learn from his mistakes, and that’s how he will improve.

And that makes you realize that the Canadiens have really done a great job in developing the young player.

Overtime

– Dylan Holloway will miss some time.

– He’s injured.

– Leon Draisaitl is (again) injured.

– News in the MLB:

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Georges Laraque : “One day, Nick Suzuki will have 100 points in a season”

Nick Suzuki has been constantly improving since his arrival in the National League.

Year after year, he finds a way to be better… and he has developed today as one of the (very) good players in the National League.

The captain of the Habs has 81 points in 75 games so far this season and it is his best career haul.

The center player made his entry into the NHL in 2019-2020, he has never missed a game… and he is constantly improving.

  • 0.58 points per game in 19-20
  • 0.73 points per game in 20-21
  • 0.74 points per game in 21-22
  • 0.80 points per game in 22-23
  • 0.94 points per game in 23-24
  • 1.08 points per game in 24-25

At 25 years old, Suzuki is in his prime. He still has time to improve… and that forces Georges Laraque to think that the captain of the Habs will be able to score 100 points in a single season at some point

The last to achieve this feat was Mats Naslund… in 1985-1986:

Stephane Gonzalez explains it well: if Slaf had been good and Lane Hutson had had the chance to be on the Habs’ first powerplay from day one of the season, El Capitaine would probably already have more points on the board.

And it’s going to become even more interesting with the arrival of Ivan Demidov next season…

Whether he scores 100 points or not, Suzuki has demonstrated that he has the qualities to be a regular 75-80-85 point player in the NHL.

These players are not a dime a dozen, after all. And even if in the eyes of some, Suzuki is not a #1 center who can lead a team to the Stanley Cup… the #14 of the Canadiens is really making his case right now.

He is earning a spot on the Canadian team for the next Olympics because he is simply excellent.

And that makes you realize that we are really, really lucky to have him in Montreal.

Let’s just say that Suzuki was Bergevin’s 3rd choice in the Max Pacioretty trade…

Overtime

– Justin Robidas will play his first game in the NHL tonight.

– Ivan Demidov’s season with SKA is not over yet…

– It’s tight in the American League.

– The Panthers will have to do without their captain’s services.

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Injuries: Brendan Gallagher hasn’t missed a game since the change in the medical group

There’s been a lot of praise for Brendan Gallagher lately and you know what?

It’s frankly well-deserved.

The little warrior from the Canadiens in Montreal has never changed his style of play and he continues to help the club in his own way. He’s started scoring goals again, he continues to disrupt the opponent and he’s fulfilling his role to perfection.

But there’s an interesting aspect when looking at the veteran’s file since the start of the 23-24 season, which is when the Canadiens changed their medical group.

Renaud Lavoie talked about it this morning (BPM Sports): the veteran hasn’t missed a single game since the start of the 23-24 season.

He played 77 games last season, but he missed five due to a suspension, not an injury.

He’s found a way to play every night… even if we know he must be worn out too.

Of course, part of this is due to the medical team.

Again, Gally hasn’t always looked 100% over the past two years, but still: he’s healthy enough to play and that’s what matters most.

This is also a big turnaround because, in fact, he hadn’t played 82 games since the 2018-2019 season.

Gallagher has often been injured since the 2019-2020 season…

(Credit: HockeyDB)

Gally has not only played in the Canadiens’ 75 games so far this season: he’s also scored a total of 19 goals.

He’s really having a great campaign, the 32-year-old veteran.

No one could have predicted he’d be able to bounce back after having tougher years, but he’s been able to do so.

We agree that he’s still overpaid right now because he’s earning a $6.5 million salary (his contract is valid until the end of the 26-27 season)… but okay.

I prefer the Gallagher we have now to the one we had two or three years ago.

And I’m sure it’s the same for you too.

Overtime

– The Caps face the Blackhawks tonight. And Ovi is three goals away from Gretzky’s record…

– I love Seth Jarvis’ personality.

– Good deal.

– What do you think?

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Standing: the Canadiens didn’t get the tiebreaker against the Rangers (and it’s important)

Let’s talk about the standings a bit.

When we look at it, we can see that the Senators will be difficult to catch in the first place among the drafted teams. If the Sens do what they have to do, they will qualify for the playoffs.

We suspect that the race to watch is for the Montreal Canadiens’ spot.

The Canadiens no longer have a game in hand against any direct opponents in the race – on the contrary – currently, but they have points ahead. In terms of points percentage, they are also ahead of the other teams outside the playoffs.

So, at the risk of repeating myself: if the habs do what they have to do, they can qualify for the playoffs.

The Islanders (seven points behind the habs) and the Red Wings (six points behind the habs) may have a game in hand over the Canadiens, but the carrots are starting to be well-cooked for these teams.

A miracle is always possible, though.

But logically, the teams that scare the habs the most right now must be the Blue Jackets and (especially) the Rangers. Looking at the standings, it’s a logical conclusion.

The Blue Jackets still have eight games to play, including two back-to-back and four road games. They also have the sixth most difficult schedule in the NHL from now until the end of the season – according to Tankathon, at least.

(Credit: NHL.com)

But most importantly, there is an important aspect to note: the Blue Jackets have two fewer regular-season wins than the habs. We’re talking about 24 for Columbus and 26 for the habs.

In the event of a tie after 82 games, it’s the number one factor in determining which team is ahead of the other.

So if the habs win more games in regulation than the Jackets from now until the end of the season, and the Ohio team gets four more points than the habs from now until the end of the season, the habs will still pass the Blue Jackets.

It’s therefore logical to think that the Blue Jackets need five more points than the habs (or several more wins in regulation, at least) to pass the habs in the standings. And that’s without counting the Rangers, who still exist.

And that brings us to the Rangers, precisely.

The New York Rangers (who were supposed to be an NHL power in 2024-2025) have played 75 games (like the habs) this season, have two points fewer than the habs, have the seventh most difficult schedule from now until the end of the season…

(Credit: NHL.com)

But they have 32 wins in regulation. Clearly, the habs (26) will not surpass the Rangers in this regard.

If the two teams have the same number of points at the end of the season, the Rangers will pass the habs in the standings. This is a very important aspect.

So the habs may have a two-point lead over the Rangers (and the third easiest schedule in the NHL from now until the end of the season), but they only have a one-point margin over the Rangers.

Winning games would not be a luxury for the habs. After all, a Rangers win on Saturday afternoon and a habs loss on Saturday evening would have the effect of temporarily removing the Montreal team from the playoff picture.

(Credit: NHL.com)

The habs have been rolling in sequences this year, and it will be necessary for the latest trend (three wins) to be the heavy trend from now until the end of the campaign. We must put the previous trend (five losses) aside.

Because otherwise, it will be hard to qualify.

The habs have a 55.8% chance of making the playoffs, according to MoneyPuck. And since the team will play more games at home than on the road from now until the end of the season (unlike the Rangers and Blue Jackets), this can be a help.

After all, except for the Sharks and Blackhawks, everyone in the NHL wins more often than not at home this season.

Overtime

– The idea of sending Jacob Fowler to Abbotsford to allow Cayden Primeau to be in Nashville on Sunday (and for Samuel Montembeault not to travel to Nashville for nothing) was raised by Martin Lemay and Bob Hartley. I liked the idea… but Fowler won’t be going to the West.

– Nick Suzuki: a revealing differential. [Réjean Tremblay]

– Ouch.

– Well done.

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Ivan Demidov makes up for a mistake with a superb goal

Today, Ivan Demidov faced elimination with his club, the SKA. The Dynamo led the series 3-1 before today’s game.

Roman Rotenberg still trusted Demidov on his first line, once again. We could think that the young man had chances to score.

And it happened. Obviously

After making a mistake, his coach didn’t bench him. On the contrary: he continued to give him playing time. In my opinion, Rotenberg has a fever – and I’m not talking about the playoffs.

Demidov used his good shot to score.

We must mention that earlier in the game, Demidov had collected a primary assist. The first two points of the SKA, including the goal that allowed them to take the lead 2-1, are partly thanks to him.

Anyway!

His second point of the game brought him back to five points, including three goals, in five games. All this at 18 years old and while he didn’t have a lot of playing time to start the series.

Details to come…

Overtime

– Interesting.

– I like that.

– Nick Suzuki, player of the week according to the NHLPA.

– Oh.