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The Montreal Canadian will have a trio with 100 goals next season

Since the beginning of the season, Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield have been playing very good hockey in a fairly consistent manner, as they are really carrying the team on their backs.

They were not alone in their boat with Lane Hutson, which made it difficult for the CH to succeed.

However, for a few games now, and even since the return from the Confrontation of the Four Nations break, another player has boarded the boat.

In fact, Juraj “second half of the season” Slafkovsky has been playing very well recently and is also producing at a very good pace.

He seems to have regained his form from the end of last season, and this is happening at the perfect time, as the Tricolore is in the midst of a huge playoff race.

And it’s a good thing he woke up, because without the first trio, the Tricolore would be fighting for a top-5 pick, not for the playoffs.

Because, apart from Lane Hutson, there is only the first trio that is carrying the club on its back at the moment.

Although it’s concerning, it’s good news in itself because this trio is made up of the team’s three most important forwards who are really part of the core.

We see a very good chemistry developing between the three, and this can only make us dream about the future and the seasons to come.

So much so that some are starting to believe in a feat that has not been seen in the Canadiens for 33 years.

In fact, Brian Wilde stated on Tony Marinaro’s Sick Podcast that, in his opinion, the CH would have a trio with 100 goals as early as next season.

Wow, that’s quite a statement, because 100 goals divided among just one trio, so three forwards, is enormous.

But when you think about the CH’s first trio, the three players who make it up could very well achieve the feat if they dominate like they are currently, and that, for an entire season.

If they all stay healthy, and Slafkovsky decides to play during the first half of the season as well, we can believe in this feat.

This season, so far, Caufield (32 goals), Suzuki (20 goals), and Juraj Slafkovsky (14 goals) have scored 66 goals.

With 17 games left in the season, we can predict that this total could reach the area of 80-85 goals.

Caufield is capable of scoring eight goals in 17 games, Suzuki will surely add about five, and the way Slaf is playing now, he could very well reach the 20-goal plateau for a second consecutive season.

This would bring us to exactly 85 goals.

So, next season, the three players would only need to score 15 more goals than this season, and seriously, I can believe it, even if it will be difficult.

I would see a goal distribution like this:

  • Caufield – 40 goals
  • Suzuki – 33 goals
  • Slafkovsky – 27 goals

Suzuki has already scored 33 goals last season, and he would be capable of doing it again, while Slafkovsky, if he continues to progress, should be able to score around 30 goals.

In short, it’s a big statement from Brian Wilde, but when you think about it, it’s not that crazy.

As early as next season, the CH’s first trio will certainly be close to 100 goals.

In Rafale

– The Rocket will be in action tonight, without David Reinbacher once again.

– A nice package.

– Already a long list of injuries for CF Montreal.

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17 goals for a recruit: Florian Xhekaj breaks the Laval Rocket record

The Laval Rocket is truly having an exceptional season, as Pascal Vincent’s team has been at the top of the American League for a while now.

Laval just keeps on winning, and the success is coming in large part from the production of the young prospects in the Montreal Canadiens’ organization, which is very good news.

It’s encouraging to see the young players carry the farm team like this, especially over the past few weeks.

Last night, the Rocket was in action against the Utica Comets, the worst team in the North division, and it ended with a nice 4-1 win for Laval.

And once again, it was the young players who led the charge, as Sean Farrell got a goal and an assist, and Florian Xhekaj scored two goals.

By the way, with his two goals, Arber’s brother broke a Laval Rocket record, as he became the rookie with the most goals in a single season in Rocket history with 17.

Xhekaj’s 17 goals allowed him to break the record of 16 goals that was previously held by Lucas Condotta, who is now the captain of the Laval Rocket.

This is a great achievement for Xhekaj, as at just 20 years old, he’s already doing great things in the pros, especially as a rookie.

Rocket’s number 63 has adapted very well to the level of play in the American League, and he’s taking more and more confidence lately, with 15 points in his last 17 games.

In total this season, Xhekaj has 17 goals and 10 assists for a total of 27 points in 54 games, which is a solid harvest considering Xhekaj has mostly played in the bottom 6 of the Rocket.

Let’s not forget the 141 penalty minutes of Arber’s brother as well.

In short, Xhekaj didn’t steal the record for most goals in a season for a Rocket rookie, as this only adds to his excellent resume, which will clearly help him at the next Montreal Canadiens training camp.

Because personally, I sincerely believe that Xhekaj could make the team as early as next year by winning a spot on the Tricolore’s fourth line.

The development of a player like Xhekaj takes less time, given that his role will always be the same, and he will never become a talented top-6 player in the NHL.

On the other hand, he already has all the necessary assets to establish himself as an excellent player on a fourth line.

As early as next season, Xhekaj could be very useful to the CH’s successes, as his size, intensity, physical play, and good shot will allow him to be the perfect player for the Canadiens’ fourth line.

In short, things will have really changed for Xhekaj since his questionable selection in 2023.

He will become a very important player in the Tricolore’s lineup.

In a Flash

— It’s sure!

— Must-read.

— Formula 1 is finally back!

— Bravo!

With reason.

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Top-4 : the CH can thank Jesperi Kotkaniemi for the Red Wings’ defeat

There were only six games in the National Hockey League last night, as several teams were resting ahead of their Saturday games.

Despite this, several key points emerged from these Friday night games.

Here’s a summary of what caught our attention.

1. The Canadiens can thank the Hurricanes for the Red Wings’ defeat

As everyone knows, the Montreal Canadiens are involved in a huge playoff race in the Eastern Conference, with several teams competing for one or two playoff spots.

Every point won is extremely important, and the same goes for every point lost by the Canadiens’ direct competitors in this playoff race.

Well, last night, to the delight of Canadiens fans, the Detroit Red Wings dropped two huge points to the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Hurricanes won 4-2 to sign their sixth consecutive victory.

Incidentally, in this victory, former Canadiens player Jesperi Kotkaniemi had a strong game, earning two assists and being named the second star of the game.

He made a beautiful pass to Jack Roslovic for the Hurricanes’ second goal.

KK now has 30 points, including 11 goals, in 66 games.

In short, the Canadiens can thank KK for this important Red Wings defeat.

2. Leon Draisaitl takes care of the Islanders

This is another defeat that helps the Canadiens in their playoff race.

Even though the Islanders earned a point last night, they still lost, keeping them three points behind the Canadiens.

The Oilers won 2-1 in overtime, thanks to two goals from Leon Draisaitl, who now has 49 goals and 100 points in 66 games.

With this goal, Draisaitl tied the NHL record for most overtime-winning goals in a season with five.

It’s also worth noting that Draisaitl has reached the 100-point plateau for the fourth consecutive season.

He is now just two points behind the NHL’s top scorer, Nathan MacKinnon.

3. Tough defeat for the Calgary Flames

While the playoff race in the East involves a lot of teams, in the West, it’s been several weeks that two teams have been exchanging the last playoff spot.

In fact, the Vancouver Canucks and the Calgary Flames are playing a game of musical chairs for that eighth playoff spot.

This is a very intense battle, and therefore, every point is crucial.

Last night, the Flames were in control of their game against the Canucks, but they lost 4-2 to the Colorado Avalanche.

This is a tough defeat, especially considering that Nathan MacKinnon was shut out.

Instead, it was the Avalanche’s fourth-line center, Parker Kelly, who stood out with two goals.

The Flames and Canucks now have the same number of points and have played the same number of games.

4. Trevor Zegras’ magnificent pass

There have been many rumors surrounding Zegras for a few years, given that he hasn’t performed up to expectations with the Anaheim Ducks.

However, we all know that Zegras has a lot of talent, and that at any moment, things could click for him.

Last night, he proved once again that he is extremely talented with a superb pass to Alex Killorn in the Ducks’ 2-1 win over the Nashville Predators.

In Brief

– Here are all the results from the previous night.

– Here are the top scorers from the previous night.

(Credit: NHL.com)

– Today’s NHL schedule: 11 games.

(Credit: Google/NHL)
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Nick Suzuki is the top scorer in the NHL since the 4 Nations break

Since the Four Nations break, Nick Suzuki has been rolling at full speed.

The forward is at the top of the NHL for points with 17 in nine games. He is therefore ahead of players like Roope Hintz, Nathan MacKinnon, Leon Draisaitl, and Jason Robertson during this period.

Not bad at all for a player that some people do not see as a true number one center.

The Canadiens’ captain is really having a good season so far with 69 points, including 20 goals in 65 games.

Moreover, if Suzuki has been on fire recently, his line mates have also been doing well with 10 points each since the break. That’s 37 points for the three of them in just nine games.

The top line’s offensive contribution is not unrelated to the Canadiens’ success, who have lost only one game in regulation time (6-1-2) since the NHL resumed activities.

These recent performances have notably allowed the Canadiens to be currently in the heart of the playoff race, trailing only one point behind the last playoff spot.

If the Canadiens want to access the spring tournament, they must hope that their captain continues to produce in this way until the end of the season.

Moreover, Suzuki is not only having a good offensive season, but he is also playing clean hockey, having accumulated only six minutes of penalties.

Interesting fact: the forward has had two-point games in each of the three games where he received a penalty. He might be better off being penalized more often.

But more seriously, this shows that he does not often put his team in trouble by taking bad penalties. An example that some of his teammates could follow.

I also believe this makes him a good candidate for the Lady Byng Trophy, which is awarded to the most gentlemanly player in the NHL.

This would be a well-deserved honor for his excellent season so far.

Rapid fire

– Rocket wins.

– Lions win and qualify for the playoffs.

– Ilya Kovalchuk retires.

– Thank you to the Hurricanes.

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David Reinbacher will train tomorrow, but he will not play

The Rocket was in action tonight in Utica.

And the Laval formation won by a score of 4-1, thanks to two goals from Florian Xhekaj!

However, note that David Reinbacher was absent. He has missed a third straight game…

After the game, Pascal Vincent gave an update on his defender.

Reinbacher will train tomorrow, but he will not be able to play. The Rocket will play a second game in as many days against the Comets, in Utica.

The Rocket’s pilot also said that he is following the Canadiens’ plan:

Obviously, we want to take precautions with Reinbacher from the organization’s side.

He has already missed a good part of the season… And if he feels discomfort in his knee, the Canadiens are better off taking their time before sending him back into battle.

The worst that could happen, after all, would be to see him fall again.

Reinbacher needs to play to progress and become a top player in Montreal one day.

It won’t help if he gets hurt again… And it would be tough on the kid’s morale too.

Let’s recall that the Canadiens’ prospect has played six games since his return to play and has done well. He has collected three points (including one goal), but Pascal Vincent was impressed by his player’s performance.

Again, it’s extremely important to let Reinbacher have the time to be 100% recovered before anything.

The Canadiens are doing well to be cautious with him… Because he is one of the best prospects in the Montreal organization.

Extension

I mentioned Florian Xhekaj’s two goals at the beginning of the text and I want to come back to it.

Because in fact, with his 16th and 17th goals of the campaign, the younger Xhekaj brother broke the record for most goals scored by a rookie in Rocket history.

Not bad, for a 4th-round pick!

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Minor Hockey: a player arrested after two violent incidents

On February 13, a 16-year-old hockey player from the Saint-Jérôme M18 team was arrested after giving a violent blow to the head of an opponent from the Blainville team, as the two teams were returning to their benches.

This game had taken place on February 1.

The Blainville player, who was not wearing a helmet, collapsed and lost a lot of blood after the blow. Although he will not have any lasting consequences from the incident, he will miss at least the rest of the season.

This was not an attack in the heat of the moment, but rather a vicious and premeditated act by the Saint-Jérôme player, who was suspended immediately for an indefinite period.

Since then, the incident has sparked a lot of discussion, and people questioned about the matter all agree that these are unacceptable actions.

However, the problem, and this is where the issue lies, is that we recently learned that the same Saint-Jérôme player had just been suspended for eight games and that this was his first game back.

The reason for the suspension: he had given several kicks to a player from the Deux-Montagnes team when the latter was not wearing a helmet.

We can clearly see that the Saint-Jérôme player chooses to attack opposing players when they are particularly vulnerable, and this first violent act would have deserved much more than an eight-game suspension.

Moreover, the coach of the Deux-Montagnes team, Danny Despatie, had filed an official complaint with Hockey Quebec to request the ban of the Saint-Jérôme player. The complaint was refused.

Let’s say that Hockey Quebec really dropped the ball on this one, and Despatie intends to hold the organization and the Saint-Jérôme team responsible for these unfortunate events.

Note: Since the incidents involve minor-aged players, we cannot disclose their identities.

In rapid succession

– The Rocket is ahead after two periods.

– What a shot!

– Nice play by the former Canadiens player!

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The Canadian could line up a trio of 100 goals next year

The next year’s Canadian edition could well achieve a feat it has not done in 33 years.

And no, I’m not talking here about winning the Stanley Cup.

The CH could well have a trio that will score 100 goals for the first time since the 1992-93 season.

This is the hot take of Brian Wilde in today’s episode of The Sick Podcast by Tony Marinaro, which states that Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Juraj Slafkovsky will score 30, 40, and 30 goals respectively next season.

Marinaro goes further, talking about the possibility of seeing them score 110 goals if Caufield manages to score 50 goals. This may be a bit too much enthusiasm, but who knows!

However, 40 goals for the little attacker and 30 for Suzuki, this is very possible.

Can Slaf score 30 goals? The potential is definitely there, but he will have to be more consistent in his game and not just produce at the end of the season. On the other hand, if he plays like he has since the return of the 4 Nations break, 30 goals is very conceivable for the Slovak player.

Also, the Caufield-Suzuki-Slafkovsky combination is not the only one that could score 100 goals, because let’s not forget the arrival of a certain Ivan Demidov who could also potentially play on the first trio next year.

Could Demidov score 30 goals in his rookie season? Hard to say, but Matvei Michkov and Macklin Celebrini already have 20 goals this year and should finish the campaign around 25 goals. It’s up to Demidov to do better!

And let’s not forget Patrik Laine, who, despite a roller-coaster season, still has 15 goals in 35 games. If he stays in shape next year, 30 goals is achievable.

By the way, the last time the Canadian had a 100-goal trio in 1992-32, the team had a fourth player who had surpassed the 30-goal mark. The four attackers were Brian Bellows with 40 goals, Vincent Damphousse with 39, Kirk Muller with 37, and finally, Stephan Lebeau with 31 goals.

93 was a year that ended well for the CH!

And next year, we may have five 30-goal scorers with the team.

In rafale

— wow!

— Several Canadiens in the NFL have moved.

— Two Canadian women are tied.

— A player to watch!

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Ovechkin scores goals, but he is also 308 hits away from the NHL record

Alex Ovechkin is an exceptional goal-scorer.

He is chasing Wayne Gretzky’s great record, and he doesn’t have many goals left to achieve it.

The Capitals’ captain has 886 goals (!) on the counter and he only has nine left to score before breaking the record.

But Ovi – who is an exceptional athlete – is also pursuing another record in the NHL… And we don’t often talk about it (or almost never).

What is it about?

The Russian is also approaching the absolute record for the number of hits distributed in the history of the NHL.

Note that the statistic is calculated since the beginning of the 2005-2006 season.

At the time of writing, Ovechkin has a total of 3,721 hits since the beginning of his career.

He is 308 hits away from Cal Clutterbuck and the first place in the league’s history:

(Credit: NHL)

Alex Ovechkin is really a beast of nature.

Imagine! He scores goals, he hits the opponent… And he is about to be the best in history in these two categories of the game.

It’s special.

Perhaps the record for the number of hits will be broken at some point, but it would be surprising to see the one who breaks the record also take the one for the number of career goals in the National League.

Usually, the best shooters in the National League are not necessarily super physical… and that’s why Alex Ovechkin’s career is also grandiose.

He will really deserve his induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

In a burst

– A big match tonight for the Rocket.

– Too bad.

– A beautiful card of 62 (wow) for the one we call JT.

– I’m looking forward to it being nice like that in Montreal.

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Mikko Rantanen will go to dinner with Avalanche players to explain himself

When Mikko Rantanen left Colorado via a trade, it caused a great surprise in the NHL.

We knew there were rumors about him, but we didn’t know if the Avalanche would decide to send him elsewhere.

Not many people saw this trade coming, at least.

It’s likely that in the Colorado locker room, there are guys who are not necessarily happy with the way things turned out.

Rantanen was traded because he wanted to sign a huge contract… And because the Avalanche was not necessarily willing to give him such a big contract.

The main man will be back where it all started on Sunday, as the Stars visit Colorado.

And on the occasion, Rantanen will go out to dinner with some of his former teammates to talk about the whole situation.

Gabriel Landeskog discussed it during his appearance on the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast:

The way the Avalanche captain said it, it seems like there’s a certain bitterness about seeing Rantanen sign a huge contract with a rival team like the Stars.

And that’s why the players want to talk to him.

Landeskog also mentioned that Rantanen will pay for dinner… Because he’s going to have a lot of money in the bank. Hehe.

It’s understood that there will likely be an awkward moment at the beginning of their meeting for obvious reasons.

After all, Rantanen spent his career in Colorado, he won the Stanley Cup there… and it’s sure that seeing him leave “for monetary reasons” had an impact on the morale of some guys.

That being said, it’s going to be a intense game on the ice on Sunday when the Stars visit the Avalanche.

I have the feeling that the Colorado players won’t hesitate to try to give him a hard time…

In a hurry

– It’s really the save of the year in the NHL.

– Some depth for the Devils’ farm team.

– Update on Iankov:

– It could create sparks with the excellent Justin Jefferson.

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It’s going again: 1:15 of playing time for Ivan Demidov in the 3rd period today

The 63rd game of Ivan Demidov’s season won’t go down in history.

And if you’re wondering why I’m saying that, the reason is really simple.

Canadiens’ prospect finished the game with 11:22 of ice time because he only got three shifts in the third period.

SKA won 2-0 against Sochi’s team and Roman Rotenberg went back to his bad habits.

He decided not to play his best player in the last minutes of the game… even though his team was leading.

And the worst part is that Demidov had a good first and second period since he created scoring chances for his team.

It’s hard to understand:

He even forced the opponent to take a penalty at some point in the game because he was alone in front of the net:

It’s really time for the SKA season to end.

In fact…

It’s really time for Demidov to arrive in Montreal because he will have the chance to play a lot to develop.

BREAKING NEWS: Martin St-Louis won’t use him for only eight to ten minutes per game next year. The Canadiens’ prospect might have an important role from the start because he has the talent and skills to play quickly on a top-6 team in the National League.

Ultimately, Rotenberg’s decisions would be understandable if – and only if – Demidov was bad for his team on the ice. But there, the young player is among the top scorers on his team and one of the most productive players in the KHL per 60 minutes.

Is Demidov’s “bad” pass related to all this? Maybe. The player hasn’t scored a goal in his last 15 games and has only three assists in his last nine games, including today’s game.

However, a coach who leaves a talented player on the bench, as is often the case with Roman Rotenberg and Ivan Demidov… That will always raise questions.

In a hurry

– The Rocket didn’t move today.

– Big Brandon Baddock, however, is going to Toronto.

– The guys had fun during practice today.

– His way of throwing will always impress me.