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Top-3 : Patrick Kane’s five-point match against Buffalo

Last night, four games were on the schedule.

The Canadiens lost in overtime very late at night, however.

Here are the other results and highlights:

1. Patrick Kane’s five-point game against Buffalo

In Detroit, the Red Wings could get closer to a playoff spot. They were facing the worst team in the East, the Sabres.

And they made short work of it. A 7-3 win. The MVP of the game was Patrick Kane. He collected five points, including three in the first period.

He finished with two goals and three assists. He has 31 points in his last 25 games.

It was a frustrating game for the Sabres. At the end of the game, they let out that frustration.

However, not everything is negative for the New York team. Indeed, Tage Thompson is doing well.

He scored again yesterday, which gives him six goals in six games.

Josh Norris, on the other hand, scored his first goal with the team.

He looks happy…

2. Quinn Hughes is back

The Canadiens were lucky. The day before yesterday, they didn’t face Quinn Hughes.

The defenseman was back last night against the Calgary Flames and he was one of the key players in a 4-3 win for his team.

He finished the game with an assist.

Conor Garland nailed the debate in the shootout, however.

This goal would never have been possible without Elias Pettersson’s goal.

He’s doing better these days.

I’ll show you two goals from the Flames now.

The first one, Nazem Kadri’s, was quite a goal.

The second one, Jonathan Huberdeau’s, was a bit weird.

3. Mikhail Sergachev, the goalie

In Utah, the Ducks visited the new team.

The home team eventually won 3-2, thanks to Mikhail Sergachev’s brilliance as a goalie.

In addition to being a candidate for save of the year, the former defenseman of the CH and the Lightning had an assist.

He was involved in Dylan Guenther’s winning goal.

In addition to his eighth game-winning goal (only two players have more in the NHL), Guenther had an assist earlier in the game.

Overtime

– A 30th goal for Alex DeBrincat.

– Kane is obviously leading the charge.

(Credit: NHL.com )

– 18 teams are in action tonight.

(Credit: Google )
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The Habs blow a two-goal lead in the 3rd period and lose to the Kraken

After a crucial victory on Tuesday evening, the CH attacked the Seattle Kraken with two huge points at stake for the standings.

Recovering from his virus, Patrik Laine made his return to the lineup. Joel Armia gave up his place, as he was injured against the Canucks. Jakub Dobes got the start.

Here are the lineups for the two teams:

The first period was completely in favor of the local team, and that’s being polite. The CH was completely dominated, as the players seemed to have left their legs in Vancouver. Brandon Montour, who had scored a hat-trick against the CH in October, opened the scoring after a bad exit by Dobes.

The start of the second period wasn’t much better for the CH, who saw the Kraken double their lead with Eeli Tolvanen. Another bad exit by Dobes put him out of position on the play.

As the CH seemed destined to suffer another crushing defeat, Jake Evans forced a penalty, which opened the door to the power play and Patrik Laine. The latter used his preferred weapon to beat Joey D with an excellent shot. On the sequence, Lane Hutson collected his 50th point of the season.

Patrik Laine wasn’t done yet. The Finnish forward bypassed the Kraken’s defense before making a brilliant pass to Alex Newhook.

Back to being tied, the Kraken tried to replicate, but couldn’t capitalize on golden chances. Juraj Slafkovsky, who really took his time, took advantage of the confusion to give the CH the lead with a superb shot. He was very patient before shooting. This goal reminded us of his goal from Tuesday night, scored in the same way.

In the 3rd period, the CH increased their lead as Juraj Slafkovsky scored his second goal of the game. It was a controversial goal as he seemed to touch the puck higher than allowed. But hey, for once, a decision of this kind went in favor of the CH.

The Kraken replied through newcomer Jani Nyman. The Finn took advantage of a power play for his first goal in his first NHL game.

The Kraken added to that as Matthew Beniers created a tie during another power play.

 

 

In a flash

— Incredible.

— Oh wow!

— Suspension to come?

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Brad Marchand: a Boston brewery unveils a partnership with him

Brad Marchand is no longer a member of the Boston Bruins, but his footprint is still in the Massachusetts city. The team is really built like him, with grit and dedication.

What’s interesting is that Marchand will also leave a physical footprint in Boston.

A local brewery, Samuel Adams, has announced a partnership with the 36-year-old player, and there will be a beer that bears his name.

The “Marchand(y)” will arrive on shelves very soon. What’s curious is the timing of this announcement.

The Marchand(y) is the perfect beer to toast a career defined by passion, grit, and an indestructible bond with Boston, said the company in a statement.

An indestructible bond that has just been broken, as Marchand will now join the enemy, at least for the rest of the season.

The Bruins’ management did not meet Marchand’s salary demands, which led to his departure.

It remains to be seen what impact Marchand will have with the Panthers. We saw him at the Four Nations Tournament, and he’s not the same player he was in his prime, but he can still be effective in his role. With Sam Bennett and Matthew Tkachuk, good luck to opposing teams in keeping their cool in the playoffs.

Chemistry will have to work, but the Panthers are equipped to go far. After winning the Stanley Cup last year, they’re not satisfied, and the addition of Marchand, along with Seth Jones, allows their fans to keep dreaming.

In rapid fire

– A surprise defeat.

– It won’t be easy to convince him to stay in Toronto.

– Beautiful plateau.

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Patrik Laine will take the place of Joel Armia in the lineup tonight

Tonight, the Canadian faces the Kraken in Seattle. Will you be one of the brave ones in front of the TV at 10:30 PM?

Patrik Laine, who missed the last three games due to the flu, will be there. We suspected he would be back, and it’s been confirmed…

But Joel Armia won’t be there. He is injured in the upper body and will be evaluated on a daily basis.

More details to come…

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Cole Caufield showed up to the arena with a Johnny Gaudreau hockey card

Since last summer, the hockey community has been mourning the death of Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew. The two guys were highly appreciated in the industry, and their loss has shaken many people.

Even at the 4 Nations Confrontation, the fans in Boston honored him in the middle of the final. It says a lot.

In Montreal, Cole Caufield was particularly touched by the death of his idol. Like Gaudreau, Caufield has defied the odds by excelling in the NHL as a small player… and that explains why the CH attacker was inspired by Johnny Hockey.

Before the start of the season, he traded his #22 for Gaudreau’s #13… and visibly, he continues to honor him in his own way.

A photo posted on the CH’s Instagram account this evening shows him arriving at the arena holding a Johnny Gaudreau hockey card in his hands.

It’s obviously a nice way to keep a memory of a player who has marked Caufield for a very long time. The CH attacker has never hidden his respect for Gaudreau, and it’s a nice way to continue honoring him.

Otherwise, he could do like the Blue Jackets players at the Winter Classic and dress up “like Johnny Gaudreau” to arrive at the game… but the hockey card is a bit simpler, let’s say.

We know that right now, Caufield and the CH are playing important games. The sniper is maybe trying to motivate himself this way… and if it can help him play inspired hockey, so much the better.

It’s a beautiful gesture, really.

In rafale

– We can understand.

– Jayden Struble, Lane Hutson’s long-term blue line partner?

– The Coyotes file is back in the news.

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Nick Suzuki isn’t “just” a #1 center: he’s a top-notch #1 center

For several years, when talking about Nick Suzuki, a question often comes up: “is he really a number one center on a contending team?” In Montreal, he has been the number one center for several years… and even though he plays big hockey, there were doubts about his ability to be that true elite number one center.

And in Montreal, a true top center, it’s been a long time since we’ve seen one.

And this season, it’s clear: Suzuki is playing like a true number one center. The captain has scored 67 points in 64 games, and he’s almost single-handedly pulling his team towards the playoffs right now.

Because after all, he’s doing all this without a true number two center behind him. He’s forced to play a lot of minutes, and he’s responding (more than) positively.

Earlier today, Raphaël Doucet released some very interesting numbers, as he looked at Suzuki’s ranking in different statistical categories among all NHL centers…

And what we notice is that he’s very, very high in these categories.

Of course, nobody will say that Suzuki has the talent of a Connor McDavid, a Nathan MacKinnon, or an Auston Matthews. He’s not in that category of centers (which also includes Leon Draisaitl, Aleksander Barkov, and Jack Eichel)… but the season he’s having puts him clearly in the second category.

Did you know that before today’s games, Suzuki was 21st in the NHL in scoring this season? I’m not just talking about centers or forwards here: I’m talking about all NHL players.

And once again, it’s worth reminding that Suzuki is doing all this without relying on a number two center. He has an extremely difficult role in Montreal, and despite that, he’s shining night after night, even if the Canadiens only have one true line that poses a real threat.

Imagine the day when teams will also have to worry about stopping another solid line (led by Ivan Demidov, for example). That could help the captain even more.

The question we should be asking is not “is Nick Suzuki a number one center?” The real question is “how many centers in the NHL are better than Suzuki?”… and the list is probably shorter than we think.

Marc Bergevin was not a perfect GM, but he will have left behind Suzuki’s contract, which will pay him less than $8 million per year until 2030. And more than ever this season, the Canadiens must think they have a great bargain on their hands.

In rapid fire

– Talking about the NHL’s top scorers.

– Interesting.

– It coincides quite nicely with the arrival of Alexandre Carrier, all that.

– 30 goals for Alex DeBrincat this season.

– He has 36 points in his last 44 games.

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No increase in ticket prices without a series: the CH should be inspired by the Rangers

It’s been a few years since the Canadian team hasn’t played playoff hockey. In fact, they did it in 2020 and 2021, but those two participations came in a particular context.

We have to go back to 2017 to find the last year the club qualified outright.

That being said, you know as well as I do that it always costs a lot to go to the Centre Bell. Ray Lalonde just talked about it on the 5 to 7 on Monday (exaggerating a bit): it’s not because the CH is not performing that the club gives discounts to fans.

And what’s really interesting is that today, the Rangers made an interesting announcement related to all this: if the club doesn’t make the playoffs this season, the price of season tickets won’t increase.

It’s not a “discount” as Lalonde mentioned, but in a world where ticket prices constantly increase, the principle is essentially the same.

In fact, the club’s performance will dictate whether there’s a price increase, because if the Rangers make the playoffs, there will be a “moderate” increase.

I wonder if some season ticket holders hope the Rangers don’t make the playoffs to avoid this “moderate” increase… but that’s another story.

And that’s a really interesting principle. We agree that the Rangers wouldn’t have a problem selling all their season tickets even if the club doesn’t make the playoffs, but the club still doesn’t want to raise its prices after a season that didn’t meet expectations.

In Montreal, where the team has been at the bottom of the standings for three years (it’s different this year, of course, but it was the case for three consecutive seasons), the price increases every year. And playoffs or not, next year, prices will increase again.

And like in New York, it’s not an increase that will prevent the CH from selling its tickets… but it seems to me that an increase, even a “moderate” one, is better accepted when the team the customer is paying for performs well on the ice, right?

In rapid fire

– Let’s hope he avoided the worst.

– Quinn Hughes could return to play tonight.

– Yesterday’s refereeing is still being talked about.

– We can understand that.

– Indeed.

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Exchange Jake Allen: you can (really) forget the second-round pick

If the Canadian was quiet during the trade deadline this year, the story had been different last year. We will remember that the trio in front of the net had notably come to an end when Jake Allen was sent to the Devils.

It had allowed Samuel Montembeault to become the real #1 of the team… and Jakub Dobes Cayden Primeau to be his assistant.

That being said, in that trade, the CH had obtained a conditional third-round pick in 2025. The conditions associated with this pick were simple: it would become a second-round pick in 2025 if Allen’s team in 2024-25 made the playoffs and if Allen played 40 games in 2024-25.

For the first part, it seems to be on track to happen. Even without Jack Hughes, the Devils have a six-point lead over the Blue Jackets for third place in the Metropolitan, which gives them a cushion…

But it’s the second part that’s problematic: there are only 16 games left in the Devils’ season… and Allen has only played 24 so far.

So he would have to play all of the Devils’ games until the end of the season… and we agree that the chances of that happening are somewhere between “infinitesimal” and “null”.

(Credit: Screenshot/ESPN)

Allen, who is having a great season by the way, will obviously have brought a third-round pick to the CH, in the end. Let’s remember that he was acquired in return for a third-round pick at the time (seventh-round picks were also traded back and forth).

In fact, we suspected since June that it would be difficult for the CH to see these conditions being met. After all, when the Devils got their hands on Jacob Markström, we knew that unless there was an injury, he would be the team’s #1 goalie.

And in the end, even if Markström missed several weeks, Allen will not have played enough to reach the 40-game mark.

Note that the condition could officially become mathematically impossible as early as tomorrow, when the Devils face the Oilers. If Markström, who has been back in the game for about ten days, plays the entire game, Allen will no longer be able to officially reach the 40-game mark this season.

It’s just a matter of time, we agree… but it could be official as early as tomorrow. If not, it will happen in a few days, but in any case, you can (really) forget about the idea of this third-round pick becoming a second-round pick.

In a hurry

– Juraj Slafkovský wants to give more.

– It will be Alex Newhook’s bobblehead night next Tuesday at the Bell Centre.

– According to me, yes. We’ve improved without touching much with a recipe that works.

– Quebecer Benjamin St-Juste joins the Chargers.

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8 years at 8 M$ for Lane Hutson: a contract too “friendly”?

During the 25-26 season, Lane Hutson will be in the last year of his NHL entry-level contract.

And I think we can all agree that, well… The defenseman is going to break the bank with his next contract.

Kent Hughes has a question to ask himself: is it better to offer him a contract extension this summer, or wait until his current deal is over to make him a new offer?

The second option is risky.

Because if Lane Hutson has a big season 25-26… He risks becoming even more expensive for the Canadiens.

His value could increase even more – especially with the salary cap going up.

If Hutson signs a contract extension this summer, he will still be able to get a big salary. But how big?

Eric Engels believes – due to Lane’s talent – that an eight-year, $8 million contract… would be a “friendly” deal for the Canadiens.

In Engels’ eyes, Hutson could sign for even more money this summer:

The journalist wonders if Hutson is ready to sign an eight-year contract and that’s a good point too.

After all, Hutson could look at Wyatt Johnston’s deal in Dallas for inspiration: at 21 years old, the Stars player decided to sign a five-year contract (with an annual value of $8.4 million).

Why did he choose this path? Because after his five-year contract, Johnston will be eligible for unrestricted free agency. And at that point, he will be able to sign an even more lucrative contract than the one at $8.4 million per season.

The options will be open for Hutson because he is on his way to becoming one of the best offensive defensemen in the National League. He is already among the elite, ranking 8th among the best-scoring defensemen in the NHL… and everything indicates that it will only get better in the coming years.

Kent Hughes has a nice headache to deal with, then.

And Hutson, for his part, must be excited right now because he knows he’ll be cashing in soon.

In a hurry

– He deserves respect, the captain.

–

– Wow.

– Some MLB news:

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Michael Hage is a candidate for the title of rookie of the year in his conference

Did Michael Hage dominate in his first NCAA season? Not necessarily.

But that doesn’t mean he didn’t have a good year anyway.

In fact, the Canadiens’ prospect – in his 18-year-old season – collected more than a point per game. He finished the campaign in second place among the top scorers on his team, which is also worth noting.

The efforts of the main man are not going unnoticed, by the way.

Hage – who doesn’t know yet if his season is over – was named one of the three finalists for the freshman of the year title in his conference (Big Ten) and it’s a nice recognition for someone who was in their first year at the university level.

The other players nominated for the title are Charlie Cerrato (Pennsylvania State University) and Gavin Morrissey (University of Wisconsin).

Cerrato (20 years old) is a forward who collected 36 points (15 goals) in 34 games this season.

Morrissey (22 years old) is also a forward who scored 32 points (nine goals) in 37 games with the Badgers.

Michael Hage, for his part, finished the campaign with 34 points (13 goals) in 33 games.

So, it’s easy to notice that the production of the three guys is very similar… But Hage is clearly the youngest in the group.

They all played an important role in the success of their respective teams and each deserved their nomination.

Will Hage’s age give him an advantage?

However, whether Michael Hage wins the title or not, just the fact that he’s among the nominees is good news for the Canadiens organization.

We knew after his selection in the last draft that Hage had the talent to become a good player in the NHL, and seeing him be that productive in his first NCAA year is probably a good sign for the future.

So much the better, then.

In brief

– Okay.

– Things are going well for Mitch Marner lately.

– To be continued.