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Lane Hutson hasn’t missed a single optional practice this season

The vast majority saw Lane Hutson becoming a very good defenseman in the NHL eventually, but very few people expected him to be so dominant as early as his rookie season.

In 69 games, he accumulated 53 points, including five goals, which is something very few rookie defensemen have been able to do.

There’s not much to criticize in his game, even if he’s not perfect. He’s only 21 years old, after all, it’s normal.

Although many feared that his small stature would be a problem, Hutson does very well and never gets hit, or almost never. His exceptional agility allows him to navigate through small spaces without getting caught.

On the other hand, in his offensive game, there’s one thing he needs to polish, and that’s his shot.

We’ve seen him try to shoot a bit more lately, and he seems to be gaining confidence in his shot, quietly but surely.

And that’s something that can be worked on in practice.

We know that the young defenseman loves being on the ice and doesn’t seem to miss any opportunity to be there.

Moreover, according to Arpon Basu of The Athletic, the #48 hasn’t missed a single optional practice this season.

Hutson is really a hockey fanatic. Very few players spend as much time on the ice as the Habs’ rookie, and that can only pay off in the long run.

According to what Basu reports in his article, you have to tell Hutson to leave the ice for him to do so.

We saw his love for hockey a few days ago when the left-handed defenseman stayed on the ice for at least 30 minutes after the end of practice.

Martin St-Louis is himself a hockey addict. It’s therefore easier for him to understand his desire to be on the ice. He has a more laid-back attitude towards his young protégé, and that can only help him adjust to the NHL game.

In the article, there’s a quote from Lane Hutson about MSL’s coaching.

« He has been quite permissive [in coaching me], letting me manage things on my own. » – Lane Hutson

Definitely, Hutson seems to appreciate what St-Louis is doing for him, and that can only be beneficial at this stage of his development.

Overtime

– To read.

– The option of acquiring Evgeni Malkin has been raised so he can play center for Ivan Demidov next year. It’s not crazy, but the Habs would overpay for the name rather than what he can bring.

– Sean Monahan is making his presence felt in his first game back since early January 💥 pic.twitter.com/JZsAZhqYY7

– The Québécois is on fire lately and could miss the game against the Habs.

– To read.

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Samuel Montembeault is the second most useful goalkeeper in the NHL according to a new statistic

If you know baseball, you know that the Wins Above Replacement (WAR) statistic is undoubtedly the most revealing in terms of a player’s concrete contribution to their team. If you know basketball, the Wins Above Replacement Players (WARP) statistic is also recognized as one of the best, even if it has its limitations.

By accounting for a good quantity of positive actions for the outcome of a game, and comparing the outcome to what an average player would accomplish in such circumstances, we can try to put a number on the normally abstract value of a player.

A data science specialist, Patrick Bacon, developed such a statistic four years ago in the National Hockey League (NHL). On the new website of popular analyst @JFreshHockey, available for now only to Patreon subscribers, this statistic can be found.

One of these subscribers, a user of X, however, took a screenshot of the goalies’ statistics in terms of WAR. In second place is the Québécois goalie of the Canadiens, Samuel Montembeault. In fact, the stat is not bad, as Monty is sandwiched between the favorites for the Vezina: Connor Hellebuyck first, Andrei Vasilevskiy third, Logan Thompson fourth.

He is one notch behind Hellebuyck, and a hair ahead of Vasilevskiy.

Concretely, this means that Samuel Montembeault, according to this statistical model, brought 7 wins (14 points) more to the Canadiens.

And so, if the Canadiens had an average goalie between the posts, Montreal would be at the bottom of the NHL.

Perhaps there is a flaw, or an inflation of the stat? 14 points is a lot. In short, it’s the ranking that matters.

Nicolas Cloutier (TVA Sports) contacted @JFreshHockey for explanations. The latter explained that the “average goalie” constitutes the 65th best in the league.

Overtime

– Samuel Montembeault has almost had as many consecutive games as Carey Price’s peak during his Vezina season.

– Dustin Wolf still at the heart of the matter.

– What a season of redemption for Pierre-Luc Dubois.

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Grant McCagg would see David Reinbacher with the Canadiens in the playoffs as early as 2025

David Reinbacher has only played eight games with the Laval Rocket since his return from injury, and already doubts about the impact of his absence on his development are dissipating.

Among the optimists is Grant McCagg. The commentator for Recrutes Draftcast (The Sick Podcast) spoke about the young defenseman, who he has been watching in Laval, as someone who wouldn’t look out of place with the Canadiens in the playoffs this year. “He’s ready,” McCagg said.

“I want to see a long run by the Rocket, but they can win without him, they’ve done it all year. […] I think he could help the Canadiens right now, he’s finding it easy in the American League.”

— Grant McCagg

McCagg sees Reinbacher being called up by the end of the season, if a playoff spot becomes more certain, recalling that a spring team needs that kind of depth.

It’s perhaps important to note that over the last two seasons, David Reinbacher has played a total of 54 games, including 35 in Switzerland and 11 in Laval last year. While his 9 points in 19 games with the Rocket are impressive for a 20-year-old defensive defenseman, one might wonder if what he needs right now is some stability and a concrete opportunity to contribute to a winning team.

The experience of a successful Rocket playoff run could be huge for the young man who is considered a key piece of the Canadiens’ future blue line. However, there’s a “step” between the American League and the National League, and it would be risky to call him up now and risk breaking something that’s working well as of today.

In summary, it’s perhaps true that Reinbacher would already look good in the NHL. After all, his playing style seems tailored for the tight playoff hockey. We’re surely many who have thought, during the 4 Nations Tournament, that it would be wonderful to see him become a third of what Jaccob Slavin is. That being said, would it be precipitous to bring him to Montreal in this context?

The Austrian will have the chance to stand out at camp next fall and start from scratch, like everyone else, to earn a spot with the big club.

Because beyond his defensive skills, Reinbacher is showing in Laval what Grant McCagg considers the most underrated part of his game. “He’s going to score a lot of goals in the NHL. He has a bomb,” he said, watching sequences of the young player.

However, the reflection we’re having right now is in itself good news, regardless of the conclusion. Let’s just say that we’re not having the same discussion about Logan Mailloux right now, despite his offensive prowess.

Overtime

— Is Swayman trying to redeem himself with his teammates by fighting?

— Lane Hutson playing roulette!

— A great collection of highlights from Michael Misa.

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Jean Perron wouldn’t add Demidov to the lineup because it would “change the chemistry of the habs”

Ivan Demidov has the talent and potential to change things in Montreal.

His arrival on the team could help the habs offensively… because he has the skills to quickly become an impact player in the National League.

But in the eyes of Jean Perron, it would be pointless to bring him in now – even if it’s impossible because of the fact that Demidov’s contract with SKA is not yet over.

The former NHL coach (Poche Bleue) thinks this way because, according to him, it could change the team’s chemistry (which is excellent right now).

Fair enough… But at the same time, it’s not like the habs have 12 indispensable forwards either.

If Ivan Demidov were to take Joshua Roy’s place, for example… I don’t think there would be many unhappy fans in the city.

The chemistry is extraordinary right now […] Let’s keep this chemistry going, it’s going so well right now!

It’s true that good sports teams are often able to succeed when there’s good chemistry in the locker room.

But good sports teams are especially able to succeed when they have talented players on the roster.

It’s the same in soccer, hockey, baseball, football… name it.

From this perspective, adding a talented player like Ivan Demidov could certainly help.

Maybe it would “change the chemistry a bit” as Jean Perron mentioned… but at the same time, we’ve seen that Demidov has a great personality, as seen in his interview with the habs during the last draft.

And at this level, we also know that the guys are looking forward to seeing him arrive in town. Nick Suzuki said he’s really looking forward to playing with him, and seeing him go to the KHL, the players probably think the same way.

I have the impression that the players would welcome him with open arms, and not the opposite…

Overtime

– CF Montreal news:

– His role has changed… partly because of Lane Hutson.

– A return!

– What do you think?

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Anthony Marcotte : “I don’t think we’ll see Guhle play during the trip”

Kaiden Guhle practiced with his teammates this morning in Brossard.

And for the first time since his return to practice, he wore a jersey that allowed him to receive contact.

We also note that the Canadiens announced that the defenseman will travel with the team this week for games played in St. Louis, Philadelphia, Carolina, and Florida. But it’s not necessarily expected that he’ll play, according to Anthony Marcotte…

The latter was a guest on Martin Lemay’s show (BPM Sports) and said he doesn’t think Guhle will participate in any of those games.

Why?

The reason is simple, in fact: Guhle needs to participate in more physical practices before being thrown into the fire.

It wasn’t super intense on the ice this morning:

The Canadiens are doing well to take their time with him.

Because, in fact, there’s nothing that’s “pressing” right now.

The Canadiens are well-established in the standings, and it’s normal that they wouldn’t want to risk seeing Guhle get injured again if he returns to the game too quickly.

It wouldn’t serve much purpose, ultimately.

Guhle will clearly be able to help the Habs when he returns to the game… but again, that won’t be the case if he returns and isn’t at 100%.

He needs to be given the time to heal properly and to get back into game shape.

Without that, the Canadiens won’t be helping themselves by rushing Guhle’s return to the game.

Overtime

–

– Oh…

– Wow.

– Absolutely.

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Tony Marinaro got on the radio in Boston to roast the Americans

Following the Canada’s victory over the United States in the 4 Nations final, Tony Marinaro called into a Boston radio show to tease the Americans.

The clip shared by BPM Sports made the rounds on the web – and for good reason – because it was hilarious.

Tony had pretended to be a fan of the American team and told the Boston hosts that they didn’t appreciate the fact that “the Habs beat us all the time”. To refresh your memory a bit… : 

This morning, on his BPM Sports show, the radio host did it again.

The difference this time was that he introduced himself as Tony Marinaro from the start. But that didn’t stop him from teasing the two hosts because of Canada’s victory over the United States in the CONCACAF Nations League.

Marinaro teased the hosts by singing the Canadian national anthem… and telling the Americans they can’t beat the Habs even in soccer.

Again, it produced a magical result : 

If they were amused the first time Tony called, Adam Jones and Rich Keefe didn’t seem to find it super funny today.

We see on the faces of the two guys that they look a bit uneasy… even if we see a smile on their faces too.

Nevertheless, Tony Marinaro did what he does best, which is to put on a show.

The BPM Sports host always finds a way to entertain his listeners and he’s excellent at what he does. Again, not just any radio host would think of doing something like that… but it also shows how special Tony Marinaro is – in a good way.

Blessed Tony, to put it another way. 

My favorite part is when we hear him singing the Canadian national anthem at the top of his lungs…. Hehe. 

Overtime

– Beautiful contest :

– I love it.

– At least, he’s not seriously injured.

– He might be back in the game soon, though.

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Kaiden Guhle will make the trip with his teammates

Other good news for the Canadiens.

After seeing defenseman Kaiden Guhle skate this morning with the others (with a regular jersey), the Canadiens confirmed that the player will travel with the team for the upcoming road games this week.

We don’t know if he will play this week, though.

Practicing like a regular… traveling with the team… clearly, we feel that the Albertan is really close to returning to the game and it’s only a matter of days.

Good for the player, who suffered a serious injury.

But it’s also good for the club, which will need its roster to be able to continue fighting for the playoffs. And on that topic, Guhle will help a lot.

The coach must be happy.

One can wonder if Arber Xhekaj will be the one to make way for Guhle’s return. There’s a chance it could be Jayden Struble, but I think it will be Xhekaj who will make way.

But we’ll see: Martin St-Louis doesn’t want to confirm anything.

I don’t think David Savard will be the one to make way because he’s a right-handed player and a veteran. It’s likely to be Xhekaj or Struble, two defensemen from the same mold.

But we’ll see in due time.

Overtime

– Same here.

– Oh?

– Official.

– To note.

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Brossard : Kaiden Guhle practices with a regular jersey with the others

Interesting news from the Canadiens.

Kaiden Guhle was seen on the ice in Brossard with a regular jersey. A few minutes before the regular practice, the Canadiens’ defenseman skated a bit.

And according to colleague Marc-Olivier Cook, who was on site, he was moving well.

Of course, we wonder what this means for the rest of things. Is Guhle progressing well towards a return to the game? We must think that he’s not doing any worse than before, at least.

With a healthy Guhle, this would change things. We’re not necessarily expecting him this week, but we’ll see.

It’s also interesting to note that Josh Anderson, who has been playing clearly despite an injury for several weeks, was present at the team’s practice this morning.

Just before leaving for St. Louis, the veteran was on the ice. This doesn’t happen often during practices.

More details to come…

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Laurent Courtois thanked, Marco Donadel named 11th head coach of CF Montréal in MLS

The ride lasted 441 days.

When Laurent Courtois moved from the Columbus Crew organization to CF Montréal, Courtois had received advice from Wilfried Nancy, the team’s head coach in Ohio:

“Buckle up and enjoy the ride!”

However, Laurent Courtois’ Montreal adventure ended this morning, as CF Montréal has just dismissed him from his duties.

I’ve rarely seen such a short press release…

Courtois will be replaced on an interim basis by Marco Donadel. David Sauvry, Kobié Johnson, and Ludovic Taillandier will remain as assistants to the head coach.

The Champions League of staff, to use Laurent Courtois’ expression, didn’t last long. At least, it only lost its leader; the other coaches will stay in place.

CF Montréal is currently last in the overall MLS standings (30 teams). A tie and four losses…

Saturday night in Nashville, we may have seen the worst half of Laurent Courtois’ tenure as coach.

Even worse! CF Montréal has only scored two goals in five games… both in the first game in Atlanta. Since then, 411 minutes have passed without a goal.

Adding to this is the fact that Laurent Courtois often found himself at the center of conflicts (open or not) with certain key players on his team (Victor Wanyama, Josef Martinez, Matias Coccaro, Caden Clark, etc.), that he didn’t always have a cordial and respectful relationship with the media covering the team, that his plan was increasingly being challenged by members of the media (notably Olivier Brett), that his starting XI was (too) different from one week to another, that he didn’t seem to be a master of communication (even if he could come up with nice phrases that put some people to sleep), that he made the front office look bad (a.k.a. the owners) by not playing players like Bgaj, Pearce, Marshall-Rutty, and others, and that he was the only one to receive some boos during the launch event at MTELUS: it was clear that his time was running out.

And one can wonder if the club and Laurent Courtois weren’t already preparing their divorce last week, when we were told that the coach was sick…

Reminder: Laurent Courtois was not with his team on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday; Marco Donadel was in charge of practice.

Otherwise, one can wonder if the fact that the team was training just as well, if not better, without Laurent Courtois around may have made some decision-makers think twice.

I’ve said it several times in the past few hours: it will take more, it will take better. Will Laurent Courtois’ departure mean more and better? We’ll see.

Thanks for the months spent at the helm of the club, Laurent.
(Credit: Getty Images)

And the roster?
When you browse social media this morning, you don’t see CF Montréal fans applauding Laurent Courtois’ departure. Why? Because more and more fans are demanding better quality in the roster first and foremost.

We’re aware that the problem is bigger than just the head coach.

The team’s designated player, the best-paid defender, and the biggest transfer in club history have not played a single minute this season. It’s a bit unfair to show Laurent Courtois the door in these conditions, but that’s professional sports. You have to find ways to win.

Let’s hope Marco Donadel can work miracles… but also that the injured players will return to the game and that the sports management will decide to inject some quality into the roster.

In conclusion, I want to thank Laurent Courtois, who, despite giving some silly and dry answers to my questions, gave a lot to the Montreal club. Good luck for the future, Laurent.

In a nutshell

– According to what we’ve heard, Laurent Ciman lost his job partly because he didn’t get along with Laurent Courtois and because the team defended poorly on set pieces. Courtois is gone, and the team still defends poorly on free kicks and corners…

– Jesse Marsch, Mauro Biello, Marco Schallibaum, Frank Klopas, Rémi Garde, Wilmer Cabrera, Thierry Henry, Wilfried Nancy, Hernan Losada, Laurent Courtois, and Marco Donadel: CF Montréal is already on its 11th head coach since joining MLS (2012). We’re still looking for some stability behind the bench.

– I think Laurent Courtois could have been fired at the end of last season if Josef Martinez hadn’t saved by article discussing sent a message to Courtois; especially since initially, Laurent was Olivier Renard and Donadel’s choice, the Saputo family’s choice…

– Marco Donadel can speak a little French, but a few weeks ago, he told La Presse that he could speak a bit of French, but not enough to do so every day. He prefers to express himself in English.

– The first team has the day off today. Marco Donadel will lead his first practice as head coach tomorrow at the Centre Nutrilait (or at Marie-Victorin if the weather is capricious). His first game in charge of the team will be played on Saturday night in Chicago (on RDS, among others).

– Gabriel Gervais will meet with the media this afternoon at the Centre Nutrilait.

– Nilton Jorge and Sofiane Benzaza will broadcast a CCPP réagit on the noon hour. I’ll be on it.

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Sean Monahan: thanks for the first picks, but Montreal has one final request

We are less than a month away from the end of the regular season.

The Habs are not only in the mix right now, but they are also in the playoff picture. And tomorrow morning, regardless of tonight’s results, it will still be the case – even if Martin St-Louis’ men are not in action.

Why? Because the Rangers are not playing.

(Credit: Google)

In fact, there are three teams to watch tonight. The Red Wings will face the Salt Lake City team (when will the Utah HC get a name?) and the Islanders will face off against the Blue Jackets.

So yes, you will understand that the game on Long Island will be important in the playoff race.

(Credit: Sportsnet)

The problem? There is surely a club that will go for two points. And it’s even possible that the game will go to overtime, which would mean that both teams would get points.

Both teams have played as many games as the Habs (69), but even if the Islanders win, they won’t overtake the Habs. After all, tonight, the Islanders will have played 70 games.

Because the Blue Jackets are less fearsome (for now), have fewer points, fewer wins, and fewer regular wins than the Islanders, the Habs’ management must hope for a win (in 60 minutes) from the Ohio club.

In the short term, it would help the Habs.

What should be noted is that for tonight’s game, the Blue Jackets will have reinforcements. We should expect to see Erik Gudbranson and Sean Monahan in uniform for tonight’s game.

This will complicate things for Patrick Roy’s men.

I am convinced that Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes appreciated Sean Monahan in Montreal, and I am also convinced that the two first picks (obtained by the Flames and the Jets) bring joy to the Habs’ management.

But I also believe that the Habs’ hockey management must hope that their former center has a great game tonight, in order to beat the Islanders in 60 minutes.

It would help a lot.

After all, today, the Habs can’t do much. They will practice in Brossard and head to St-Louis for tomorrow’s game… but they can’t help themselves in the standings tonight.

Let’s remember that the Habs won’t have an easy week. They will play four games on the road, including a back-to-back at the end of the week. They won’t have a game on Saturday, but they will have an afternoon game in Florida on Sunday.

It’s weird, but okay.

With another good week, the Habs could maintain their position in the playoff race. But they will also need help since the margin of error is small right now.

How many points out of eight this week, in your opinion?

en rafale

– To watch in Vancouver.

– Tiger Woods confirms his couple to control the message.

– The father is proud.

– Rocket: it’s going well ahead of the playoffs. [98.5 Sports]

– And this, despite a difficult camp.