For the first time since returning from the break, he will be able to play. The club’s #2 goalkeeper will be in front of his team’s net tomorrow evening, as the CH will be in Buffalo.
Buffalo doesn’t have a good team. The game will be on the road. Dobes hasn’t played in a long time. Samuel Montembeault didn’t seem 100% comfortable last night against San Jose. The reasons were good to trust Dobes.
Note also that the Canadian will bring Josh Anderson to Buffalo. This doesn’t mean he’ll play for sure, but at least it’s good news in that sense.
Josh Anderson didn’t practise with #Habs today but will travel with team to Buffalo for Saturday night’s game vs. Sabres
Mathieu Olivier is a name that’s increasingly important in the NHL.
His importance in Columbus is great. Yes, he fights, but he especially knows how to play hockey by bringing a touch of sandpaper to his team’s lineup.
And he’s loved for it.
We know that his contract will expire at the end of June. He’s currently earning $1.1 million per year and he will be eligible for full autonomy this summer.
Naturally, this opens doors.
And even if many people would have liked to see him in Montreal, currently, it’s absolutely not in the works for him to be available. Neither at the trade deadline… nor on July 1st.
Darren Dreger reports that the Blue Jackets have very little chance of trading him since the Quebecer is on the right track to extend his association with the Blue Jackets.
Ongoing extension discussions between @BlueJacketsNHL and Mathieu Olivier. Progress has been made. Virtually no chance he’s traded. Big part of the Jackets team.
Of course, things can change by then. But the way it’s going, we should expect the depth player to take root in Ohio for the foreseeable future.
And that’s perfectly fine: when you’re in your place, why change?
The Blue Jackets don’t lack space under the cap and they’re building something. Without Johnny Gaudreau, it will also be a bit less simple to attract talented players to the team.
– Jalen Neal and Giacomo Vrioni are here. They’re doing warm-ups with the group, unlike Owen Graham-Roache who is already on the sidelines. We’ll see – or not since the training is behind closed doors – if they’ll train with the group… pic.twitter.com/eSBztL9g7H
Josh Anderson is not present at the club’s training this morning. He has, as has often been the case for a few weeks, a day of treatments to take care of his physical health.
No one will complain about it.
Forward Josh Anderson will not participate in today’s practice (therapy day).
Forward Josh Anderson will not participate in today’s practice (therapy day).
Of course, after his match yesterday, it was not necessary to see him on the ice in Brossard. But the question is, will he be able to play in tomorrow’s match.
Will Jake Evans sign a contract extension with the Canadiens? Will he be traded? Will he be traded along with Joel Armia to increase the return value?
The answer from here… a week.
It doesn’t seem like we’re seven days away from the deadline due to the impact the Four Nations Tournament had on the market, but we’re almost there.
We often come back to Jake Evans, but he’s the most visible player for the Canadiens right now.
He really has the potential to change a team’s power play disadvantage. Especially if he goes somewhere with Joel Armia, his teammate this season with the Canadiens.
But what’s interesting is that among these teams, the Wild is a name that comes up a bit more. Pierre LeBrun is asking us to keep an eye on the team regarding the fourth-line players.
And here we are, after the Wild’s game yesterday, Michael Russo, who covers the team’s activities, says the Minnesota team needs to get Evans and Armia out of Montreal because their power play is a disaster.
It’s a no-brainer for Guerin to go after an Armia/Evans PK tag-team at this point. Like enough is enough with this penalty kill.
We must not forget that the team is 30th in the NHL in power play and that Joel Eriksson Ek is injured. These are elements that can convince Bill Guerin to do everything to bring the Montreal guys to town for the playoffs.
Now it remains to be seen if the Wild’s GM is willing to pay what’s needed to the Canadiens…
– Piette and Campbell each have a small post-game issue. The preseason has been difficult (different temperatures, different surfaces, etc.) and there has been a lot of traveling. The coach doesn’t sound like someone…
#CFMTL : Caden Clark just told us he’s excited to play tomorrow’s game in Minnesota, in front of friends and family. We can also feel that he’d like to prove to his old team that they made a mistake by trading him (quickly and for very little)…
These aren’t my words, but rather those of Martin St-Louis and Cole Caufield.
You will have understood that Caufield and St-Louis are talking about Josh Anderson here.
“He’s a warrior,” said Martin St. Louis.
“He is an animal,” said Cole Caufield.
Josh Anderson is a hockey player who thrives most in playoff games, and he’s pushing through at least one bad injury to give the Canadiens a chance of playing them this season https://t.co/kqUHBmNqE7
Anderson retired to the dressing room yesterday in the second period, before coming back to help his team in the third. A seemingly harmless fall gave him all sorts of pain.
Because yes, seeing a veteran like Anderson put on his $1,500 skates has a way of inspiring his teammates. Especially the younger ones, who sometimes tend to play more like they’re in junior hockey than like Anderson, let’s say…
Yesterday, Anderson spent 13 minutes and 20 seconds on the ice, distributing three hits. He also took three shots and blocked an opponent’s shot.
He has only scored a few points in his last 13 games, but his mere presence has a way of helping the team. He’s helping the team in their playoff push while showing the way to the younger players for the future.
Josh Anderson is currently helping the team in his own way, even if the points aren’t coming.
(Credit: Getty Images)
What’s wrong with him?
I’m not a doctor and I won’t pretend to be one for the sake of this article, but when I see Josh Anderson playing for several weeks, I think of two things:
1. He seems to be injured in the back. He often curls up to relieve his pain, and if he were injured in the knee, ankle, groin, or shoulder, his behavior would be different in my opinion. And if it were his ribs, he would have recovered with the four-nation break, right?
2. Is he doing a Carey Price or a Shea Weber, playing as much hockey as possible… knowing that the end is near? #SwanSong?
Anderson will be 31 years old in three months, and it’s often at 30 that a guy like Josh Anderson’s body starts to give out.
He had a difficult season last year, which makes me think that his back (?!) may have been hurting him for a while now.
Unfortunately, it’s often difficult – if not impossible – to recover from a back injury. And for a player who plays like Anderson, it’s even more problematic.
Josh Anderson still has two years left on his contract (with a $5.5 million cap hit). Will he be able to play them? Will he join Carey Price on the LTIR?
Yes, I know, we’re not there yet… but we can still look to the future and ask questions, can’t we?
One thing is certain, he won’t be traded in the next few days…
Last night, the Canadiens won their game again. It was against the Sharks and the team needed Cole Caufield to score a spectacular goal in overtime to win 4-3, but a win is a win.
Theoretically, it’s good for the standings, isn’t it? Obviously. It’s better than a loss in a playoff race.
But in reality, even if the Canadiens seem to be #InTheMix right now and have won their three games since the break, the team is unable to gain ground in the playoffs.
The proof?
Despite yesterday’s win, the Canadiens are still five points away from the playoffs. There are also four teams (that are better than the Canadiens in my opinion) to overcome in order to qualify.
(Credit: Sportsnet)
Not easy to make the playoffs…
The guys are playing like a team that wants to convince their bosses not to sell at the deadline, but it doesn’t change the fact that the standings aren’t helping the players’ cause.
When you look at it, the Islanders (14th in the East) are only two points away from the Canadiens. The Penguins (15th) are four points away from the Canadiens, who are on a bad streak.
It would take about three points in the next two games for the Canadiens to hope to make the playoffs in 2025. Kent Hughes probably doesn’t think it’s likely…
But if we focus on yesterday’s game, there are still some elements to consider that allowed the Canadiens to not be seven points away from the playoffs this Friday morning.
For example?
1. Lane Hutson found a way to get another assist last night. It’s his 40th this season, achieved in 59 games. A rookie defenseman with 40 assists in less than 60 games since 1991-1992, there are only two in the NHL.
The other? Nicklas Lidstrom. No less.
2. Nick Suzuki has been rolling since the break. He has eight points in three games… and yesterday, he scored two goals and set up Cole Caufield’s superb goal in overtime.
The captain, who can still read the game well, but has never had a hat-trick in the NHL, reached the 60-point plateau. Will he have 82 points this season? It’s possible… even if he plays with a weight on his line.
3. Arber Xhekaj didn’t look good on the Sharks’ third goal and was benched. Martin St-Louis didn’t want to leave him on the bench for the entire third period, but power plays prevented him from using his #72. And at the end of the game, St-Louis didn’t want to send him in cold.
With Jayden Struble (who fought) and David Savard playing less, the other three defensemen played more minutes.
4. Josh Anderson getting hurt (again) and coming back to play while giving it his all on the ice is impressive. He motivates his teammates, and that’s good for the veteran.
But at some point, he’ll need a break.
5. Owen Beck collected his first NHL point, but Owen Beck worked hard to earn it. He accepted a hit and found a way to control the puck to pass it to his linemates.
That’s worth noting.
6. Michael Ryder was in town last night. I wonder if it was to finally give Brendan Gallagher the Rolex he promised him, but never gave him, for giving up his #73 in 2011-2013… #OrNot
In 2019, it still hadn’t been done.
Brendan Gallagher explains on @spittinchiclets that when he gave up his number #73 to Micheal Ryder back in his rookie season he was promised a Rolex from Ryder but still to this day never got it. @BGALLY17
7. Samuel Montembeault wasn’t as solid as usual in front of his net, but he found a way to get the win. In a results-driven league, that’s important. Will he get a break tomorrow in Buffalo?
8. The Canadiens’ first home win against San Jose since 2015 is worth noting.
Overtime
At 11 am this morning, the Canadiens will practice in Brossard. Even if Michael Pezzetta has started practicing with a contact jersey, Josh Anderson’s injury (even if he finished yesterday’s game) changes things.
Is it crazy to think that at practice and on the plane to Buffalo, there might be an extra forward – a call-up from Laval? I’m not saying it’s likely, but it’s worth keeping an eye on.
Last night, the Carolina Hurricanes faced the Buffalo Sabres with their Hartford Whalers uniforms.
Jesperi Kotkaniemi took advantage of the opportunity to offer a beautiful show to the people in attendance. From the initial face-off, he threw his gloves against Dylan Cozens.
We can see that the former Canadien even tried a kind of “Superman punch”.
It obviously worked, because Cozens didn’t do much and KK went to the penalty bench with a win in the first round.
Carolina eventually won 5-2 and, in addition to KK, another Finn stood out. Mikko Rantanen scored on the power play, his first goal as a member of the Whalers (not the Canes).
Earlier in the season, Luke Schenn played in his 1000th game in the NHL.
And yesterday, it was his brother Brayden’s turn to achieve the same feat. A duo of brothers reaching the 1000-game plateau in the same year, that’s not something that happens often.
A little later, it was John Tortorella’s turn to lose his temper.
Garnet Hathaway retired to the locker room after this sneaky hit by Boko Imama and the Quebecer only received a minor penalty on the sequence.
Torts almost popped a blood vessel after Boko Imama was only assessed a minor for interference for this hit on Garnet Hathaway pic.twitter.com/UnQsNTvBK6
Last week, we had the privilege of watching the final match between Canada and the United States at the Four Nations Confrontation. It was a big game in terms of sports, but also due to the current political context.
And that evening, Wayne Gretzky was the honorary captain for Canada… which did not exactly receive unanimous approval due to his ties with Donald Trump, who would like to see him become the governor of a potential 51st state.
We also remember that before the game, he gave a “thumbs up” to the American team, but not to the Canadian team. That also sparked a reaction.
So, for a week now, Gretzky has been the target of a ton of negative comments in the country… and according to his wife Janet’s words, it’s affecting the Great One:
It has “broken his heart” to read and see the mean comments about him. – Janet Gretzky
Janet Gretzky says it has “broken (Wayne’s) heart” to read and see the mean comments about him and he would “do anything to make Canadians proud.” pic.twitter.com/jBcYJFPJvk
— Adam Laskaris (@adam_la2karis) February 27, 2025
It was through her Instagram account that Janet Gretzky, in response to Bobby Orr’s comments (who also thinks #99 is too criticized), defended her husband. According to her, no one is more proud to be Canadian than Gretzky, and she claims that he would do anything to make Canadians proud.
But visibly, it doesn’t seem to be a huge success since last week.
We also recall that last night, Donald Trump defended Gretzky via his TruthSocial account… reminding everyone that Gretzky is his friend, which explains why he’s staying quiet about the 51st state issue.
I imagine that will calm things down.
We’ll see how it all evolves, but #99 seems to be well aware of the comments he’s received over the past week. And visibly, he seems to be quite affected by them.
In a nutshell
– Sean Monahan will be featured in the new season of the Prime Video series on the NHL.
Heart and soul. Honoured to tell Sean Monahan’s story in Season 2 of @primevideo’s FACEOFF: Inside the NHL. pic.twitter.com/iFwuwL47fb
— Sports on Prime Canada (@SportsOnPrimeCA) February 28, 2025
– The Schenn brothers have both reached the 1000-game milestone in their NHL careers.
Congratulations to Brayden and Luke Schenn on becoming the first pair of brothers in #NHL history to both hit the 1,000 game milestone in the same season.
Brayden crosses the 1,000 mark tonight in Washington. pic.twitter.com/kINqwfQP6e
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) February 28, 2025
– I love it.
Well that’s one way to go no bucket in warmups pic.com/xv3HiiiXzK
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) February 27, 2025
Connor McDavid is, in the eyes of almost any hockey fan, the best player in the world. The Oilers’ forward, who has dominated the league for years, is truly in a class of his own.
We’ve notably seen him at the 4 Nations Confrontation: he’s the one who stood up to score the golden goal for Canada.
That being said, even if McDavid had his share of success defending Canada’s colors in February, it’s a whole different story when looking at his performances with the Oilers since the beginning of the month. In fact, McDavid hasn’t been on the ice for a single 5-on-5 goal for the Oilers in six games.
And during those six games, McDavid has been on the ice for 10 goals scored against the Oilers at 5-on-5.
Worse still: it’s been eight games since McDavid hasn’t scored a point at 5-on-5 with the Oilers. So, it’s been a full month since January 27… and it’s been a full month.
Never seen before stats for McDavid.
Eight games without a point 5×5.
Six games without being on the ice for a goal 5×5.
Outscored 10-0 at 5×5 over last six games.
He said he needs to get going. Rare you hear that from him. Expect some jump tonight for #97.
In fact, he has six points in seven games since the beginning of the month. That being said, all these points were scored while the Oilers were on a power play, had pulled their goalie, or were in overtime.
It’s really tough for McDavid at even strength… and the man himself is the first to admit he’s going through a rough patch.
“I’d be lying if I said I’ve been feeling good out there.”
– It’s almost certain that Mathieu Olivier won’t be traded, according to Darren Dreger.
Ongoing extension discussions between @BlueJacketsNHL and Mathieu Olivier. Progress has been made. Virtually no chance he’s traded. Big part of the Jackets team.
– Mikko Rantanen’s clan will give news to the Hurricanes in the coming days.
As reported on @TSN_Sports «Insider Trading,» Mikko Rantanen’s camp is expected to let the #hurricanes know in the next few days where things stand on contract talks.
While several teams have inquired about a trade, Carolina hasn’t yet received or asked for a single offer.
It’s in just over a week (next Friday, to be exact) that we’ll see the NHL trade deadline. This means that in the coming days, we’ll have more and more activity in the Bettman circuit… and that some players may change addresses.
From the bunch, in Montreal, we’re closely watching Jake Evans and Joel Armia. We know that the two upcoming free agents are the best trading chips the Canadiens have… and we can wonder if they’ll still be in town in 10 days.
However, on TSN’s airwaves tonight, Pierre LeBrun discussed the situation of the two forwards ahead of the trade deadline… and according to what he’s heard, the Canadiens don’t feel the need to trade the two players:
The Canadiens are telling other teams that they don’t have to trade [Evans and Armia]. – Pierre LeBrun
INSIDER TRADING…
– What’s the market for Evans & Armia
– Jets seek best fit, not biggest name
– Hurricanes/Rantanen
– Injured Frederic still in play
– Sabres’ Cozens, Byram & Tuch
– Contenders wait to hear on Nelson
LeBrun notes that the Canadiens are aware they already have a good bank of draft picks, which means they don’t have to replenish their bank at all costs. So, if they don’t get the price they want, they can afford to be patient… or not trade them at all.
After all, maybe buying time would allow the Canadiens and Evans’ clan to get closer to a long-term agreement.
The team won’t deprive itself of trading Evans and Armia if the offers are good. That being said, what seems to be understood is that Kent Hughes doesn’t intend to trade them at a low price: if he doesn’t get the price he wants, he’s comfortable with the idea of keeping them in town beyond next March 7th.
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pic.com/xv3HiiiXzK
