Category: Uncategorized

Categories
Uncategorized

Juraj Slafkovsky: to be successful, you have to play like Brady Tkachuk

The four-nation showdown is attracting a lot of attention in the NHL. It even reached Juraj Slafkovsky while he was on vacation in the south.

Like almost everyone, he didn’t expect so much intensity from the players.

One player who caught his attention is Brady Tkachuk, who lines up with the American team and the Ottawa Senators. Slafkovsky even praised him, describing him as a model player to have an impact in the NHL.

This is what he confided to Anthony Martineau, from TVA Sports.

«You have to play like Brady Tkachuk if you want to have success in this league.» – Juraj Slafkovsky

It’s quite rare to see a Canadiens player praise a player from a rival team like that. Nevertheless, Tkachuk has found a good recipe to have an impact in a hockey game. He has a mentality and physical game from the 80s and 90s, but he has a great talent for playing hockey when it matters.

It’s not easy to play like Tkachuk, but Slafkovsky has good tools to have a similar style. The difference is that the Slovak player doesn’t stir up as much and isn’t a pest. Honestly, there’s nothing wrong with that. However, he can get more involved physically to give space to his teammates.

He does, but not consistently. I think that if he does it more regularly, the points will come in large quantities.

In a hurry

– Solid contact.

– A very nice tournament.

– CF Montreal is quite low.

Categories
Uncategorized

A record audience to see the Tkachuk fight last Saturday

Jon Cooper said it, and rightly so: the 4 Nations tournament is the best thing to happen to hockey in at least 10 years.

The atmosphere on Saturday night was probably the best in the history of the arena, and the players gave it their all on the ice for a truly spectacular show.

It’s a huge success, and the NHL will regret not organizing this type of event in recent years, especially considering the TV ratings.

In North America, no less than 10.1 million people tuned in to watch the Canada vs. United States game on Saturday night, and therefore see Brady and Matthew Tkachuk fight. It’s huge. The following figures demonstrate it.

In fact, this figure is the highest since 2014 when excluding Stanley Cup Final games.

Quebec is also vibrating to the rhythm of this tournament, with excellent figures recorded.

On TVA Sports, an average of 920,000 viewers per minute were watching the game. That’s also huge.

The injuries sustained by some players may cool down the owners for organizing a similar tournament more regularly, but seriously, we would take more of it.

The Canada-United States rivalry, but also the one between Finland and Sweden, are strong enough to create hatred between nations. It seems that the players are proud to wear their country’s colors, and that’s all the better for the spectacle.

I thought there would be enthusiasm, but not to this extent. It’s largely thanks to the players who play as if each game was their last.

If the figures were so high on Saturday, I’m looking forward to seeing the figures for Thursday’s final game.

In a nutshell

– It’s good for the public.

– The former Alouettes player in Saskatchewan.

– What a quote!

Categories
Uncategorized

Quinn Hughes trained with the Canucks in Vancouver

This morning, Frank Seravalli – in relation to Mike Sullivan’s comments – said that Quinn Hughes was on his way to Boston.

The US defense is not in full health and with Charlie McAvoy unable to play on Thursday, we thought Hughes was going to replace him in the lineup.

But now… it seems to be quite complicated.

I say that because this afternoon, Hughes was spotted… while training in Vancouver with the Canucks.

He was wearing a jersey that prevents him from receiving contact:

Hmm…

Of course, it’s a bit weird. We all thought the defender was already on the plane to join the American team in Boston, but that’s not the case.

And there’s a reason for all this: for Hughes to play on Thursday, another player from the American team must be injured.

For now, the guys are healthy. Hughes is therefore not guaranteed to be able to participate in the game, and in this context, it’s more logical for him to stay in Vancouver instead of traveling for nothing.

In addition, the Canucks will be in Vegas on Saturday:

I understand that the tournament rules must be respected… But at the same time, it’s the final.

Hockey fans want to see the best possible show, and at this level, the best players from each nation should be able to play.

Paul Bissonnette was a bit silly in suggesting that Canada bring Mathieu Olivier… But we understand the principle:

All this to say that for now, the chances of seeing Quinn Hughes play against Canada on Thursday seem to be (more than) very slim.

It’s a shame in a way… But it will be up to Canada to take advantage of it, too.

In a hurry

– Thatcher Demko is still injured. I have the impression that the end of his career is approaching…

– He seems happy!

– Some news in the MLB:

Categories
Uncategorized

David Reinbacher could play tomorrow

Do you want some good news?

According to what Pascal Vincent said on BPM Sports this afternoon, there is a chance to see David Reinbacher play tomorrow.

The defender has not been able to play a single game since the start of the season due to an injury.

The Rocket’s head coach went on to say that if Reinbacher doesn’t play tomorrow… We could see him make his return to the game next week.

In any case, his return is approaching quickly!

The timing is perfect for Reinbacher to return.

He will have the opportunity to play about fifteen games by the end of the season if he stays healthy and will also be able to gain experience in the playoffs.

The Rocket is on fire right now, after all, and is ranked first in the American League standings.

This is really good news because we know Reinbacher has been slow to develop. He had a terrible season at Kloten last year because the team was bad on the ice… And he got seriously injured even before the 24-25 season began.

Good thing!

Let’s remember that Reinbacher already looked quite fit at the end of January.

We saw him practice with the Canadiens a few times and he really looked like a guy who was comfortable on the ice.

Everything went well in his rehabilitation, so:

Extension

Note that the Rocket has a fairly busy week.

They played two games over the weekend and have three more by Saturday.

Pascal Vincent’s men will be in action tomorrow and Friday at home and will also play Saturday in Syracuse, against the Crunch.

Reinbacher’s imminent return will allow the team to have more reinforcements.

Categories
Uncategorized

Bill Guerin wants Donald Trump to be at the game against Canada on Thursday

There are political tensions between Canada and the United States.

This is no secret.

Saturday’s match between the two nations was talked about for obvious reasons… And it will be the same on Thursday, when the two teams will compete for victory in the 4 Nations Tournament final.

It’s going to be special and it’s sure to have a fiery atmosphere.

But to motivate his players, Bill Guerin made a rather unusual request during an interview with the FOX network.

The American team’s general manager wants US President Donald Trump to attend the game.

We would be happy to have President Trump present. We have a full room of American players, coaches, and staff who are proud to be American. – Bill Guerin

Because in Guerin’s eyes, the US players drew inspiration from the hostile political climate and the booing of the American anthem to have a great game against Canada on Saturday.

He wants Trump to be present… So that the players are ready to go to battle.

He won’t make many friends with that statement:

Let’s remember that we saw the President of the United States attend the Chiefs-Eagles game at the last Super Bowl.

That being said, I wonder if he’ll receive the same warm welcome on Thursday if he’s at the TD Garden for the game against Canada…:

One thing is certain.

Whether Trump is there or not… The atmosphere in Boston is going to be completely crazy.

Especially after what happened during the first game between the two teams last Saturday.

It remains to be seen if the US President will be there to cheer on his troops!

In a hurry

– We love to hate him in Montreal, but we’re talking about a good hockey player.

– 🤣

– That’s true.

Categories
Uncategorized

Pezzetta and Heineman injured / Anderson bruised: A call-up from the CH is to be expected

The Canadian will play their next game on Saturday.

They will be visiting Ottawa to face the Senators.

That being said, with only a few days left before the game, the Canadian is in a somewhat precarious situation right now with the guys who are injured.

Josh Anderson was not able to train today (treatment day). Will he be in uniform on Saturday? Probably… But nothing seems certain at the moment.

There’s also Michael Pezzetta who is injured. The Canadian announced that he will be evaluated on a day-to-day basis.

And let’s not forget about Emil Heineman’s injury. The forward skated today and it’s a good sign, but Martin St-Louis said that the forward will continue to be evaluated until the end of the week.

With Anderson being hurt and with Pezz and Heineman being injured, the CH only has ten healthy forwards at the moment.

We’re talking about:

  • Patrik Laine
  • Nick Suzuki
  • Cole Caufield
  • Christian Dvorak
  • Joel Armia
  • Brendan Gallagher
  • Jake Evans
  • Juraj Slafkovsky
  • Alex Newhook
  • Kirby Dach

We can expect to see (at least) one recall being made before Saturday’s game in Ottawa.

Because even if I think Anderson will be able to play… We also have to consider the fact that even if Pezz isn’t, the Canadian will only have eleven available forwards for the game.

We know that before the break, Owen Beck played games with the big club.

We know that Joshua Roy has what it takes to help the team when he’s at the top of his game… And we shouldn’t forget Jared Davidson, who’s having a great season in Laval. He scored his 17th goal of the campaign yesterday.

I’m talking about these three guys because they’re the logical candidates (in my opinion) for a recall.

Beck had two good games before being sent back to Laval on February 9, and given that he knows Martin St-Louis’ system, it’s permissible to believe that he has a better chance than Roy or Davidson of being recalled.

But we’ll see.

Rapid fire

– Minor transaction between the Golden Knights and the Predators.

– Speaking of the Preds:

– Oh…

– Wow!

Categories
Uncategorized

Cole Caufield is in Brossard this afternoon (and not in Boston)

The 4 Nations Tournament ends on Thursday.

You know what that means? It means the Canadian is back in training.

The players have enjoyed a week off and now the guys are back in Brossard.

There’s a practice today at the CN Complex and obviously, we were keeping a close eye on Cole Caufield with the rumors surrounding him.

Let’s recall that with the injuries in the US, the possibility of him being “recalled” by his country was mentioned so he could play in Thursday’s game against Canada.

But clearly, Cole Caufield is not on his way to Boston at the time of writing.

Why do I say that? Because he was spotted on the ice in Brossard, working on his shots.

Lane Hutson, Nick Suzuki, and Kirby Dach were with him.

Hutson, Suzuki, and Caufield doing shooting drills. Kirby Dach joins them

[image or embed]

— Guillaume Lefrançois (@glefrancoislp.bsky.social) February 18, 2025, at 13:35

So we should expect Caufield not to play on Thursday in Boston.

At least, that’s what we can believe for now, because if the US had to recall him, it would probably have been done already.

Better luck next time, Cole…

There was also good news at today’s practice.

Before the start of practice, Emil Heineman skated alone.

He was – obviously – wearing a non-contact jersey:

Even though it’s been over a week since the guys haven’t played and they’ve been able to rest… Josh Anderson is still banged up.

The Canadian announced that the forward will not participate in today’s practice because he’s having a therapy day.

It’s normal to be concerned about his situation going forward…

Extension

Juraj Slafkovsky was one of the first guys to jump on the ice, but with a little note on his helmet.

The Slovak seems to have been pranked… Or he’s just sporting a different style, hehe:

Categories
Uncategorized

Regular season + 4 Nations: No goals since January 19 for Patrik Laine

The 4 Nations Tournament has come to an end for Finland.

The Finns played their three matches in the competition and picked up a win against Sweden along the way.

However, their losses to Canada and the United States meant they didn’t earn enough points to reach the final, which will be played on Thursday evening.

Naturally, from Finland’s perspective, everyone was keeping an eye on the performance of Joel Armia Patrik Laine.

I’m not taking anything away from Armia… But it was Laine’s performances that caught the attention of the Canadiens’ fans.

In the end, Laine wasn’t terrible: he had three assists in as many games, playing just over 15:30 per game.

He also finished the tournament in 2nd place among the top scorers on his team, behind Mikael Granlund.

We know that before the start of the tournament, Laine was struggling in Montreal.

He scored his last goal on January 19 (in overtime) when the Canadiens faced the Rangers at the Bell Centre.

That’s a long time:

(Credit: ESPN)

For a goal-scorer, having a long streak like that… It’s always tough.

And that’s why we want to see Laine get involved in other aspects of the game, because if he plays the right way, the results will come back.

But ultimately, Martin St-Louis will have to find a way to get his sniper going again. The Canadiens’ head coach needs to give his player the opportunity to score, and at that level, maybe it would be good for Laine to have new linemates.

Because with Dach and Newhook… It’s really tough, and it’s been that way for a while now.

Laine needs to have a player on his line who can give him the puck at the right time. That’s why the idea of pairing him with Nick Suzuki interests me, because we know the captain has the qualities to help him score goals.

I’m looking forward to seeing Martin St-Louis’ decisions in the coming weeks… Because the criticism will become even more intense if we don’t see #92 being able to score regularly.

In rafale

– Good news.

– A true one.

– Well done!

– Do you share the same point of view?

Categories
Uncategorized

Four nations: Quinn Hughes takes the road to Boston

For a few hours, the topic that has been holding attention in the NHL is clearly the injuries to the Americans.

What we know is that defensively, Mike Sullivan’s club will have to play the final match without Charlie McAvoy. The Bruins’ defenseman was hospitalized last night.

It’s a big story.

But despite everything, according to what Frank Seravalli said in the last minutes, the Americans currently have six healthy defensemen. They are therefore theoretically able to play Thursday’s match, if nothing changes, without missing a defenseman.

And for the forwards?

Despite the injuries to the Tkachuk brothers or Auston Matthews, who should all play on Thursday, the Americans also have 12 healthy forwards, according to Frank Seravalli. The insider reported that the Americans had enough players for the final match.

The American team’s plan was therefore not to recall anyone… since it was not allowed to do so.

That being said, you know as well as I do that a plan can change quickly. When it comes to injured players, it’s clear that having depth can’t always hurt.

And now, we’re telling you that Quinn Hughes, who was too injured to play, is on his way to Boston.

Will the Americans activate Hughes or just have him on standby? I have the feeling that the Americans will find a way to have him play, if he’s healthy.

The situation is to be monitored.

extension

We know that this morning, Cole Caufield’s name was circulating in this regard. And even if I expect to see him at the Canadiens’ practice at 2 pm, I’ll keep an eye on the situation, just in case.

After all, he can possibly be in Boston without being assured of playing…

Let’s recall that if he’s not in Brossard at 2 pm, it won’t necessarily mean he’s in Boston, since the snow can change a lot of things. But… it’s worth monitoring.

It’s heating up, therefore.

Categories
Uncategorized

Comment from François Legault on battles: Enrico Ciccone criticizes the prime minister

The file on brothers Matthew and Brady Tkachuk is making a lot of noise in Quebec. The fact that they fought on Saturday night has left no one indifferent.

This is making so much noise that Guy A. Lepage even thinks that the two brothers are “as stupid” as their president. He said it yesterday in a post on social media.

But it seems that François Legault also took the opportunity to take a shot at the two Tkachuk brothers. I wonder what Gary Bettman thinks about this, by the way…

As for the two fights by the Tkachuk brothers, I found it a bit shameful. – François Legault

In an article by journalist Nicolas Lachance, we can also read that the prime minister says he is not against fights. He thinks it can be a good idea to get revenge for a dirty hit, but he didn’t like seeing it at the start of the game.

In the eyes of the prime minister, who loves hockey, that’s not how the sport should be played.

And what we need to know is that Enrico Ciccone, who is obviously a PLQ deputy and a player who accumulated 1469 minutes of penalties in the NHL, didn’t like his political opponent’s comments.

He even called out Isabelle Charest, the minister responsible for Sports, Leisure, and the Outdoors, on Twitter to ask what she thought of her boss’s statements.

We need to remember that Ms. Charest is the minister who pushed to ban fights in the LHJMQ. And Enrico Ciccone has always been of the same opinion, too.

He also posted a link on X to a dangerous fall that occurred yesterday in the LHJMQ in order to add to his criticism of the prime minister. He thinks that François Legault’s comment is irresponsible.

We thought that national anthems would be the biggest point of contention during the Four Nations Face-Off. But even if that’s making noise (that’s partly why the Tkachuks fought, after all), the Tkachuk brothers are the ones getting attention right now.

For better or for worse, the NHL tournament is getting attention from almost everyone right now.

In rapid fire

– Big news.

– Are you looking for the sports connection in that tweet? Walking on the sidewalk is a sport.

– Good question.