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Another defeat for the CH in Alberta

After a first defeat since the return of the Four Nations Confrontation on Thursday in Edmonton, the CH resumed action tonight against the Flames.

Jakub Dobes had the task of facing the Calgary club.

Here are the lineups :

Patrik Laine was declared unfit for the meeting.

He was replaced by Michael Pezzetta.

In the first period, no goal was scored, but Dobes held his ground.

Watch this stop against Yegor Sharangovich.

A little earlier in the period, Emil Heineman received a puck directly on the ear.

He left for the locker room for a few minutes, but fortunately, he returned to the game.

It was finally at the end of the second period that the Flames pierced the Dobes wall.

Joel Farabee broke the ice in this defensive match.

The Tricolor goalkeeper tried everything to keep his team in the game.

He made another spectacular save, this time stealing from Matt Coronato.

Despite the brilliant performance of the Czech goalkeeper (23 saves on 24 shots), Montreal fell.

He was never able to beat Dustin Wolf, a truly exceptional goalkeeper, who stopped all 26 shots directed at him.

Final score: 1-0 Flames.

Martin St-Louis’ troops will resume action on Tuesday in Vancouver.

Extension

– Sick.

– Not necessarily the same pitcher.

– Superb plays from two Calder Trophy candidates.

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45 goals by Cole Caufield: the (daring) prediction by Renaud Lavoie

If Cole Caufield, who is undoubtedly having the best season of his career, continues his goal-scoring pace, he will finish the season with 41 goals.

He would thus become the first 40-goal scorer for the Canadiens since Max Pacioretty Vincent Damphousse in 1993-1994. This has been a long time.

If the panel of experts at TVA Sports is optimistic about Caufield reaching 40 goals, Renaud Lavoie sees even bigger things. He believes Caufield will reach the 45-goal plateau.

Maxim Lapierre and Antoine Roussel are a little less optimistic, however. They think that Caufield will score 38 and 39 goals, respectively. They could have rounded to 40…

To reach the 40-goal mark, Caufield will have to score a goal every 2.2 games or so. But for 45 goals, that’s a goal every 1.5 games. Quite a difference.

Lavoie even added that if the winger reaches this difficult-to-reach mark, the Canadiens will be in the playoffs as a wild-card team. In fact, the entire panel of experts (Lapierre, Roussel, Félix Séguin, Patrick Lalime, and Lavoie) is certain to see the Tricolore in the playoffs.

Renaud, the two game describers, and Roussel see Montreal and Ottawa in the playoffs, and Lapierre sees the Bleu-Blanc-Rouge and the Columbus Blue Jackets

Currently, the team is only two small points away from the Blue Jackets (68) and the last wild-card spot. Obviously, this is not an insurmountable hill, but it’s worth remembering that the competition is fierce.

The Senators, who won this afternoon (69), the Rangers (68), the Red Wings (66), and the Bruins — who also won — (66) are also in the mix. Among these teams, Boston and Ottawa have an easier schedule than the Canadiens from now until the end of the season. But obviously, this statistic can change very quickly.

Rapid Fire

— Incredible.

— Happy International Women’s Day!

— Well.

— Pascal Vincent in the NHL next season?

— I just woke up from a coma. Good joke!

— He’s so good.

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Mitch Marner File: “The CH is thirsting for another guy who can make a difference”

Last night, Elliotte Friedman shared some very interesting information on the 32 Thoughts Podcast: looking back on the Canadiens’ trade deadline, which was quite quiet, the insider stated that he “wouldn’t be surprised if the Canadiens had tested the waters for Mikko Rantanen”.

What’s even more interesting is that he noted just before that he expects to see the Canadiens “try to make a big splash this summer”. He believes the team, which seems to be turning the corner (and should add Ivan Demidov to its lineup in the fall), wants to send a strong message.

Of course, this big splash could come through a trade. The team needs a top-6 center, and it may evaluate its options on the trade market this summer.

That being said, the Canadiens will also have a lot of money to spend on the free agent market this summer. Seeing Mikko Rantanen, who was set to become a free agent, sign a long-term deal in Dallas, removes one option… and suddenly, there’s only one top player who’s on track to test the market.

And that player is… Mitch Marner.

Before the start of the season, there was a lot of talk about the trio of big names that could test the market, namely Marner, Rantanen, and Igor Shesterkin. Today, the last two have a long-term deal in their pocket… but not Marner.

And today, in a text for The Athletic, Chris Johnston discussed Marner’s case… and he mentioned this:

The Canadiens, like other teams, are thirsty for another player who can change the game. – Chris Johnston

I take away two things from that sentence:

  • If Mitch Marner reaches full free agency, the Canadiens will be in the running.
  • If Mitch Marner reaches full free agency, he will have so many teams after him that he will have all the leverage in the world.

In fact, there are a few quality players who should become free agents. John Tavares, Nikolaj Ehlers, Sam Bennett, Brock Boeser, Brock Nelson, and others: these are all players who could help teams like the Canadiens improve.

That being said, the only player who is on track to test the market and is a real game-changer is Mitch Marner. His playoff performances have been criticized, but he remains one of the best attackers in the NHL.

He is the seventh-best scorer in the NHL at the time of writing, with 77 points in 61 games. That’s worth its weight in gold.

The question now is what his next contract might look like. If he reaches the free agent market, we can expect him to break the bank because he can easily drive up the bidding.

Forget the $96 million over eight years that Rantanen got: it will be a bigger contract than that for Marner if he wants it. If he signs in Montreal, he will make a lot more money than Nick Suzuki.

Let’s remember, however, that only the Maple Leafs will be in a position to offer him an eighth year of contract. Seeing him refuse a trade to the Hurricanes for Mikko Rantanen suggests that he would like to stay in Toronto, and there’s a world in which he decides to agree to a long-term deal with the Leafs.

But if the attacker were to test the market, he would undoubtedly be the most sought-after player. And if Kent Hughes wants to give a monster contract to a player this summer to use his payroll while the salary cap is about to explode in the coming years, Marner should be his number one target.

Is the Ontario native who grew up as a Maple Leafs fan ready to wear the Canadiens’ jersey? The question arises, but I have no doubt that the Canadiens’ interest in Marner is very real.

Marner wouldn’t solve the center problem in town. That being said, having a guy like him on a top-6 that would also bet on Suzuki, Caufield, Slafkovský, and Demidov would mean that the Canadiens would be equipped to go far in the attack.

Maybe the Canadiens have another game-changer in mind that they could get through a trade. However, the only one who could be available to them (and to all other teams) on July 1st is Mitch Marner. Let’s see if Kent Hughes will take a chance now.

In brief

– Huge win for the Rocket, which maintains its first place in the AHL standings.

– I think he’s not the only one who finds it weird, hehe.

– Not bad, the kid.

– Ugh.

– Well done.

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Patrik Laine : a decision will be made before the game regarding his participation

Here, during training, Patrik Laine did not jump onto the ice. The Finnish player was dealing with flu symptoms, and therefore was not with the rest of the group.

It was particular to see that, unlike Mike Matheson and Josh Anderson, it had not been announced in advance in Laine’s case.

Said that, we were therefore watching to see if Laine would be able to play tonight… and visibly, it’s not assured.

While chatting with the media today, Martin St-Louis noted that a decision will be made before the game regarding the Finnish player’s participation.

He is therefore not sure that we will see Laine in uniform tonight.

More details to come…

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Mikko Rantanen : the Hurricanes wanted Mitch Marner in return

Today, Mikko Rantanen is a member of the Stars. The Hurricanes went after him (possibly due to a misunderstanding) with the goal of signing him long-term in January, but a few weeks later, he’s in Dallas.

The value is good for the Hurricanes… but I still see them as losers in all this. The club has regressed in the short term while trying to win the Stanley Cup.

Logan Stankoven and draft picks, that’s fine… but it doesn’t make you better today.

However, it seems that in return for Rantanen, the Hurricanes initially had a target that would have actually helped the club in the short term… and would have sent Rantanen to Toronto.

The target in question, according to Elliotte Friedman, was none other than Mitch Marner.

Of course, all of this would have been a monster trade. We know that the Maple Leafs had interest in Rantanen (they tried to get him without giving up Marner, but the Hurricanes preferred the Stars’ package), and with Marner, the Hurricanes would have gotten a player who would have helped the club now.

However, Marner has a no-movement clause, so the Maple Leafs had to talk to him before proceeding with negotiations. And Marner refused to be included in that trade.

What’s important to know, though, is that even if the Leafs discussed all this with Marner, the club’s priority is to sign the forward long-term. And according to Friedman, Marner refused because he wants to stay in Toronto long-term.

Let’s recall that Marner will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the current season. The Leafs will therefore have to pay him to keep him long-term.

So, we almost had a huge trade between the Hurricanes and the Maple Leafs. We don’t know if other pieces would have been involved, but if Marner and Rantanen had been part of a trade, it would have made headlines regardless of the overall picture.

Extension

Note that according to Chris Johnston (The Athletic), the Hurricanes also discussed with the Leafs a package that would have included Matthew Knies and other future assets in a trade for Rantanen.

But that clearly didn’t interest the Leafs. And today, Rantanen is in Dallas rather than Toronto.

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Mikko Rantanen : the Oilers came very close to acquiring (and signing) him

The Mikko Rantanen saga is finally over in Carolina. The forward, who had been acquired from the Avalanche in January, was finally traded to the Stars yesterday… after playing only 13 games in Carolina.

And it didn’t even take 24 hours for Jack Roslovic to take back his #96 in Carolina.

In the end, it’s in Dallas that Rantanen will continue his career. We know that the Maple Leafs tried to acquire him, but the Hurricanes didn’t want to send him to a playoff team in the East.

Now, we know that other teams were in the running… and according to Ryan Rishaug (TSN), there is a team that came very close to getting Rantanen and signing him to a long-term deal for more money than the $96 million offered by the Stars.

And the team in question… is the Edmonton Oilers.

We know that yesterday morning, negotiations between Rantanen and the Stars didn’t seem to be advancing, so the Hurricanes had to discuss with other teams. We can think that it’s at that moment that discussions with the Oilers, a competitive team this season (as Rantanen wanted) started to progress.

In the end, that being said, the Oilers didn’t have the ammunition to interest the Hurricanes, so Rantanen took the road to Dallas. This put an end to a saga where the Hurricanes, despite the value obtained, were still losers.

And what’s interesting is that in the latest 32 Thoughts Podcast, Elliotte Friedman reported an interesting piece of information: the transaction that sent Rantanen to Carolina possibly occurred due to a negotiation game between the Avalanche and the player’s camp.

In fact, the Hurricanes were able to talk to the player before the transaction, and they liked what they heard. However, the player’s camp believed it was a negotiation tactic by the Avalanche… so we can think that Rantanen “lied” to force the Avalanche’s hand, which rather traded him.

This means that the initial transaction possibly resulted from a huge misunderstanding. Rantanen showed an openness to going to Carolina to force the Avalanche’s hand… which, seeing that he was “open” to going to Raleigh, sent him to Carolina.

This explains why Rantanen said he was caught off guard by the transaction even though he had spoken to the Hurricanes before… and why the Hurricanes went to get him even though the player had no real interest in signing there long-term: the team was convinced that was the case.

I have the impression that following all this, Rantanen is perhaps not exactly satisfied with the work of his agent. And he’s so unpopular in Carolina that even the governor of North Carolina took a shot at him on social media.

That being said, we came close to seeing Rantanen play alongside Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in Edmonton, and that with a big contract in his pocket for the three guys.

That would have been something.

In rapid fire

– Jacob Fowler gets a shutout to conclude his regular season. He got seven in 32 starts.

– A good first game for Dylan Cozens with the Senators. Unfortunately for the CH, the Senators beat the Rangers… in overtime.

– Well done.

– Erik Johnson is grateful to be back in Colorado.

– A tough blow for the Yankees.

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“He doesn’t want to humiliate his teammates” : Evgeny Kuznetsov praises Ivan Demidov’s talent

In a few months, Ivan Demidov is expected to make the leap to North America. For the Canadian, this will likely be the beginning of a new era, as the team’s best hope arrives at a time when the CH seems to be turning the corner.

After years of rebuilding, a change in mentality is to be expected next year. Demidov won’t be the savior right away, but he has the potential to be part of the solution.

Because even if he’s currently in a small slump, he’s still having a great season in the KHL. He’s racking up points and his talent is evident.

Evgeny Kuznetsov, who has been playing with Demidov at SKA since the beginning of the year, is well aware of this… and in an interview with RG Media, the former Capital praised his young teammate’s immense talent:

In training, he tries to be discreet because he doesn’t want to humiliate his teammates. – Evgeny Kuznetsov

Kuznetsov insists that he sees special talent in Demidov, words that mean a lot coming from a player who is immensely talented himself and has also played with other highly talented players. To see him say that Demidov is one of the most special talents he’s seen, it’s something.

The former Capital also explained that he tries not to mentor Demidov too much because he wants to let him learn on his own. He’s there to help if needed, but he doesn’t want to constantly hover over him.

Because Demidov is, in Kuznetsov’s eyes, an extremely mature young man at heart. And that confirms what colleague Maxime Truman reported a few weeks ago on Stanley25.

Of course, talent is something that stands out and is very exciting. That being said, in a market like Montreal, talent isn’t worth much without the maturity that comes with it… and the good news is that there are good reasons to believe Demidov has that maturity.

Everything can change once he sets foot in town, of course, but at least the winning conditions seem to be in place for now. And it’s no wonder that in Montreal, we’re really, really looking forward to seeing him arrive in town.

In rafale

– He’s impressing this season.

– Mikko Rantanen is training with Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson. That’s quite a trio.

– Nathan MacKinnon doesn’t think a team can win with young players. Reminder: Cale Makar was 23, Mikko Rantanen was 25, and MacKinnon was 26 when the Avalanche won the Stanley Cup.

– To watch.

– What to expect from the Cubs this season?

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Ivan Demidov : another tough match today adds to a tough sequence

Since the start of the season, we’ve been keeping a close eye on what’s happening with Ivan Demidov in Russia. And usually, when we’re not talking about his ice time (for bad reasons), we’re talking a lot about his solid performances.

And with good reason, because at just 18 years old, he’s among the top scorers in the KHL this season. He’s playing some really, really big hockey.

That being said, for a few games now, we’ve noticed that it’s been a bit more difficult for Demidov. Before his game today, he had only three points in his last seven games (including the game where he was benched by his coach for the entire game), but beyond the points, he seems more hesitant on the ice.

And again today, it was a bit of the same story: Demidov was shut out… and he didn’t have a great game.

At least he spent almost 17 minutes on the ice… but he didn’t do much with those 17 minutes.

There’s a big contrast between the Demidov from the start of the season and the Demidov from the last few games… and we have to wonder if the way he’s being managed in Russia is starting to weigh on his shoulders. His coach, Roman Rotenberg, is constantly changing his line (he played on the third unit today), and we know that the SKA put pressure on him earlier this season to sign a long-term deal.

Is that happening again recently? And most importantly, is that what’s causing his difficulties? Possible.

We can wonder if that’s playing a role too… because even if he doesn’t seem physically affected, he’s making unusual mental mistakes that suggest fatigue might also be a cause.

Obviously, it’s possible that all of this is just a temporary slump from which he’ll emerge soon. That being said, in any case, the kid is being tested right now, and it’s up to him to find the answers, now.

Because in the NHL, he’ll eventually be targeted for 82 games (plus any potential playoff games). If he can get used to all that now, it’ll be a good learning experience.

In rapid fire

– The Rocket is continuing to manage David Reinbacher’s workload. He won’t play today after a great performance last night.

– I think so too. Fabian Zetterlund was really a great pick.

– Nice way to highlight International Women’s Day.

– That’s cool!

– A vote of confidence from the Bruins’ president for his hockey staff.

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Alex Barré-Boulet : a great option to replace Owen Beck

Kent Hughes has decided not to make any moves at the trade deadline, as he has neither sold his assets that will be free agents this summer, nor acquired a center player for the second line.

This is a conservative decision that does not harm the rebuilding process or the Canadiens’ chances in the playoff race.

However, the fact is clear regarding the current Tricolore lineup: it lacks a second center.

The position is currently occupied by Owen Beck, but even if he’s not bad and does some good things here and there, Martin St-Louis clearly doesn’t have confidence in him.

This has been even more evident over the past three games, as Beck hasn’t even reached 10 minutes of ice time.

Ice time for recent games:

  • 9:43 on March 1st vs Buffalo
  • 7:49 on March 3rd vs Buffalo
  • 8:22 on March 6th vs Edmonton

In short, it’s clear that the playoff run will be difficult for the Tricolore with a second center playing less than ten minutes.

So, a solution needs to be found now that the trade deadline has passed, and this solution could be found internally.

Indeed, with the Laval Rocket, there is a player who produces a point per game and has NHL experience.

(Credit: HockeyDB.com)

Seriously, when I saw this morning that Barré-Boulet had 47 points in 47 games this season with the Laval Rocket, including his two goals yesterday, I really thought about the idea of him being called up to Montreal.

At 27 years old, the Quebecer has never really had a quality chance in the NHL, despite always dominating in the American League.

And now, with the Canadiens needing a second center, the opportunity is more than beautiful for ABB, in my opinion.

Sending Beck to Laval would really be more beneficial for his development than playing barely in the NHL, and bringing Barré-Boulet up would give Martin St-Louis a second wind.

The Canadiens’ coach would surely have more confidence in a 27-year-old player, who clearly has a lot of talent, and who would have the knife between his teeth to seize his chance to establish himself in the NHL.

Even if Barré-Boulet doesn’t always play center, he would be a great option for the second center position alongside Patrik Laine and Alex Newhook.

In the worst-case scenario, Newhook could play center.

In short, if Beck continues to play so little because St-Louis doesn’t trust him, the Canadiens should really consider the possibility of bringing Barré-Boulet up to Montreal.

This wouldn’t hurt the Rocket, who would get Beck back, and for the playoffs, Barré-Boulet would be back.

What do you think?

In a Flash

– To be closely watched.

– A roster move that doesn’t really please Devils fans if we’re to believe the comments. They would have all preferred to see Simon Nemec be sent back to the American League.

– A heartbreaking goal for Michael Hage and the University of Michigan.

– An important day.

– Indeed.

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Rocket’s win: Laval is back in first place in its division and the league

Last night, all the attention of the Montreal Canadiens’ fans was still on the trade deadline.

Some fans said they were happy that Kent Hughes didn’t make any moves, while others were disappointed that Hughes didn’t sell his assets (Armia, Savard, and Dvorak), or that Hughes didn’t go get reinforcements for the playoff run.

Personally, I think Hughes tried to improve the team, but he didn’t find the perfect trade for his team and didn’t want to rush into a deal, and so, in the end, the Canadiens’ GM did the right thing.

And while all the fans were stubborn and making their own assessments of the trade deadline, the Canadiens’ affiliate team, the Laval Rocket, was playing a VERY important game against the Rochester Americans at the Place Bell.

Why was it such an important game?

Well, because the Rocket had the chance to take back first place in their division and in the league by beating Rochester with a win.

And that’s exactly what Laval did, as the Rocket won 4-3.

This is a huge win for the Rocket, as they overcame a 2-0 deficit to win in regulation, which allows Laval to take back first place in their division AND in the American League overall.

(Credit: TheAHL.com)

It’s a very important position to finish first in your division, as it would allow the Rocket to face the winner of a qualifying series between the 4th and 5th place teams in the first round.

In short, it’s a great win for the Rocket, as everyone gave their all, even those who didn’t get any points.

Indeed, David Reinbacher had another very good game, even if he didn’t get any points. He was very solid and fluid, as he has been since he came back to play with the Rocket.

He’s very confident, and that makes him very enjoyable to watch.

As for the players who did get points, well, Alex Barré-Boulet was once again the sparkplug for the Rocket with two goals, which bring him back to a point per game with 47 points in 47 games.

Seriously, I think that if the Canadiens can’t trust Owen Beck at center on the second line, Barré-Boulet should be called up and given a chance.

He could really be useful on the second line with Patrik Laine and Alex Newhook, either at center or on the wing with Newhook.

Laurent Dauphin and his 40 points in 46 games could also be a great option, as he had 12 points in 38 games with the Canadiens during the 2021-2022 season.

As for the young prospects now, well, several of them are having a great streak.

With an assist last night, Florian Xhekaj now has 13 points in his last 14 games.

He’s really reached another level in his development, which is very beneficial for the future.

Xhekaj has 25 points, including 15 goals, in 51 games this season as a rookie with the Rocket.

And in the case of Sean Farrell, he got an assist last night, which extends his streak of consecutive games with at least one point to seven games.

In short, Pascal Vincent’s team is on fire, and they’ll have the chance to defend their first place tonight with a second game in as many days against the Rochester Americans.

The game will be played at 1 pm today at the Place Bell.

In a Nutshell

– The arrival of Dylan Cozens in Ottawa.

– Here are Kevyn Adams’ comments on the acquisition of Josh Norris.

– Ah, really?

– Note that.