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David Reinbacher could return to the game on Wednesday

It’s been a while since we’ve seen David Reinbacher play a game with the Rocket.

And at that level, Kent Hughes provided an update on his defender during his press conference, earlier today.

Basically, what needs to be known is that there’s nothing structural regarding his injury. The Canadiens organization is being cautious because Reinbacher is young and one of the team’s top prospects. The Habs don’t want to see him get injured again.

But even if the organization is being cautious, it’s also agreed that Reinbacher needs to play if he wants to improve.

It’s logical: he won’t get better by watching games from the sidelines.

And even if Kent Hughes didn’t want to confirm it 100%, we can expect to see the defender return to the game on Wednesday.

Reinbacher hasn’t played in over three weeks, since March 21.

It’s too bad we’ve seen him miss so much time because Reinbacher was playing really well before getting injured.

Pascal Vincent said he was very impressed by the young defender’s performance, who collected four points (two goals) in eight games, and he said he liked his overall game on the ice.

That being said, it’s also why I’m looking forward to seeing him return to the game.

There might be an adjustment period since he’ll have missed almost a month if he returns on Wednesday… and I wonder what level he’ll be at on the ice.

But what can help him is the fact that Ivan Demidov will make his debut with the Canadiens this week.

The Habs prospect will play tonight and on Wednesday: this takes pressure off Reinbacher’s shoulders because all eyes will be on the Russian, who has been making headlines since his arrival in Canada last week.

Just knowing that Reinbacher could play on Wednesday is good news. And it’s even better if he’s able to find his rhythm quickly.

Overtime

Note that there are only three games left in the Rocket’s regular season.

The Canadiens’ farm team will play at home on Wednesday and Friday against the Belleville Senators… and will then travel to Belleville on Saturday.

So, there will be two games in two days over the weekend, on Friday and Saturday.

If Reinbacher is able to play two of these three games, it will be encouraging for the future. Because we also need to remember this: the Rocket has the elements to make a good run in the playoffs.

They will face either the Marlies (Toronto) or the Monsters (Cleveland) in the first round if the standings don’t change. Syracuse and Belleville are also possibilities.

A healthy David Reinbacher could help even more… and it would also allow the kid to play important games in the playoffs for his development.

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Kent Hughes on the airport: “It’s what makes Montreal the best hockey city in the world”

In recent days, DansLesCoulisses committed a nameless crime: filming in a public place.

Obviously, I’m joking here, referring to the images of Ivan Demidov at Toronto’s airport last Thursday. We were on site and it made several fans happy who are hungry for this type of content. The images were seen and shared by many people. #TheNumbersDontLie

And as we can see, Demidov himself didn’t play the offended party either.

Several people (including Darren Dreger) don’t understand the buzz, but don’t expect Kent Hughes to scold people for showing up to see him at Toronto’s airport.

On the contrary.

In fact, during his press conference today, the GM of the Canadiens was questioned on the subject and let’s just say he didn’t exactly look unhappy about what happened.

On the contrary.

The GM spoke about the passion of the fans and the fact that it’s more proof that Montreal is the best hockey city in the world. The passion of the fans is important.

He also said that it’s visible in the soccer culture and he thinks Demidov felt welcome in the city. So, in short, the GM (who addressed the media today) mostly understood everything, if we believe his public statements.

Montreal has many disadvantages for players. But seeing how Demidov was received on Thursday (and Sunday, when dozens of fans went to see him practice in Brossard), it’s an advantage.

And a big one… for players who thrive on that.

Overtime

– Interesting.

– Good point.

– The guys keep pushing.

– Official. He’s Lane’s brother.

– Interesting.

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Kent Hughes: the two factors that contributed to bringing in Ivan Demidov now

It’s official: the Canadiens will play Ivan Demidov tonight. He will play with Joel Armia and Alex Newhook. Additionally, he will have ice time on the second powerplay unit.

And as you know, expectations are high right now for Demidov.

Russian Demidov will speak to the media after the game, but Kent Hughes, the GM of the Habs, took the time to speak to the media before tonight’s game. Here’s what that looks like.

First, we note that the GM mentions that he did not pay the SKA to get Demidov out of Russia (he is not allowed to do so), but that certain aspects have made it possible for him to have him this year instead of next year.

For example?

  • The SKA being eliminated more quickly than expected.
  • The Habs lining up to make the playoffs, which was unexpected.

These are elements (and there are probably others that he cannot or will not disclose) that have made it possible for Demidov to be here now and to help the Habs push for the playoffs.

Because yes, making the playoffs tonight is still the goal. Hughes says he doesn’t have specific expectations for the Russian player tonight, as expectations are more focused on the team and victory.

Among the important points to note, there is also the fact that Kent Hughes affirms that yes, he can see Demidov’s arrival as a “reward” for the guys in the locker room – like Patrik Laine.

Wow.

Demidov was expected, as players would sometimes go see him to ask if the Russian player would arrive. The guy will be very clearly well received in the Habs locker room.

And he will be placed alongside the captain in the locker room, precisely…

Finally, note that the GM is convinced that Demidov has the potential to be an impact player. It’s no surprise to see him say that, but it’s still worth noting.

Are you looking forward to tonight?

Overtime

– Beautiful comparison.

– Speaking of the wolf.

– Sick.

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Martin St-Louis had no choice but to insert Ivan Demidov into his lineup

It’s confirmed: Ivan Demidov will play his first game with the Canadiens tonight at the Centre Bell, against Artyom Levshunov and Connor Bedard.

He will play with guys and use Bauer sticks because his new agreement with Warrior Hockey was signed a few weeks ago, but it will only come into effect in 2025-26. Whatever.

Demidov took part in the morning skate this morning at the Centre Bell with his new teammates and we now know that he will play alongside Alex Newhook and Joel Armia tonight (according to the Canadiens themselves, on the third line). Patrik Laine will play with Jake Evans and Oliver Kapanen on the fourth line. #SpecialistOfThePowerplay

Joshua Roy, Emil Heineman, and Michael Pezzetta will be the healthy scratches.

Martin St-Louis had no choice but to play him
About two years ago, Martin St-Louis had to play Sean Farrell at the end of the season, probably because there was a deal between his agent and Kent Hughes. We could sense in his answers to journalists that not dressing Farrell was not an option for MSL.

“Ask the other guy upstairs.” – Martin St-Louis on Sean Farrell two years ago, kind of…

Except that in Demidov’s case, it’s not for the same reasons that the coach has no choice but to use him tonight. It’s the talent of the guy that doesn’t give Martin St-Louis a choice. Regardless of whether there was an agreement with Demidov’s agent or not…

The Canadiens have just played four games in which the offense has struggled. Imagine if the team, which needs to get two points tonight to confirm its place in the playoffs, had a fifth anemic game offensively… and Demidov was watching from the press gallery at the Centre Bell! The Canadiens cannot afford to lose this game tonight.

“But Max, Demidov could be a distraction. He could hurt, more than help!”

I’ll tell you that if there is a distraction, it’s already there since his arrival in Canada on Thursday evening. And the Canadiens have just played two games of poor quality where no one seemed up to par (except maybe Jakub Dobes)…

Given this, you’re just as well off trying to turn the “distraction” into motivation and extra talent. The crowd at the Centre Bell will be behind the team like never before tonight, and that could allow the team to clinch their playoff spot against a team that will have several absent players tonight. #BiggestGameOfTheYear

Anyway, it’s not like Michael Pezzetta and Joshua Roy are very useful on the ice right now…

You know what? If Martin St-Louis and Kent Hughes are capable of having important discussions with their captain to gauge the mood of the locker room regarding the trade deadline, I’m pretty sure they did the same thing regarding Demidov’s integration.

The Habs have been a team of streaks this season. Several wins, followed by several losses, followed by several wins, followed by several losses…

Since Demidov can help his new team avoid a long slump, the coach couldn’t afford to deprive himself of him. That’s it. Especially since the team has been struggling to score the first goal for weeks…

Go Habs Go!

Overtime

– I’m looking forward to seeing the coach use Arber Xhekaj too, but that’s another story…

– The Canadiens will play their most important game in four years tonight. No pressure, Ivan…

– I was thinking about this… and I wonder if Lane Hutson will be able to have a playoff beard, if the team manages to qualify for the playoffs.

– I was told that Lane Hutson spent the season showing highlights of Ivan Demidov to his teammates in the locker room. He’s the player who’s happiest about Demidov’s arrival, from what I’m told. He thinks he has a new teammate who sees the game at the same level as him (and Martin St-Louis, notably).

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Ivan Demidov practices with Alex Newhook and Joel Armia

It’s D-Day.

After taking his first strides on Quebec soil yesterday, Ivan Demidov was present at the Habs’ practice in Montreal, ahead of tonight’s game against the Blackhawks.

And once again, he was expected.

Naturally, we were wondering which players the Russian would practice with. Alex Newhook was at the center, which is not exactly a surprise…

But it was Joel Armia who was with them.

As the first trio is untouched and Christian Dvorak’s is not either, this means that Patrik Laine practiced with Jake Evans at center – and Oliver Kapanen.

I wonder how Laine finds this…

More details to come…

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Importance of Jacob Fowler: Connor Hughes will miss the start of the series

Recently, goalkeeper Connor Hughes got injured. We didn’t know exactly what it meant for the rest of the games, but we could think he would miss some playing time.

And here’s the Rocket giving an update.

According to the club, Hughes will be forced to miss two to four weeks due to a lower-body injury. He will therefore miss the start of the playoffs since the season will end in less than a week.

With Jakub Dobes up top (and since the Habs risk making the playoffs, he shouldn’t be back in Laval soon) and Hughes injured, Jacob Fowler becomes more than important.

In fact, he becomes one of the two goalkeepers of the club. A good thing he’s not in Montreal.

During the last two games, Fowler was dressed for the Rocket. And last Saturday, he even played, letting only one goal in to lead his new club to victory.

It’s starting well.

From a development point of view, Hughes’ injury doesn’t come at a bad time. After all, Fowler will be dressed for all the games and will therefore have a chance to get some playing time.

It’s exciting.

I expect to see him play one of the three remaining games (Belleville will be in Laval on April 16 and 18, while the Rocket will be in Belleville on April 19) and even if Primeau starts the playoffs, who knows what can happen.

Stay tuned.

Overtime

– For those interested: I’ll be with Tony Marinaro at 10:15 am on BPM Sports.

– Rory McIlroy, the talent of Tiger Woods? [BPM Sports]

– Yesterday, he got the paycheck.

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Quotes in December: Patrik Laine must hope the Blue Jackets don’t make the playoffs

Do you remember when Patrik Laine, just hours before facing the Blue Jackets, said he had asked to leave Columbus because he was tired of losing there?

The Blue Jackets had canceled the video tribute planned for him and the guys in the Columbus locker room were upset. It seemed to whip the Ohio players into shape for the rest of the game.

This is why this morning, when I look at the standings, I think Patrik Laine must really hope his team qualifies – and not just that they’re #DansLeMix. Because if not, he’ll hear about it a lot… and not for good reasons.

(Credit: NHL.com)

For now, it’s still possible to see the Blue Jackets (who are doing all this without Johnny Gaudreau) overtaking the Habs in the standings. And even if the Habs have a 96.4% chance of making the playoffs, according to MoneyPuck, they can’t take it lightly.

Let’s recall that if the Habs get two points from now until the end of the season, the Blue Jackets, led by Sean Monahan, will be eliminated.

If the Canadiens get one point from now until the end of the season, the Blue Jackets will have to win their last two regular-season games to overtake the Montreal club in the standings.

And if the Canadiens don’t get any points from now until the end of the season, the Blue Jackets can qualify by winning their last two games without having to do it in 60 minutes.

Let’s also recall that the Habs will face the Blackhawks tonight and the Hurricanes on Wednesday. The Blue Jackets, meanwhile, will be in Philly tomorrow and will host the Islanders on Thursday.

The Canadiens must therefore, to avoid distractions, win tonight against the Hawks. This would put an end to all the distractions and allow some guys to rest for game #82.

Losing tonight wouldn’t be good for the standings.

But most importantly, winning tonight would avoid distractions. Already, Martin St-Louis has to deal with a lot of distractions around his team with everything that’s happening in the Ivan Demidov file…

One aspect to watch is whether the Habs can break the trend of their last two games.

Because, as you know, the Habs are a team of streaks. They’ve lost their last two games… after winning six in a row… after losing five in a row.

In short, you see the picture.

The Blackhawks are a bad hockey team, but they’ll have nothing to lose. That’s why the Habs players will have to be focused on the task at hand.

We can expect to see Ivan Demidov take a place in the top-6 with Patrik Laine and Alex Newhook. And if Emil Heineman is feeling well, will he be preferred to Oliver Kapanen and Joshua Roy Michael Pezzetta as the 12th forward?

We’ll see.

If the Habs win tonight (or if the Blue Jackets lose tomorrow night), we can expect to see Jakub Dobes, Arber Xhekaj, and players who play less face the Hurricanes.

But for now, nothing is done because they need to qualify. And to qualify, the Habs will have to start by shooting at the net.

Let’s recall that if the Canadiens qualify, they’ll play the Capitals in the first round. And for a few weeks now, the Caps have forgotten how to play team hockey because of the pursuit of Alex Ovechkin’s record.

But they’re still a good hockey team. And seeing the Habs get into the habit of starting games well this week could give them a chance once they’re in the playoffs.

Overtime

– Possibility of qualifying… Ivan Demidov’s debut… game only available on Prime in English… don’t be surprised if RDS ends the night with great ratings.

– Not bad.

– Sad news.

– A good thing he’s there.

– To read.

– Logan Thompson, back in the playoffs?

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Fake election campaign involving Ivan Demidov: he is “there for the Habs”

This one is going to get people talking.

Warrior company has partnered with Ivan Demidov to represent the company, and this morning, we saw Demidov’s “campaign signs” everywhere in the city with the Warrior logo.

The slogan “Here for the Habs” is likely to get people talking, either in a good or bad way, but it’s going to get people talking a lot.

Clearly, we can see that Warrior used the elections for their campaign. The company made 93 signs (like his number) and we can see some of them between real election signs.

And in their press release, we can read this from Warrior:

Following the elections, a new candidate is emerging in Montreal — and this time, he’s going to govern on the ice.

I wonder how this advertising is going to be received in the locker room. After all, Demidov hasn’t played a single game in Montreal yet, and he’s already the darling of the fans.

Who knows where this is going?

And clearly, the fact that during an election, a Russian is being featured saying he’s “here for the Habs” is surely a technique that will annoy several people in the city. Warrior must have anticipated this.

The signs, which might not stay up in the city as long as the real election signs, are not legal in this context. Municipal regulations prohibit the display of fake election ads.

Unions sometimes do it during campaigns… and it ends up in court.

But it doesn’t matter: this has the potential to get people talking and have a bigger impact than the slap on the wrist that might follow. This was undoubtedly calculated by Warrior.

Overtime

The elections will take place in two weeks. The fact of playing with the elections in this way, on the heels of the visit by Mark Carney and Pierre Poilievre to Tout le monde en parle, is a calculated move by Warrior.

What do you think about all this?

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Top-5: The Flames are now just two points away from the playoffs

Last night, the Canadiens could have qualified even if they didn’t play.

However, the Blue Jackets won.

Here are the other results and highlights:

1. The Flames are just two points away from the playoffs

The Flames are a team to watch lately.

Because yes, the habs have their first-round pick, but they also refuse to give up. Last night, they beat the Sharks and are now just two points away from the playoffs.

(Credit: NHL.com )

In the last two games of the season, Calgary will face the Kings and the Golden Knights.

It won’t be easy.

As for the Blues and the Wild, they will have a slightly easier task. They each have one game left to play and will face Utah and Anaheim, respectively… A race to watch in the West. St. Louis can officially clinch their playoff spot with a regular-season win, and Minnesota can do so with an overtime loss.

Regarding the game between Calgary and San Jose, Dustin Wolf was once again good. Watch this save to preserve the one-goal lead.

Final score: 5-2.

2. The Jets are the regular-season champions

The Jets may have lost to the Oilers in Edmonton last night, but they still finished first in the NHL.

Thanks to the Blue Jackets, who beat the Washington Capitals.

But as for the game, Winnipeg didn’t stand a chance. The shots: 38-18, in favor of the Oilers.

In the win, Connor McDavid (two assists) and Corey Perry (one goal and one assist) each had two points.

It was Eric Comrie in the Winnipeg net.

A rare start for him.

But with the first place in the league to be officially clinched, maybe Connor Hellebuyck won’t play much in the regular season.

3. The Lightning earn two big points

In the afternoon, the Lightning faced the Buffalo Sabres.

Thanks to a 7-4 win, they earned two big points to move away from the Panthers. I’ll write that they got closer to the Leafs, but they also won last night. I’ll come back to that.

Tampa is still two points away from Toronto and the highly coveted first place in the Atlantic. The two teams have the same number of regular-season wins, so this race will be one to watch.

(Credit: NHL.com )

As for the game itself, Jake Guentzel scored his 40th goal of the season.

Nikita Kucherov, meanwhile, is running away with the Art-Ross.

With Nathan MacKinnon set to miss the rest of the regular season, that opens the door for Kuch.

The Russian now has the same number of points as MacKinnon and 10 more than Leon Draisaitl.

4. The Maple Leafs’ 50th win

24 hours after beating the Canadiens in overtime, the Leafs were back in action.

This time, they faced the Hurricanes, and it was a much more convincing game. A 4-1 win.

It was the Leafs’ 50th win of the season.

Auston Matthews may not be the scorer he was last year, but he’s still dangerous when left alone like that.

He scored his 31st goal of the season.

The Leafs’ top scorer isn’t Matthews; it’s William Nylander.

He scored his 45th goal of the season on this sequence.

In the playoffs, Craig Berube will have a tough decision: who to put between Joseph Woll and Anthony Stolarz?

Woll gave himself some points with his game and particularly this save:

5. The Avalanche comeback

The Avalanche finished their season last night against the Anaheim Ducks without Nathan MacKinnon.

Colorado was down 0-2, but scored four unanswered goals.

Wyatt Aamodt first scored his first NHL goal.

Then, with just over five minutes left in the third period, the game was tied.

No question, Jared Bednar’s team didn’t want to go to overtime.

Charlie Coyle scored the winning goal a few minutes later.

The Avalanche will face the Stars in the first round.

Overtime

– What a sensational goal for the player who has 19 points in seven playoff games so far. I hope the habs tank next year to get him.

– Dominant.

– Basketball on ice.

– The top scorers from last night.

(Credit: NHL.com)

– Six games on the schedule tonight.

(Credit: Google)
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Here’s how the Canadiens can make the playoffs

The Blue Jackets are holding on to the hope of catching up to the Canadiens and participating in the playoffs.

(Credit: NHL.com)

Although the Canadiens have their destiny in their hands, with only two games left to play, nothing is yet decided for the Montreal team.

Here are the possible scenarios:

1- If the Canadiens get two points, the team makes the playoffs regardless of the Blue Jackets’ results.

2- If the Canadiens get only one point, the Blue Jackets must win their last two games in order to get the tiebreaker (currently the Habs have 29 regular time wins against 28 for the Jackets).

3- If the Canadiens get no points, the Blue Jackets must win their two games and surpass the Habs in terms of points.

What is clear is that the Columbus team has no room for error and must remain perfect if they hope to catch up to the Tricolore.

However, if the identity of the last drafted team is not yet known, the portrait of the matchups in the Eastern Conference is almost set.

The Capitals are assured of finishing first and will host either the Canadiens or the Blue Jackets.

The Maple Leafs, who got their 50th win tonight, only need one point (or for the Lightning to win their last two games) to ensure they finish first in the Atlantic division.

We could see a first playoff matchup between the two Ontario rivals in over 20 years, as their last meeting dates back to the spring of 2004.

Although the Leafs are favorites on paper, let’s remember that the Sens won all three matchups between the two teams this season.

The other matchup in the Atlantic division will feature an interesting duel between the Florida rivals, pitting the Lightning against the Panthers.

This will be the fourth matchup between the two Florida teams in the last five years.

The Bolts won the first two series, while the Panthers won the one last year on their way to their first Stanley Cup win.

Finally, the last series in the Eastern Conference will feature the Hurricanes hosting the Devils.

The two teams met in the 2023 playoffs, with the Canes winning in five games.

Overtime

– Kudos to the Jets!

– Wow!

– A first goal in the NHL.