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National anthems, soon a thing of the past?

Before the Four Nations Confrontation, fans had the mischievous pleasure of booing the national anthems.

In the United States, the Canadian anthem was booed, and in Canada, the American anthem was booed.

For two weeks, the booing has somewhat subsided, but yesterday, in a duel between the Maple Leafs and the Avalanche, the crowd booed the poor singer when she sang the American anthem. Discussions have taken place regarding the future of anthems. For now, they are here to stay, but perhaps not for long, believes Renaud Lavoie.

Currently, teams are forced to present the songs of both nations if a team from each country faces off.

But as Lavoie indicated, collective bargaining negotiations will begin on April 1, and perhaps frustrated players will raise their hands and say it’s time to abolish national anthems.

After all, guys like Brady Tkachuk, Quinn Hughes, and Auston Matthews are Americans, but also captains of Canadian teams. The Senators’ captain has publicly admitted that it bothers him. Cole Caufield also made a public statement about it.

It should not happen that American players demand trades because of the fans.

If we were to ban anthems, I would find it unfortunate, because initially, they are to honor our veterans. Now, the connection to politics is too intense. As long as the outbursts remain minimal (only booing), there will be no change this year, that’s for sure. But if objects start being thrown onto the ice and/or fights erupt in the stands, it will be a different discussion.

The NHL could become the first major league in North America to abolish its national anthems.

Overtime

– He knows everything about a game.

– Too bad.

– An international tournament with the Russians.

– The officials obviously don’t have better angles than us.

– Oh well.

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Robert Thomas or Mason McTavish as an acquisition for the Habs: suggestions from David Ettedgui

It’s quite incredible what the Habs are accomplishing right now. The team is holding on to the last playoff spot without having a real second center.

But this situation can’t last and Kent Hughes won’t be idle this summer. While he has already publicly laid out his plan, there are plenty of candidates to fill this key position and there are two different visions that Hughes will consider.

The Habs could make a big splash by going after an established player who fits with the team’s average age, or opt for a short-term option while waiting for the arrival of Michael Hage, for example. The first option would be more costly in terms of assets than the second, but ultimately, good candidates are possible in both scenarios.

David Ettedgui presented a list of players that the Habs could target this summer.

Ettedgui’s list includes Mason McTavish, Robert Thomas, Martin Necas, and Matthew Barzal.

Honestly, the only name that seems accessible is Barzal.

McTavish is too important to Anaheim for the Ducks to decide to trade him. He hasn’t yet lived up to all the expectations placed on him, but I doubt the California team will give up on him already.

Necas has just arrived in Colorado and is excellent with Nathan MacKinnon. The playoffs will be a good test, but let’s say it’s off to a good start.

Thomas is a key player for the Blues. St. Louis would be crazy to let him go.

Barzal could be a good option, of course, but is he the best? Time will tell, but I’d also like to see the Habs try their luck with Jordan Kyrou. The 26-year-old Blues player fits perfectly with what the Habs are looking for.

He’s a talented center who can do everything on the ice. He has 320 points in 403 games and is constantly improving. It would cost a lot to get him, but the fit would be so good that it would be worth overpaying slightly to get him from St. Louis.

Overtime

– It’s not a lack of talent in hisassistantp with Justnote1 – the time class steps **.

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Big game tonight: Martin St-Louis and Patrick Roy exchange compliments

Tonight’s game is another crucial one for the Habs. In addition to confirming their place among the playoff teams, Martin St-Louis’ squad could seriously put a nail in the coffin of Patrick Roy’s team.

The two coaches, who are the only active ones to have been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as players, are aware of the importance of the game and respect each other’s work.

Roy, unlike many experts, is not surprised by the Habs’ successes this season. He has a lot of respect for what the Habs have accomplished.

“Honestly, I’m not surprised because they have a lot of talent. Hockey is played on the ice. Teams that play well find a way to win.” -Patrick Roy

Despite the former Habs goalie’s words, talent is still lacking at his alma mater. Behind the trio of Nick Suzuki, it’s very thin. However, the Islanders have assuredly less talent than the Habs, but still manage to hang on to the playoff race. It’s quite incredible what Roy has accomplished with his team, especially with the loss of Brock Nelson, who left for Colorado.

Martin St-Louis also threw flowers at Roy, talking about his competitor’s spirit.

“I have a lot of respect for Patrick for everything he has done in the hockey world. Now, as a coach, he is at another stage of his professional life. But he is still one of the greatest competitors. His team is like him” – Martin St-Louis

It’s interesting to see the two Québécois coaches experiencing success at the same time. While we tend to compare them, we should rather be happy to see them succeed, especially in a difficult period for hockey here. Both are silencing their critics, especially in the case of St-Louis, who had almost no experience in coaching before arriving in Montreal.

Overtime

– Interesting discussion.

– The file is progressing.

– Anything can happen in this tournament.

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Images: Mathias Brunet stood up during his chronicle on BPM Sports and he was wearing socks or possibly dressed casually

This one… I think it’s funny as hell!

Mathias Brunet did his daily segment with Martin Lemay on BPM Sports. At one point, an alarm started ringing at Mathias Brunet’s… who decided to get up to turn it off.

Where it becomes funny? When the journalist got up from his chair, we saw that he had no pants on. He was in his underwear!

It gave a really special moment since it was broadcast live on the station’s YouTube channel.

The guys in the studio were cramped… and with reason!

The journalist’s reaction is also hilarious.

It looks like he did not realize it before Martin Lemay told him… and when he understood that many people had just seen him walking around in his underwear at home, his face changed. Hehe.

It’s a bit of a mess… – Mathias Brunet

Honestly, it’s what can be “dangerous” with live segments. Mathias Brunet doesn’t usually have to get up from his desk and he decided not to wear pants because you can’t see the bottom of his body… But he got caught red-handed.

Or with his pants down, if you prefer that expression. LOL!

Hats off to the guys at the station for playing along. They teased him a bit – and with reason, we agree – since you don’t see that often.

It really made for a good moment, at least. And I imagine Mathias Brunet will remember it for a long time!

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If Suzuki becomes the 2nd center of the Habs, that means the Canadiens will have a really good team

Nick Suzuki is on fire since the break.

The captain of the habs is one of the best scorers in the NHL and it’s partly thanks to him that the habs are able to fight for a playoff spot right now.

He rose to the occasion:

(Credit: LNH.com)

But when talking about Suzuki, there’s a question that keeps coming up.

Does he have what it takes to lead the habs to the Stanley Cup?

Everyone has a different opinion on the matter and that’s okay too.

On the Sportsnet panel, Nyck Kypreos and Justin Bourne discussed how they personally don’t believe it.

In fact, Bourne sees Suzuki as “probably the 25th best centre in the league”.

In reality, only time will tell.

But there’s another aspect to consider too.

If the habs win the Stanley Cup and Suzuki isn’t the first centre of the Montreal habs, it will mean the habs have a very good team.

And if Nick Suzuki becomes the 3rd, 4th or even 5th best player on the habs… it will also mean there are many talented players in Montreal.

Because on one hand, Nick Suzuki is part of the NHL elite. He’s in the top-10 for points at his position, he’s the 21st best scorer in the league and he’s good in all three zones of the ice.

It’s not impossible for him to be a second centre at some point, to put it another way. With a high-quality first centre and Suzuki as second centre, the habs would likely have one of the best one-two punches in the NHL.

But if he keeps his spot as first centre, that’s okay too since he’s already excellent.

Overtime

– Incredible.

–

– Sick.

– It must be special, still!

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The SKA lost and wasn’t able to score more than 2 goals without Demidov today

The SKA had a game today.

And as announced yesterday, Ivan Demidov did not participate in the game.

Roman Rotenberg left him out because the SKA faced Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg, one of the tough clubs in the KHL. In the eyes of the SKA coach, Demidov needs to improve his strength before being able to play against a team like that.

Did the SKA pilot’s decision pay off?

Uh… no. Not really.

At least, the SKA lost the game in a shootout. Rotenberg’s men were unable to capitalize on their scoring chances… and they only scored two goals in the game.

But when you decide to punish your best scorer, there’s a good chance that will happen.

There is only one game left in the SKA’s regular season, which will face Bogdan Konyushkov and the Torpedo team on Saturday.

Will the Habs prospect be back in the lineup? To be continued…

But given today’s result, Rotenberg and the SKA organization have to ask themselves the following question.

Is it really worth punishing Demidov as we’ve seen since the start of the season? After all, the playoffs are about to start, and if the SKA wants to make a good run in the playoffs, they will need their best scorer.

Because it’s logical: a team – in any league and in any sport – that wants to fight for the title must be able to count on its talented players. They must use their best players to give themselves a chance to win regularly.

Especially since we know that the SKA has big ambitions. We’re talking about one of the most reputable clubs in the KHL, and the goal, year after year, is to go all the way.

But that won’t happen if Ivan Demidov doesn’t play or plays little or almost not.

And that’s the nuance.

Overtime

– Great contest!

– Well done.

– He must have been thrilled at the time of the transaction.

– The answers are still pretty divided!

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The players of the Canadiens went to Gallagher’s family home to support him

There is a beautiful culture within the habs organization.

Players have fun being together and it helps to have good results on the ice.

But even when things are not going well off the ice, the guys are also there to support each other. For example? The players organized themselves to go to Brendan Gallagher’s family home after learning of his mother’s passing.

Gally talked about it this morning and clearly, you can tell he really appreciated the gesture of his teammates.

The players wanted to be there for him by visiting him and supporting him. The team was on a western trip at the time.

This is another proof that shows how tight the group is:

Gallagher and his family did not expect the players to make the 45-minute bus trip.

He explains that it was a bit unexpected… And with a smile on his face, you can clearly see that he loved seeing his teammates come to support him.

In all this, the player also recalls that the organization is there to support him in this difficult time.

The habs forward really seems to be grateful for the love he receives from almost everyone and the guys are doing well to be there for him because it can really help him feel a little better.

But again, it’s really special to see that the players love each other in this way.

They knew that one of their good teammates was going through tough times and they wanted to be with him so he wouldn’t be alone during this period in his life.

It’s beautiful to see.

Overtime

– Pierre LeBrun made me laugh.

– Watching him skate, I don’t think he’ll be in uniform tonight against the Jets. #Hehe

– Wow.

– That would be… something.

– Note that.

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“I am extremely proud of her” : Brendan Gallagher, emotional, talks about the death of his mother

Brendan Gallagher is going through tough times.

He shared the news about the death of his mother and he is in mourning.

The forward of the Habs had not spoken to the media since he learned the news, but he did so this morning.

Clearly, you could feel the emotion in the voice of the leader of the Canadiens.

He talked about his mother, Della, as being a model mother and he wanted to tell the journalists present this morning that he is extremely proud of her since she fought until the end.

Let’s recall that Della Gallagher was battling brain cancer. And as a tribute to his mom, Brendan Gallagher wanted his daughter to bear her name.

Again, we see in the images shared by RDS that Gally is in pain.

Losing a parent is a difficult test and it’s sure that it affects him outside of the rink.

But the forward has not missed a single game since he learned of his mother’s death last week, when the Canadiens were in Calgary as part of their western trip.

Playing brings him happiness:

It’s sure that it has an impact in the locker room.

The boys are more united than ever and Brendan Gallagher is probably the most appreciated guy in the locker room because he always gives his maximum for his teammates.

And we always hear about him being a good person outside of the rink.

I get the impression that the boys will fight and they will continue to do so for him. At least, it seemed like there were a lot of emotions on Tuesday night against the Sens, and I expect it to be the same tonight against the Islanders and in the next games.

The boys will want to play for Gally.

Overtime

Talking about the game against the Isles of Patrick Roy, note that it’s Samuel Montembeault who will defend the Habs’ net.

No surprise here, since it’s an important game for the Canadiens in their quest for the playoffs in the East.

It’s logical to see the club trust their number one goalie.

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Martin St-Louis: the best coach of Cole Caufield’s career

When Martin St-Louis arrived in Montreal in 2022, it was said that he had the tools to launch the career of Cole Caufield. In his first full season as a pro, he was unable to score.

St-Louis was able to get him going.

By the end of the 2021-2022 season, Caufield was scoring at an impressive rate and we were able to see St-Louis’ teachings in the performances of the one who wore the #22 at the time.

Since then, Caufield has become more complete. He is still an excellent scorer (the 40-goal mark is within his reach this season), but he now plays on 200 feet.

In short, St-Louis was at the heart of Cole Caufield’s transformation.

It’s also interesting to note that yesterday, Kent Hughes was on Frank Seravalli’s podcast and said that St-Louis had helped Caufield recover pucks on the backhand.

This is another aspect that has helped.

Overtime

– The Prime Minister is an Oilers fan.

– Note.

– Speaking of Caufield’s interview on BPM Sports.

– Win for Gally’s mom.

– He’s not playing at all, what’s going on?

– Do you like it or not?

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The (very tough) next ten days of the Canadiens

The most important game of the season, it was the one on Tuesday against the Senators will be played tonight in New York.

The habs hold the eighth and last rank giving access to the playoffs, while the Islanders are three points behind them. If the logic of Tuesday in Montreal is respected, the team that will play with the energy of despair – at home nonetheless -, it will be Patrick Roy’s team. And the Islanders have a record of 6-3-1 in their last ten games.

Won’t be easy peasy Marty !

But the habs’ grueling sequence will not end soon.

On Saturday, the Avalanche will be in town. The Avalanche is 8-1-1 in their last ten games, Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar are in destruction mode and Gabriel Landeskog’s return could bring the team to a whole new dimension.

On Tuesday, the habs will be in St. Louis to face the Blues, ninth in the West. The Blues have a record of 7-2-1 in their last ten games.

The Canadiens will then play a trap game against the Flyers on Thursday in Philadelphia, before visiting the Hurricanes (8-2-0 in their last ten games) the next day, and then the Panthers two days later in the afternoon. The Panthers are 7-3-0 in their last ten games…

(Credit: habs.com)

The Panthers will come again to start the month of April…

In short, the habs will cross swords with teams as hot as embers (greetings to my boy JT), often on the road and with flights not well placed – often at the beginning of the night – through all this.

The next two weeks will not be a vacation.

Martin St-Louis will need everyone… especially Jakub Dobes. Samuel Montembeault will not be able to hold the fort alone.

Let’s hope the team will be spared from (new) injuries and that Kaiden Guhle will be able to make a return to the game before the end of the season.

Let’s also hope that Joshua Roy will wake up offensively, he who plays on the second line of the team, or that he will be replaced by a guy like Alex Barré-Boulet, Florian Xhekaj, Sean Farrell or Owen Beck.

Note that the month of April will not be a vacation either, with nine games in 16 days. If the habs manage to qualify for the playoffs, it will be a feat in itself.

Each evening, the Hockey Gods will also have to come to the aid of the Montrealers by making the teams that are fighting for the place currently occupied by the habs lose.

I said it and I repeat it: there won’t be an easy one.

But damn it’s fun to follow the habs right now. #Emotions

Will we have hockey in May in Montreal? The next two weeks will give us part of the answer to this question.

Overtime

– According to the Tankathon site, the habs have only the 17th most difficult schedule in the entire NHL until the end of the season. Tankathon‘s mathematical model only takes into account the opposing team’s points in the standings; it does not consider travel, the location of games, recent results of opponents, injured players, and the playoff race. [Tankathon]

– Reminder: The eighth episode of season three of Stanley25 is out. We talk about Joshua Roy and Patrik Laine. Good listening!

– The habs offer their condolences to Brendan Gallagher’s family.

– A machine.

– He found a role this season.

– The habs are in the top-16.